Standards for Telecommunication Services

Management of standardization must be part of an overall strategy for knowledge management. This principle is illustrated with the help of a planning tool for standardization in telecommunication services. The tool integrates knowledge gained from studies on the management of innovation to understand the role that external and internal standards play in the development and operation of telecommunication services. We show how the scope of standardization should differ according to the timing of the standard within the life cycle of the technology as well as the type of interfaces to be standardization. This has implications on the role of standard bodies particularly because the product cycles of equipment manufacturers and service providers are not always synchronized.