Introduction: Making a Difference by Doing Much of the Same

This introductory chapter provides an overview of the key themes discussed in the book. Developing a technical standard or family of standards is usually critical to a product's success. But it is not always the technology that wins the day. VHS and Betamax looked, functioned, and performed similarly, and each of the systems were introduced with a long list of viable technical standards. As standards are adopted and applied to new markets, they also fuel international trade with an emphasis on promoting technical cooperation and harmonization. The book is largely a result of efforts by the IEEE Standards Education Committee (SEC) to gain a better understanding of what products and services would be useful for standards education at the university level. The case studies were selected in the hope that they represent a mix of industry experience in finding solutions across a broad spectrum of technology, economics, and even politics.