Title: ITS standardisation: lessons from the consortium approach

Authors: Jonathan L. Gifford, Odd J. Stalebrink

Addresses: School of Public Policy, George Mason University, 3401 North Fairfax Drive, MS 3B1, Arlington, VA 22201, USA. School of Public Policy, George Mason University, 3401 North Fairfax Drive, MS 3B1, Arlington, VA 22201, USA

Abstract: Standards for intelligent transportation system (ITS) equipment have been called for since the outset of the current ITS movement more than a decade ago. But progress towards standardisation has been slow. This paper provides an overview of three ||conventional|| approaches to standardisation - de facto standards, standards development organisations (SDOs) and regulatory standards. In the light of these approaches, it examines the contributions of a consortium approach to standardisation by presenting and analysing six case studies of consortia-based standards, both in ITS and in other sectors. The analysis brings attention to: (a) instances where the cases illustrate the flexibility offered by a consortium; (b) instances where a consortium has led to speedy standardisation; and (c) conditions under which (a) and (b) are most successfully facilitated by consortia. It is concluded that a consortium approach to standardisation may be useful to ITS standardisation when the following three conditions are present in the domains of ITS rapid technology cycle, dynamic market, and strong mutual interest.

Keywords: consortia; standardisation; Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS); ITS and governance; ITS institutional issues.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTPM.2002.001758

International Journal of Technology, Policy and Management, 2002 Vol.2 No.1, pp.56-71

Published online: 18 Aug 2003 *

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