A modest proposal for business based standards

Standards are examined from a business perspective, using as a central theme the proposition that standards are primarily a marketing tool. The rationale for this belief is examined, a standard development methodology is proposed which more accurately reflects the business-basis of standards than does the rule-based process presently used by standards developing organizations (SDOs). The intent is not to replace the current structure of standards in the US, but rather to provide a larger context for standards developers