Understanding ICT Standardization

To advance education about ICT standardization, comprehensive and up-to-date teaching materials must be available. With the support of the European Commission, ETSI has developed this textbook to facilitate education on ICT standardization, and to raise the knowledge level of ICT standardization-related topics among lecturers and students in higher education, in particular in the fields of engineering, business administration and law. Readers of this book are not required to have any previous knowledge about standardization. They are introduced firstly to the key concepts of standards and standardization, different elements of the ecosystem and how they interact, as well as the procedures required for the production of standardization documents. Then, readers are taken to the next level by addressing aspects related to standardization such as innovation, strategy, business, and economics. This textbook is an attempt to make ICT standardization accessible and understandable to students. It covers the essentials that are required to get a good overview of the field. The book is organized in chapters that are self-contained, although it would be advantageous to read the book from cover to cover. Each chapter begins with a list of learning objectives and key messages. The text is enriched with examples and case studies from real standardization practice to illustrate the key theoretical concepts. Each chapter also includes a quiz to be used as a self-assessment learning activity. Furthermore, each book chapter includes a glossary and lists of abbreviations and references. Alongside the textbook, we have produced a set of slides that are intended to serve as complementary teaching materials in face-to-face teaching sessions. For all interested parties there is also an electronic version of the textbook as well as the accompanying slides that can be downloaded for free from the ETSI website (www.etsi.org/standardization-education).