Abstract
This paper presents novel results concerning engagement with ICT standards and their implementations in open source software (OSS). Specifically, findings draw from observations and analysis related to standards and implementations in the multimedia field. The first part of the study reports on experiences and insights from engagement with standards in the multimedia field and from implementation of such standards in OSS projects. The second part of the study focuses on the case of the ITU-T H.264 standard and the two OSS projects OpenH264 and x264 that both implement the standard, and reports on a characterisation of organisations that engage with and control the H.264 standard, and organisations that engage with and control OSS projects implementing the H.264 standard. Further, projects for standardisation and implementation of H.264 are contrasted with respect to mix of contributing organisations, and findings are related to organisational strategies of contributing organisations and previous research.
Highlights
There are a number of different challenges related to provision of standards in the software sector, that can impact on the extent to which it is possible to faithfully implement the specification of a standard in software systems (Blind and Böhm, 2019; Gamalielsson and Lundell, 2013; Lundell et al, 2019; UK, 2015)
For the first part, where the first, second, third and fourth research questions are addressed, and where we report on experiences and insights concerning reasons for and challenges related to engagement with standards in the multimedia field and implementation of such standards in Open Source Software (OSS) projects, the two researchers conducted elite interviews with experts with long-term experience from engaging with, using and implementing multimedia standards in OSS projects as respondents
For the organisations that engage with and control the H.264 standard, we focused on and investigated strategic statements from organisations that have contributed to the editorship for H.264 through analysis of annual reports for each year of the study periods each organisation was contributing
Summary
There are a number of different challenges related to provision of standards in the software sector, that can impact on the extent to which it is possible to faithfully implement the specification of a standard in software systems (Blind and Böhm, 2019; Gamalielsson and Lundell, 2013; Lundell et al, 2019; UK, 2015). Implementations of standards in Open Source Software (OSS) is one means to address these challenges, and such implementations need to be available over very long life-cycles For this reason it is important to assess the longevity of organisational governance and development provided by organisations in standardisation- and OSS projects (Butler et al, 2020; Crowston and Howison, 2006). Previous research on standards and their implementations in software projects include studies the addressing of different aspects related to interoperability and compliance RQ5 and RQ6 complement the research questions in first part of the study by exploring and presenting specific details concerning engagement with a widely deployed, and patent encumbered, ICT standard in the multimedia field and associated OSS implementations RQ5: What characterises organisations that engage with and control the H.264 standard?; RQ6: What characterises organisations that engage with and control OSS projects implementing the H.264 standard? RQ5 and RQ6 complement the research questions in first part of the study by exploring and presenting specific details concerning engagement with a widely deployed, and patent encumbered, ICT standard in the multimedia field and associated OSS implementations
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