Standards organization

A standards organization is a company, or consortium of companies, that develops and amends technical standards for inter-operability of hardware or software created by different companies. To make standards useful, the standards organization must also provide, or cause to be provided, a way to test products and certify whether they are compliant with a standard or not.

Compliance with standards is sometimes voluntary, but some standards become mandatory when they are adopted by regulators as legal requirements in particular domains, often for the purpose of safety or for consumer protection from deceitful practices. It is regulatory standards, for example, that result in widely usable light-bulb sockets, electrical outlets, safety certifications for electrical equipment, etc.

A formal standard has been approved by the standards-setting organization. A de jure standard is mandated by legal requirements and may also refer to any formal standard. In contrast, a de facto is a standard that has achieved widespread use and acceptance without having been approved by any standards organization.