ISO
ISO (International
Organization for Standardization) is the world's largest developer and
publisher of International
Standards.
ISO is a network of the
national standards institutes of 159
countries, one member per country, with a Central Secretariat in
Geneva, Switzerland, that coordinates the
system.
ISO is a non-governmental organization
that forms a bridge between the public and private sectors. On the one hand,
many of its member institutes are part of the governmental structure of their
countries, or are mandated by their government. On the other hand, other
members have their roots uniquely in the private sector, having been set up by
national partnerships of industry associations.
Therefore, ISO enables a consensus to be
reached on solutions that meet both the requirements of business and the broader needs of society.
Because
"International Organization for Standardization" would have different
acronyms in different languages ("IOS" in English, "OIN" in
French for Organisation
internationale de normalisation), its founders decided to give it
also a short, all-purpose name. They chose "ISO", derived from the Greek isos, meaning "equal".
Whatever the country, whatever the language, the short form of the
organization's name is always ISO.
Who
standards benefit
ISO
standards provide technological, economic and societal benefits.
For businesses, the
widespread adoption of International Standards means that suppliers can develop
and offer products and services meeting specifications that have wide international
acceptance in their sectors. Therefore, businesses using International
Standards can compete on many more markets around the world.
For innovators of new
technologies, International Standards on aspects like terminology,
compatibility and safety speed up the dissemination of innovations and their
development into manufacturable and marketable products.
For customers, the
worldwide compatibility of technology which is achieved when products and
services are based on International Standards gives them a broad choice of
offers. They also benefit from the effects
of competition among suppliers.
For governments,
International Standards provide the technological and scientific bases
underpinning health, safety and environmental legislation.
For trade officials,
International Standards create "a
level playing field" for all competitors on those markets.
The existence of divergent national or regional standards can create technical
barriers to trade. International Standards are the technical means by which
political trade agreements can be put into practice.
For developing countries,
International Standards that represent an international consensus on the state
of the art are an important source of technological
know-how. By defining the characteristics that products and
services will be expected to meet on export markets, International Standards
give developing countries a basis for making the right decisions when investing their
scarce resources and thus avoid squandering them.
For consumers, conformity
of products and services to International Standards provides assurance about
their quality, safety and reliability.
For everyone,
International Standards contribute to the quality of life in general by ensuring
that the transport, machinery and tools we use are safe.
For the planet we inhabit,
International Standards on air, water and soil quality, on emissions of gases
and radiation and environmental aspects of products can contribute to efforts
to preserve the
environment.
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