Standardisation in Information Technology

This Minitrack is Part of the
Emerging Technologies Track of
HICSS-34

(January 3 - 6, 2001, Outrigger Wailea Resort, Maui)

CALL FOR PAPERS AND REVIEWERS

for the Minitrack on

Standardisation in Information Technology

Minitrack organiser:

Kai Jakobs

Technical University of Aachen; Computer Science Department; Informatik IV;
Ahornstr. 55; D-52074 Aachen; Germany.
Phone: +49-241-8021405
Fax: +49-241-8888-220
Kai.Jakobs@i4.informatik.rwth-aachen.de

Minitrack Description

Standards form the sine-qua-non for all IT systems. Without underlying standards meaningful exchange of information between different systems would be next to impossible. Accordingly, standards setting has become big business (just look at all those consortia and forae, and their members), and whether or not the market adopts a standard may well have considerable impact even on large companies.

Thus, it should be a high priority interest to understand how standards emerge in the first place, what shapes them, and what impact exactly they (may) have.

This minitrack aims at contributing to a greater awareness of the problems and issues surrounding standardisation and ideally, to suggest some solutions.

Today, the most pressing issues relating to standards setting include

Whether or not the formal standards setting process, which is characterised by consensus and the observation of due process, is still adequate in the fast and constantly changing IT environment of today, and what needs to be done if it is not.

How to manage intellectual property rights (IPR) during the process of standards setting.

Accordingly, papers addressing these issues are very much solicited. In addition, a non-exhaustive list of sample topics includes, but is definitely not limited to

The role of standards in information infrastructures.
Corporate standardisation policies.
Corporate ëstandardsí vs consortium specifications vs formal standards.
The economic dimension of IT standards.
The role of the individual in standards setting.

Stakeholders in the standards setting process are at least as diverse, ranging from governments to, ultimately, the individual end-users. Large multi-national vendors/manufacturers have specific requirements on the standards setting process and its outcome, which may well contradict those of small or medium sized firms, which in turn are typically very different from the needs and expectations of user companies. This additional diversity further adds to the broad variety of topics and viewpoints.

Instructions for Authors

Submit a 300-word abstract to the minitrack coordinator by March 31, 2000. Feedback on the appropriateness of the abstract will be sent to you by April 30, 2000.

Submit the full manuscript by June 1, 2000, preferably as an e-mail attachment in PDF, PostScript, or MS-Word 97 format, to Kai.Jakobs@i4.informatik.rwth-aachen.de.
If you cannot send e-mail attachments please send 6 printed copies of the paper to the minitrack coordinator at the address above.

Manuscripts should have an abstract and be 22-25 typewritten, double-spaced pages in length. Papers must not have been previously presented or published, nor currently submitted for journal publication. Each manuscript will be subjected to a rigorous refereeing process.

Call for Reviewers

If you liked to serve as a reviewer for the minitrack, please send an e-mail to the minitrack coordinator.

In your e-mail you should include the following information:

Your name and complete address information (including e-mail, telephone and fax numbers), and your areas of expertise.

Important Deadlines in 2000

March 31	Send a 300-word abstract
April 30	Feedback to author on abstract
June 1	Draft papers due
August 31	Notification of accepted papers
October 1	Camera-ready copies of accepted papers due

[HICSS] [Emerging Technologies Track]