By IEEE Standards Association Corporate Advisory Group
It’s well understood that standardization efforts–from identifying standards needs to building consensus on standards projects through to a standard being published—are closely aligned with companies vested in advancing technology to bring new products and services to market in their respective areas of interest and expertise.
The IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA) Corporate Advisory Group (CAG) was established with the vision to foster the development of industry-relevant global standards through an equitable and timely process. To learn more about the CAG, the Beyond Standards Blog briefly caught up with the CAG officers for an informal Q&A session to get an overview on the Group and its activities
Q: How is CAG structured within IEEE?
A: As a committee of the IEEE SA Board of Governors (BOG), the CAG serves as an advisory body to IEEE SA corporate members and to the BOG. It procures industry input concerning the IEEE standards process and provides strategic direction and recommendations to the BOG. The committee strives to represent a broad spectrum of industry interests and global perspectives.
Q: What are some of the Group’s key responsibilities?
A: As an advocate for IEEE, the CAG is the conduit for corporate perspectives and represents corporate member insight and guidance on the needs, interest, vision, products, and services provided by IEEE SA. It facilitates industry feedback on present and proposed methods and tools provided for the development of standards and related products, as well as promoting corporate representation, membership, and entity-based activities, and advising on the direction of the IEEE SA Corporate Program.
Q: What is the IEEE SA Corporate Program and what role does CAG play in it?
A: The IEEE SA Corporate Program facilitates the exploration of new standards opportunities at IEEE, supporting the development of projects around the full lifecycle of standards. The IEEE SA Corporate Program is governed by the CAG, which helps develop rules that govern the “Entity Standards Development Process” that all IEEE Corporate Standards follow.
Q: Can you give an example of a current standard in the works sponsored by CAG?
A: Yes, a current example would be IEEE P2413™ Draft Standard for an Architectural Framework for the Internet of Things (IoT). This standards project is intended to provide a reference model that defines relationships among various IoT vertical markets and common architecture elements. As you might imagine, the scope of this project is quite broad, with a lot of interest from a wide range of corporations working in the IoT space, hence the CAG’s sponsorship and associated activities with the standard.
Q: What market sectors has CAG represented within IEEE SA?
A: In addition to the previously referenced IoT, there have been quite a few markets that have participated in the entity process with CAG sponsorship. These include such areas as battery/energy storage systems, design automation, neurofeedback, camera phone, digital home network, smart grid, electric power systems, wind turbine technology, 3D human factors, and power plant catalyst. What’s key in these markets is the recognition that increased participation and collaboration is essential to creating global standards that are beneficial to all stakeholders.
To learn more about the IEEE SA Corporate Advisory Group, please visit the group’s landing page. For details on the IEEE SA Corporate Program, including a listing of current members, visit the program’s landing page.