Standards for Tomorrow

Abstract

Over the decades, standards have been critical for defining how to interconnect computer and networking devices across different vendors so they can seamlessly work together. Standards have been critical, not only in networking and computer interfaces, but also at the operating system and systems software level. There are many examples, such as IEEE 802, POSIX, IETF, and W3C. There was always the question of the right time to standardize (not too early and not too late), and the time to complete a standardization project always seemed too long, but inevitable. However, the contemporary industry seems to be more dynamic and evolving than it has ever been, demanding more agile processes. Open source processes and software defined (networks, storage, data centers, etc.) offer alternatives to standards. In this article we attempt to envision the future role of standards, and how they will complement and enhance alternative choices toward the same goal. We first summarize traditional standards, then discuss alternatives and a couple of use cases, and conclude with some future directions and opportunities for standardization.