IEEE-ISTO Overview

The IEEE Industry Standards and Technology Organization (IEEE-ISTO) was established on 1 January 1999 as a not-for-profit corporation, tax exempt under Section 501(c)(6) of the U.S. tax code. The IEEE-ISTO is governed by its own Board of Directors, Bylaws, and Articles of Incorporation. The organization is affiliated with the IEEE, and the IEEE Standards Association.

The formation of the IEEE-ISTO is indicative of IEEE's recognition and response to the dynamic standards development environment, and the need to be able to offer industry increased choice and flexibility through a complete menu of standards development options and support.

The IEEE-ISTO offers industry groups (e.g., consortia, special interest groups, alliances, forums, working groups) an innovative and flexible operational forum and support for development and post-development standards and technology development activities. The IEEE-ISTO operates as an umbrella organization to provide the legal forum for industry groups to operate, without the need to incorporate themselves as a legal entity. Programs of the IEEE-ISTO enjoy the legal protections and insurance benefits of operating within an incorporated, fully insured, non-profit organization.

The IEEE-ISTO enables industry groups to define their unique rules and procedures (e.g., scope and nature of technical program, membership (dues, categories), voting, consensus requirements, and structure) to build a foundation tailored to the technology, the market, the participants, the required time-frame, and the financial and human resources available to achieve their goals.

Groups organized within the IEEE-ISTO are able to develop and publish their outputs on their own or through the IEEE-ISTO. The resulting publications, standards, and specifications of each program can then be submitted, as appropriate, to other standards bodies for approval or adoption (e.g., IETF, ISO, IEC, IEEE, ISO/IEC JTC1, W3C). Documents and technologies developed may be distributed as freely as the individual industry groups require and fund.

The IEEE-ISTO provides a forum not only to develop standards, but also to facilitate the activities that support the implementation and acceptance of standards in the marketplace.

IEEE-ISTO Offerings and Secretariat Resources

The IEEE-ISTO provides the legal infrastructure (and support) under which industry-specific programs and related technology development activities (e.g., Marketing, Certification, Patent and Intellectual Property Licensing Administration, Standard and Specification Development, Interoperability Demonstrations, Branding, Conformity Assessment, Cooperative Research) can be organized. The IEEE-ISTO is structured to facilitate cost-effective, stable programs in support of any new or emerging technology that requires rapid development of standards and specifications to meet product schedules, and to attain market acceptance.

The IEEE-ISTO has been established as a self-supporting organization through fees for support and infrastructure provided to each industry group. Each group establishes and approves its program budget and support dependent upon the group's priorities, requirements, and funding. Operational support may be acquired from the IEEE-ISTO on an as-needed basis.

The IEEE-ISTO provides a complete menu of comprehensive management and operational support, from formation to ongoing facilitation, administration and management of an industry group's daily activities. The support required and provided can be customized to meet the needs and objectives of each group, on an as needed basis.

The IEEE-ISTO can provide all of the ongoing support functions which allow the members and leadership to focus their efforts on the goals at hand. Groups can mobilize quickly and maintain their unique identity without the need to develop their own "do-it-yourself" organization where technical staff, including the leadership, perform administrative and management functions on a daily basis. The earlier that industry groups engage experienced independent professionals to assist in the design and management of their organizations, the sooner the organization's founders and members can focus on the mission, by leaving the administration and management to an independent, neutral organization. The staff of the IEEE-ISTO is committed to providing this support, with a high standard of integrity and confidentiality, and can be as flexible and creative as necessary to realize the goals for the program.

Our experience in association management and governance has proven that industry groups require access to a core set of support and programs that allow the organization to create, manage, and distribute its benefits to its membership and supporters. Core support involves a mix of traditional association management support, plus the full spectrum of electronic communications support. The IEEE-ISTO's role in the following areas could include, but are not limited to:

• Formation Assistance
  
• Financial Management
  
• Patent and Intellectual Property Licensing Administration
  
• Record Keeping
  
• Membership Support
  
• Planning, Meeting Management and Forum Activities
  
• Headquarters Office Support and Identity
  
• Publication and Documentation Management
  
• On-Line Support and Communications
  
• General Promotion, Marketing, and Press Relations