Crossroads of Information Technology Standards (1990) / Chapter Skim
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Pages 33-42
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From page 33... ...
The tools of the knowledge workers in the coming information age will be the ever improving computers and telecommunications devices, the evolution of which results from our increasing use of the technologies of integrated circuits, fiber optics, and software engineering. Those businesses that provide their knowledge workers with the best tools can expect to benefit from the resulting competitive advantage.
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From page 34... ...
Nations that do not properly develop their infrastructures risk consigning their economies to second-class status. Although individual firms, particularly large, well-financed firms, may be able to rise above the general level of a mediocre telecommunications infrastructure by installing private networks, the benefits of doing so will not be widely shared throughout the economy.
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From page 35... ...
In the United States, the public telecommunications infrastructure is a more diverse and competitive enterprise than anywhere else in the world, relying on the productive efforts of thousands of firms and participants from many segments of industry. These segments include local exchange earners, interexchange carriers, mobile carriers, enhanced service providers, information senice providers, network equipment manufacturers, customer premises equipment manufacturers and myriad users.
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From page 36... ...
Standards, interface standards, and end-to-end performance standards, in particular, are such powerful tools for forging industry cooperation that companies in the telecommunications industry, telecommunications users, and government policymakers alike invest high hopes in them, expecting the standards-making process to further many business and social goals. Interface and end-to-end standards are expected to increase competition by providing a set of rules and a level playing field.
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From page 37... ...
These expectations provide major challenges for the telecommunications standards process. Next we examine how well today's process is achieving these benefits.
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From page 38... ...
Now, at times, the work that we do goes hand in hand with the work in the laboratories." The standards developing process is now a public laboratory for the telecommunications industry's forward-looking work. The United States cannot afford to underemphasize the strategic importance of this work The growing importance of standards and the fact that standardsmaking is now a state-of-the-art rather than an after-the-fact process demand a different standards-making skill set than that which was used in the
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From page 40... ...
While unlawful conduct must be avoided, there are coordinated business activities which not only are lawful but that are also critically necessary to creating a robust telecommunications infrastructure. Other nations have shown that there are important economic gains to be made with a national industrial policy that encourages the degree of coordination required to achieve significant efficiencies.
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From page 41... ...
A systems approach, operating through an efficient, open industlywide standards process, could lead to the formulation of interfaces and end-to-end architectures designed for overall low cost, flexibility of applications, the potential for increased functionality in the future, and a level playing field for suppliers. Of course, with or without change in U.S.
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From page 42... ...
In particular, speeding up the standards developing process is a goal. These prescriptions, that we develop a national antitrust policy that supports cooperation where it is needed, that we adopt a national systems approach, and that we pay strategic attention to standards-making and better manage the standards developing process, would go far in helping U.S.
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