Hybrid Cloud For Dummies

Evolution of Standards

Standards have generally been established in four ways:

Multi-national bodies. These are typically governed by treaties or other similar international legal agreements. These groups generally have long procedures and red tape before agreement is reached. Members might be diplomats instead of technical experts. The International Organization for Standards (ISO) is one such group. It is comprised of representatives from countries all over the world. ISO has developed over 17,500 standards covering many subject areas, and new standards are developed every year.

Industry consortiums. Standards are developed when multiple players in an industry come together. Even though the members might be competitors, they know that coming together will help everyone. These groups are often more streamlined and agile than international bodies and often directly engage technical experts in the process. The Open Group, Open Grid Forum, and OASIS are some examples of industry consortiums.

An ad hoc group. Ad hoc groups are self-organized and governed. These groups are often built around open source initiatives. They can be a loose body that discusses their matters through an Internet ...