Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is a broad category that includes everything from computers to telephones, television to the internet, satellite-based navigation and other innovative technologies. These technologies have become increasingly important in our daily lives and for all kinds of business, educational and other activities. Having access to the latest ICTs is therefore essential for social and economic development.
In the ICT sector it is especially important that products and services are mutually compatible and interoperable, so that information can be shared over the internet, and people can communicate with each other using different devices. Relevant standards help to ensure that products such as computer peripherals and other electronic gadgets made by different companies are able to work together seamlessly.
The CEN-CENELEC ICT Forum was created in 2008, with the aim of ensuring greater transparency and better handling of European standards needs.
The Forum coordinates the ongoing activities of both organisations in this fast-moving domain: CEN in terms of applications such as eBusiness, eHealth, eGovernment, etc.; and CENELEC for IT hardware and systems issues such as those associated with home automation (‘smart homes’), alarms, digital receivers, etc.
Furthermore, CENELEC is an important stakeholder of the ICT Standards Board as CENELEC is one of the 3 initiators of the project. The ICTSB has the mission to coordinate specific activities in the ICT field.
In CENELEC, work is taking place in Technical Committees, as well as in Workshops. For more information on the CENELEC activities, please consult the CENELEC website.
In CEN, work is taking place in Technical Committees, in Focus Groups and in Workshops.
CEN Focus Groups aim to report on the current standards environment in a particular area of public interest, with a view to providing recommendations on necessary standardization work to be carried out in the future.
CEN Workshops aim to arrive at a consensus on an issue that can be published as a CEN Workshop Agreement (CWA). These deliverables may take the form of best practice agreements, codes of conduct or pre-standards, with the formal backing of CEN.