The Value of Web Design Standards for Mobile Computing

The multiple and ever-evolving standards that govern mobile computing result in multilayered heterogeneous environments of mobile devices and services. Thus, as mobile computing becomes more prevalent, it is important that designers build systems that support as many unique, in-use, and userdefined characteristics as possible. This study explores the related effects of two existing standardized technologies: hypertext markup language (HTML) and cascading style sheets (CSS). Furthermore, whereas we investigate the impact of the CSS standard in the context of computing in general and mobile computing in particular, we also focus on two emerging roles of this standard: device independence and usability. Our findings suggest that the application of the CSS standard can improve data delivery across independent devices with varied bandwidth and resource availability, thereby providing device independence and improved usability respectively. We demonstrate that through their effect on device independence and usability, CSS plays an important role in the evolution, expansion, and openness of mobile computing.

Challenges for Formal Standardization

This study considers the developments in international standardization over the last 20 years, particularly the status of formal standardization as compared with consortium-based industrial standardization. The report shows that the radical reform of the global formal standardization system that started in 2008, prompted by the loss of interest in formal standardization on the part of large corporations and the sometimes less than satisfactory outcomes from consortium-based industrial standardization in terms of competition and antitrust considerations, has helped to compensate for the declining significance of national formal standardization. This specifically relates to national governments and is to be regarded as a clearly positive development from both the economic and the institutional and political points of view. Global public interests are now catered for by Internet-supported information markets. In particular, online documentation has also enhanced the transparency of the formal standardization process and provided freedom of access for small and medium-sized companies in particular, irrespective of geographical region. Finally, the study shows that the debate that took place in and around the year 2004 between Europe and the USA regarding the path toward the internationalization of formal standardization processes was superfluous, incomplete, and even counterproductive, owing to the hardening of the political divisions between the two sides.

The Role of Individuals and Social Capital in POSIX Standardization

While standards are issued by organizations, individuals do the actual work, with significant collaboration required to agree on a common standard. This article explores the role of individuals in standards setting as well as the way these individuals are connected to one another through trusting networks and common values. This issue is studied in the context of the IEEE POSIX set of standards, for which the author was actively involved for more than 15 years. This case study demonstrates that the goals and influence of individual participants are not just that of their respective employers but may follow the individual through changes of employment. It also highlights changes in the relative importance of individual and corporate influence in UNIX-related standardization over time. Better understanding of the interaction between individuals and organizations in the context of social capital and standardization can provide both a foundation for related research and more productive participation in these types of forums.

Scope and Timing of Deployment

Here we present a qualitative study of how organizations do (or do not) adopt a new computer server platform standard; namely, Linux using PC-compatible hardware. While discussions of Linux typically focus on its open source origins, our respondents were interested primarily in low price. Despite this relative advantage in price, incumbent standards enjoyed other advantages identified by prior theory; namely, network effects and switching costs. We show when, how, and why such incumbent advantages are overcome by a new standard. We find that Linux adoption within organizations began for uses with a comparatively limited scope of deployment, thus minimizing network effect and switching costs disadvantages. We identify four attributes of information systems that potentially limit the scope of deployment: few links of the system to organizational processes, special-purpose computer systems, new uses, and replacement of obsolete systems. We also identify an organizational level variable—internal standardization— which increases scope of deployment and, thus, the attractiveness of the incumbent standard.

Linguistic Qualities of International Standards

Linguistic qualities are essential for the fitness for use of every standard. The intentions of the standards developers should become perfectly clear to those who will finally use the documents, but language barriers at several project stages may hinder this. This chapter addresses the topic for standards at the global and regional levels using a case study about the linguistic qualities of the standards published by the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission). Most IEC standards are bilingual (English and French), and they are frequently translated into national languages. Feedback on standards use, translation practices, and user satisfaction has been obtained by means of two questionnaires sent to the IEC national committees (NCs). These data are assessed with respect to the language skills of the technical experts concerned, the particular linguistic aspects of the standards, the process of standards development, national translating practices, and standards user satisfaction. Standards development in two languages adds to their fitness for use, but this advantage should be balanced against the cost of bilingualism. The current practice satisfies more or less all parties involved; nevertheless, some improvements can be suggested. The issue of bilingualism vs. unilingualism also has an important cultural and political dimension.

Open Standards Requirements

An open society, if it utilizes communications systems, requires open standards. The personal computer revolution and the Internet have resulted in a vast new wave of Internet users. These new users have a material interest in the technical standards that proscribe their communications. These new users make new demands on the standardization processes, often with the rallying cry, “open standards.” As is often the case, a rallying cry means many different things to different people. This article explores the different requirements suggested by the term open standards. Perhaps when everyone agrees on what requirements open standards serve, it will be possible to achieve them and maintain the open society that many crave

COPRAS

Between early 2004 and 2007, the cooperation platform for research and standards (COPRAS) deployed a series of activities to improve the interfacing process between ICT research and standardization. This included the conclusion of standardization action plans with a series of projects in the EU-funded Sixth Framework Programme and the development of a set of generic standardization guidelines supporting future ICT research projects in their interfacing with standardization. COPRAS’s results show that cooperation and cross-fertilization between research and standardization is perceived as increasingly important by projects, and also demonstrate how direct and indirect support mechanisms are able to increase the amount of tangible results ICT research will be able to contribute to ongoing standards work. However, results also show that structurally improving the research and standards interfacing process will not be possible unless all parties to the process, including the research and standards communities and the administrators of the research programmes, take additional, and continuous, action.

Market Response to ISO 9000 Certification of Software Engineering Processes

A very large proportion of software projects are deemed to be failures. In most business sectors, this situation would be dealt with by improving quality assurance processes, frequently including certification of the business processes to standards such as ISO 9000. However, in the field of software engineering, there is controversy over whether or not certification of software engineering processes is a cost-effective response to quality issues. The value of certification in software engineering is examined in the present research by applying event-study methodology to examine the market response to announcements of certification of software engineering processes. The findings support the hypothesis that certification of software engineering processes leads to increased profits for companies that are primarily focused on developing products. Subsequent exploratory analysis suggests that the knowledge of the certification may leak out to the marketplace before the official announcement.

Developing Country Perspectives on Software

This chapter looks at implications of the emerging global intellectual property (IP) regime for developing countries (DCs) and their attempts to improve their technological capabilities. It further highlights the new perspectives for DCs opened up by the emergence of non-proprietary (open source/free) software, such as Linux. A case study of the battle between Microsoft and Linux in China is used to explore the dilemmas faced by China in determining what IP regime (strict or weak) to adopt, and the threats and opportunities that either may pose for indigenous technology development. Based on the case analysis, the chapter criticizes the simplistic polarized views that have been presented of the implications of the global IP regime and of the potential of non-proprietary software. It explores some of the complex considerations about the interplay between technology strategy and IP protection for China and discusses the policy implications for China and other DCs.

Standards for Business Component Markets

The idea of component-based software systems and markets for the exchange of components dates back to the late 1960s. However, so far no large-scale components markets can be found. The purpose of this chapter is to present a more in-depth analysis of the conditions that have to be met for the successful realization of this idea. Three perspectives are presented: first, a system-theoretic perspective; second, an economic perspective; and third, a knowledge-codification perspective of standardization. As we want to argue, the problem should be considered as an empirical question that depends to a large extent on the future technological development and its outcome, like specification techniques, software verification standards, and the performance and maturity of existing systems.