Setting the standards

Ensuring interoperability,
safety and reliability

Introduction

Some of the greatest innovations of the modern era have been realized by  companies collaborating together to set standards. This ensures interoperability between devices and safer, more reliable products. Just look at how MP3 revolutionized the way we store and enjoy music! Philips IP&S has contributed to many breakthrough technological standards. We also keep abreast of the latest developments, acting as a key contributor to many governing boards and implementing policies that adhere to standards across a variety of sectors.

In today’s society, standards are crucial. Having industry standards ensures devices can work easily and intelligently together, benefiting both consumers and manufacturers. Consumers gain devices that are safer, more reliable and easier to use. Manufacturers that cooperate in creating new standards can reduce development costs and the risks involved in bringing new technologies to market. This can result in the growth of new and existing markets, and increased economies of scale.

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Interoperability Standards

Today’s devices are more connected than ever before. This means interoperability is essential for customers and manufacturers and open standards will lead to faster growth of the market. As Philips we have a long history of active participation in setting activities of interoperability standards such as the ZigBee Alliance, Continua, HDMI, the Wi-Fi Alliance, IEEE, IETF, etc. Apart from offering technical contributions and performing technical editing work, we have also been leading the foundation of newly established standards bodies such as The Wireless Power Consortium.

Regulatory standards

Regulatory standards protect the public’s interest and also your own. They ensure consumers have safe, environmentally friendly, electro-magnetically compatible products. These regulations are enforced to safeguard your right to a level playing field, where your products are based on build quality and performance, not solely on cost.

IP&S advocates regulatory standards, as it ensures everyone meets the minimum safety and quality standards. This creates harmony within industries affected by the regulations and reduces the chance of trade barriers and other economically wasteful activities.

Medical body area networks (MBAN)

Wireless technology is ideal for patient monitoring in hospitals. However, as clinicians rely on the readings, connections must be uninterrupted.

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Medical body area networks (MBAN)

Wireless technology is ideal for patient monitoring in hospitals. However, as clinicians rely on the readings, connections must be uninterrupted. Philips has been instrumental in the development of regulations and corresponding interoperability standards that give patients more freedom while being monitored.

Leading medical devices makers looked for a suitable radio frequency band in which this need could be accommodated. The industry then asked FCC, the US spectrum authority, and the primary user of that band to allow a robust co-existence solution. In parallel, the enabling technology was developed. This solution was then transformed into the IEEE 802.15.4j standard. The first products supporting this standard became available in 2014; just five years after the initial work began.

The combination of an advocated frequency regulation, and the corresponding standard ensures both compliance and interoperability. This opens up a new market for suppliers and will enable better patient outcomes at lower cost.

History

Philips IP&S has contributed to many breakthrough technological standards

In fact, we have been contributing to international standards, both at the technical and governance level, since the early 1920s. Some of our most recent contributions can be found in the digital audio/video, mobile communication, healthcare and wireless connectivity sectors. And certain innovations such as: DAB, CD/DVD/Blu-Ray, IHE, GSM, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and a host of others would not have been possible without the proper standards being established. Click here to see the complete list

We have been involved in standards activities, driving specifications work as well as holding board positions with many organizations and consortia, for many years. By working together with standards bodies, we have helped accelerate a variety of industry-wide technological solutions that have benefited many products. This has also allowed us to build up an extensive IP portfolio which you can benefit from. By licensing IP from us, you can be safe in the knowledge that your products or solutions will meet the strictest standards set by some of the biggest regulatory bodies in their respective industries.