Kai Jakobs Livres

Abstract The paper’s objective is the analysis of some of the fundamental economic efficiency considerations of parallel standards, in order to thereby enrich the discussion and also the decision process regarding the transfer of the ECMA OpenXML standard into an ISO standard parallel to the already existing ISO ODF standard, producing rather fundamentals than specific technical aspects and arguments. The following questions are central to the analysis: How should multiple parallel existing standards, which exist in the same technological area, be fundamentally evaluated in terms of theoretical-static welfare, and most importantly with respect to their dynamic effect on innovation and competition? How can these questions be evaluated, in particular in the area of standardisation of open document formats? How is the standardisation of open document formats to be evaluated with respect to their effect on innovation and competition – in particular in the downstream markets and therewith from the point of view of the medium-sized software industry? ? From a general economic welfare perspective it is superior to select only one specific standard within a static model. In contrast, the much more realistic dynamic models present a set of efficiency improvements generated by a competition between standards, which counterbalance the static efficiency gains caused by an intermediate decision for a specific standard. Based on several economic models a number of parameters are identified that have to be taken into account in the decision for or against a competition between competing standards. If one ultimately summarises the parameter characteristics in the concrete case of competition between the ODF and the OpenXML standard, one clearly finds characteristics in the majority of the parameters that do not speak for an immediate decision for either of the two standards at the current time.

Foreword It’s odd, somehow. When I applied for EU funding for the first SIIT conference, the proposal was rejected not least because of one evaluator’s comment that no link exists between standardisation and innovation and that, accordingly, the whole idea of a conference looking at these two processes together was void (eventually, the European Commission did fund the conference, albeit through a different channel). So, for 14 years now, attendees of the SIIT conferences (and many others) have talked about standardisation and innovation and, particularly, about the link that exists between them. Yet, the ‘pillars’ upon which the Digital Agenda for Europe is based still separate standardisation and innovation ……. Looking at the brighter side (still in Europe, please forgive my geographical bias), the EU now has a regulation in place that – at long last – acknowledges the importance of consortium standards in the ICT sector and provides for their referencing in official documents, most notably in public procurement (if the relevant WTO criteria on quality and the development process are met). Also, rumour has it that standardisation will play a more important role in the upcoming R& D framework programme. And, on a slightly different note, standards education attracts increasing intention from SDOs, governments and universities.

"Standards have to meet the demands of their potential users to survive in the market. Particularly in the fast moving IT domain this has not always been the case. The book shows what can be done to develop good standards, which are geared to market requirements. Against common wisdom it claims that the popular call for more users on the standards committees is counter-productive. Analysis is provided to support this claim, and show what has to be done to actually produce useful IT standards." "Target Groups: Researchers and students in Computer Science and Information Systems, especially Telecommunications, Electronic Commerce; individuals associated with any of the numerous standards setting bodies, consortia or fora (i.e. ISO/ITU/ETSI/IETF/OMG/ ... committee members and work group participants); and managers in large vendor/manufactoring/service provider companies in the IT-domain."--Jacket