Public Lectures by Ken Krechmer at the University of Colorado
by Ken Krechmer
Communications Standards Review
The University of Colorado International Center for Standards Research (ICSR) and Interdisciplinary Telecommunications Program (ITP) sponsored several invited public lectures April 3 - 5, 2001 in Boulder, CO by Ken Krechmer, visiting ICSR Fellow. The talks covered two topics.
Microsoft Anti-Trust Litigation - The Case for Standards
An initial decision in the Microsoft anti-trust litigation was reached April 3, 2000. The legal decision is to split the company into two parts, not dissimilar to the
way the AT&T monopoly was broken up in 1984. However, such action may not be necessary or desirable to control this monopoly. Open standards offer an alternative means to allow market forces to redress any Microsoft abuses. The use of proprietary specifications was developed in the 20th century to maintain monopolies. Now open
standards may be used to maintain both competition and competitive advantage, which minimizes the potential for monopoly abuse.
The talk on April 5, 2001 included an alternative view provided by Dale N. Hatfield, Chief, Office of Engineering and Technology, FCC (retired).
The Principles of Open Standards
What is an "open standard" and why should we care? When Microsoft claims it offers "open standards," that may be a good reason to learn what "open standards"
means to Microsoft and what it means to the rest of us. This lecture discusses ten principles of "open standards." These ten points offer a way of rating just how
"open" a standard is and what the value of openness is for the user, equipment or system developer, or standards development organization.
Ken Krechmer
Communications Standards Review
757 Greer Road
Palo Alto, California 94303-3024 USA
VOICE: +1 650 856-8836
e-mail: krechmer@csrstds.com
ICSR is an interdisciplinary program at the University of Colorado to advance the theory and practice of standardization on a worldwide basis through unbiased, innovative research and education involving the engineering, business, policy, legal, economic, and social aspects of standards-related activities and products. For further information on this program, see the ICSR home page, Phone: +1 303 492 3653 Fax: +1 303 492 1112, or e-mail icsr@standardsresearch.org.
This page was last updated April 24, 2001.
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