PowerPoint Presentation

The Case for Open Standards

Trond Arne Undheim, Chair
OFE Standardisation Special Interest Group
London, 31 October 2008.

Outline

What we do

Why Open standards are important

Who the European players are

How we are shaping European policy

What the trends are

Concluding messages

What do we do?

Influence high level policy in Europe

Letters to decision makers

Face-to-face

Seminars to educate and set the agenda

Documentation

Onepage briefs

White Papers

Speak/represent at international events

What's our opinion?

Standards are strategic to governments

Efficient IT infrastructure

Fair procurement

Standards are strategic to industry

Cost effective software interoperability

Europe's legal framework is outdated

Fora/consortia contribute significantly

Global open standards are crucial

Choosing open standards is a very smart business decision indeed

Neelie Kroes
European Competition Commissioner
10th June 2008, OFE Briefing, Brussels

Standards In Everyday Life

The Internet works

Toys are safe

Plugs fit

Largely play out behind the scenes

Open Standards

Transparent process open to all

Platform independent, vendor neutral

Approved by rough consensus

Published specifications

Implemented royalty free

See: Roadmap for Open ICT Ecosystems, Harvard, 2005

http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/epolicy/

The Internet is fundamentally based on the existence of open, non-proprietary standards

Vint Cerf, the father of the Internet

Software Standards Ecosystem

Global

Royalty free

Disclosed ex anteHealthy process

Non-RF as exception

Certainty

Quality of process

Wide implementation

Actual interoperability

Open

Why ex ante* disclosure?

Patented technology may impact price

Knowing increases quality of decisions

Ensures fair competition in marketplace

Ex ante (lat.) = before the event

Which European Players matter?

The EU institutions

Industry (ECIS, EICTA, ESA, OFE) and individual companies

SMEs (NORMAPME)

Consumer representatives (ANEC)

WIPO, Council of Europe, ISO, ITU

European Union

European Parliament (oversight)

European Commission (executive)

Council of the European Union (decision)

27 Member States

Large players (France, Germany, UK)

New players (Poland, Slovenia)

Frontrunners (The Netherlands, Denmark)

European Parliament

785 MEPs in 22 Committees

ICT - ITRE (R&D, Energy)

Standards IMCO (Internal Market and Consumer Protection)

Seven political groups

No citizen or company should be forced or encouraged to choose a closed technology over an open one, through a government having made that choice first

Neelie Kroes
European Competition Commissioner
10th June 2008, OFE Briefing, Brussels

European Commission

Barroso Commission (2004-2009)

Vice President Verheugen (DG ENTR industry and SME)

Unit D4: ICT for Competitiveness (standardization reform)

Vice President Kallas (DG ADMIN, DG DIGIT IT in EC)

DG DIGIT Pan-European eGovernment Programme (IDABC)

European Commission cont.

Barroso Commission (2004-2009)

Commissioner Reding (DG INFSO ICT, media, telecom)

Unit C1: ICT policy

Unit D4: Software & Services (policy and R&D)

Commissioner Kroes (DG COMP Anti-trust mandate)

Commissioner McCreevy (DG MARKT IPR policy

Council of the European Union

French Presidency (July-Dec 2008)

Czech Presidency (Jan-June 2009)

Swedish Presidency (July-Dec 2009)

Spanish Presidency (Jan-June 2010)

Political programme Ministerial conf.

Decision making (Council Decision)

European Legal Base

Council Decision 87/95 (ICT standardisation in public sector)

Directive 98/34 (formally recognised standards organisations)

ESOs

Three European standards organisations

CENELEC (1959) mainly electro-technical

CEN (1961) European pre-standards and standards

ETSI (1988) telecom standards

Coordination across

The ICT Standards Board (ICTSB) http://www.ictsb.org/

SOGITS - Council Decision 87/95

Has not convened for six years

Deeply embed openness in policy, regulations and procurement practices

European Parliament

Parliament as EU institutions' watchdog

European citizens deserve an Open Parliament, free from vendor lock-in

Post-i2010 strategy focused on openness

DG Enterprise

Implement Study on ICT Standardization

Innovation effects for Open Source SMEs

Revise CD 87/95 and Directive 98/34 to

Recognize fora/consortia w/openness criteria

Reflect software interoperability (royalty-free)

Open up European standards setting

DG Information Society and Media

Continue to reference consortia in policy

Push standards engagement in R&D

Check Mandates (eHealth, eAccess, RFID)

Make open standards the foundation of European software strategy.

Shape openness in post- i2010 IT strategy

DG DIGIT (IDABC)

Recommend open standards across EU

Guarantee cross-border interoperability

Recommend sound criteria for standards and specifications and best practice

Mandate open standards in pan-EU dealings

Open focus of Member States' GIF*s

*GIF = Government Interoperability Framework

IDABC does a good job

DG DIGIT (eCommission)

Check own procurement practices

Support ODF standard, not OOXML

Stop unfair contracts

Lead by example

eCommission must take its own medicine in eProcurement

DG Competition

Anti-trust (Microsoft case and others)

Clarify rules for ex ante disclosure

Competition policy should not hamper standardization

Vigilance on anti-trust in software market

Provide clarity on ex ante

Follow up Kroes speech inside EC

Message to Europe

Walk the talk on open standards

In procurement practices

In regulations, directives, policies

Share best practices

Globalise European standards setting

Implement open standards now

Message to all stakeholders

Increase collaboration

Quicken adoption

Protect fast track

Industry, SMEs, and consumers all gain on a streamlined process

Summarizing trends

Standards high on government agendas

Interoperability Frameworks in EU

Environment is set to change

EU considers standards reform

Peer-to-peer distributed networks engage

Some resist change

Timing of change is uncertain

Open Forum SIG Conclusion

European standardisation at crossroads

EU sees open standards serve Europe

Huge untapped efficiency potential

EU must now walk the talk"

There is a good case for Open Standards

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