ICT Standards

In the Information and Communications Technology arena there are many standards to consider:

Some of these standards are codified in law and are enforcable by statutory bodies. Some are regulated within the industry you operate. Some are agreements or compromises that enable the interoperability that makes your business possible. Some are the embodiment of best practices that you ignore at your peril.

Some are yet to be created because the nascent technology to which they apply is immature, and if this affects your area of business then maybe you should have a say in any emerging standard.

How Rotan can help

If there are standards governing your particular area within ICT then you are probably already fully aware of them and the implications for your business.

For example, if your online service takes card payments then you will be familiar with the PCI Data Security Standard to which your solution is required to adhere, and you may have sought the services of a Qualified Security Assessor to evaluate and audit your technology. This can be an expensive recurring activity that needs constant review and refresh to keep up with the changing security landscape. Rotan can help identify and address issues ahead of any security standards audit to which they would be submitted.

If your business operates, or intends to operate, on the Web then Rotan's long history of working with the Web standards body can benefit you in many ways. In particular, if one of your goals is to reach the most users regardless of their Web device then Rotan's background with the Device Independence group can be brought to bear on the challenge.

If you are working in an area that has yet to be standardised, then you might consider being a leader in the field and spearhead a standardisation activity with the relevant body. Rotan did exactly this when the mobile Web was in its infancy and is intimately familiar with the challenges, and how to address them. Over the years he has received support from many quarters, including Enterprise Ireland and various like-minded Irish SMEs.

Background information

Rotan had a high profile in standards activities for over a decade, mainly within the W3C (the body with global responsibility for the standards governing the World Wide Web). He was a member of the W3C's Advisory Committee, the Chair of one of the technical groups and part of the small Steering group for the Mobile Web Initiative. He was also involved with telecommunications standards bodies, WAP Forum and OMA, and emerging technology groups (e.g. Ajax). Rotan was an Invited Expert in the JCP (the body responsible for the Java programming language) and an Apache "committer" (one of the most well known Open Source groups).

Throughout his work with the various standards bodies Rotan was keen to be a standards advocate, encouraging other businesses to participate regardless of their size. He continues this advocacy to this day.

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