Netherlands Standardisation Forum

Content

The Netherlands Standardisation Forum facilitates digital cooperation (interoperability) between government organizations and between government, businesses and citizens. Interoperability ensures that different systems are better aligned and integrated and that data can be exchanged and/or reused.

Social benefit

The Standardisation Forum contributes to e-government goals. Goals like further improvement of government services and reducing the administrative burden by automating the flow of information between government with citizens and enterprises. This leads to lower expenditure, improved efficiency and better services for citizens, businesses and public service providers through smart ICT solutions. The use of open standards to support interoperability, (re)use of data and lower dependency on specific suppliers, is the leading Dutch policy.

Introduction Open ICT Standards

Tekst Open ICT standards

VOICE OVER:

You are probably not aware of them, but you’re dealing with them every day.

Government and industry use them, and so do you.

You may not even know what they are, but you cannot do without them.

Open ICT standards.

Without open ICT standards we wouldn’t be able to make mobile calls…

Exchange messages…

Safely send or receive e-mails…

Read each other’s documents…

Or use the internet.

Because there are standards, we can connect with each other.

And because standards are open, anyone can connect and you can choose from different suppliers

This may not be new to you.

But did you also know?

That the construction sector uses its own open ICT standards, enabling all construction firms to connect and collaborate in a smart way?

That the waste sector is going through a digital revolution, with data exchange becoming faster and more efficient?

That the entire water sector speaks the same ICT language, which improves the quality of water management?

We live in a network society. We are increasingly connected. Through the Internet of Things, the Cloud, in Smart Cities.

To ensure that we stay connected, we will need open standards more and more. That’s why the Dutch government chooses Open ICT Standards.

Organization and goals

The Standardisation Forum was established on the initiative of the ministry of Economic Affairs on 27 March 2006 to ensure implementation of the policy on electronic data exchange and (re)use of data and electronic services. The Standardisation Forum’s secretariat is part of Logius, the digital government service of the ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations.

The Standardisation Forum supports the Dutch government in the development, use and establishment of open standards for electronic information exchange. In this way it promotes interoperability within the Dutch government system itself, but also in the relations between government agencies on one hand, and citizens and enterprises on the other. The second goal of the Standardisation Forum is to prevent vendor lock-in and reduce costs in government spending on ICT.

 

 

International activities

Standardisation is transboundary, it does not stop at national borders. Most of the standards that the Forum supports are international standards. Therefore the Forum participates in the European Multistakeholder Platform on ICT Standardisation (MSP) of the European Commission. We also monitor and contribute to ISA², the European Commission programme to promote interoperability solutions for public administrations, businesses and citizens. The Forum also maintains an informal network with other EU member states.

 

 

Contact

Whether you are looking for a solution to a social problem, have questions about applying a standard or just want to get acquainted. Please do not hesitate to contact us. Our advisors are happy to help you.

Contact (English)