4. SDO and SSO

SDOs (Standard Developing Organizations) and SSOs (Standards Setting Organizations) are organizations whose standardization activity is focused on a specific industrial or service sector. SSOs are autonomous standardization organizations which are not accredited. SDO/SSO activities are recognized by a major standardization body (e.g. ITU, ISO, IEC) and validated by the distribution of a contractual document.

SDO and SSO standards are "voluntary" in the sense that they are proposed for adoption by companies without being mandated by law. Some standards become mandatory when adopted by regulatory bodies whose status has been formalized by legal requirements in defined areas. Standards reflect the interdependence of economies, and ensure the compatibility of equipment, each component of which may have been manufactured in a different country. Intense industrial activity,...