The blurring of distinctions between Open Source Software and Open Standards – be it inadvertent or intentional – is confusing a lot of people and can be deceptive. The difference is something architects and decision makers need to be sensitive about to avoid costly errors and deliver solutions that are on target with client needs.

 

The term “standard” can really take on an array of meanings depending on the context, but to pick a point of reference, the International Standards Organization (ISO) defines a standard as “… a document, established by consensus that provides rules, guidelines or characteristics for activities or their results”. Probably the operative word for most general definitions of a standard is “consensus”, and a true test of a standard is if there is really an Open (by the widest possible community) consensus or agreement.

 

Standards may also be described by the process used to develop them and by the organizations where standards are developed and defined. Access to and use of the standard are also attributes used to describe the different types of standards. An “Open” standard is generally developed through an open collaborative and market driven process defined by an independent organization whose membership is not restricted in any discriminatory manner. But more importantly perhaps, an Open Standard is relevant to some community and publicly accessible to all who are interested in evaluating or using the standard.

 

Open, consensus-driven standards are product independent. In other words, Open Standards are not tied to the products or services of any particular vendor, and the licensing terms governing them do not restrict implementation to particular hardware or software products. For this discussion, an Open Standard is a technical specification developed and maintained by collaboration and consensus that is intended for widespread industry adoption and it facilitates interoperability among different products or services. Open standards exist to enable interoperability in the market place of multiple competing implementations of that standard. For example the ISO standard on metric screw threads dictates the dimensions of a 2mm thread size, not how the screw is constructed or with what materials.