You don’t have to be an IEEE member to be benefited by it

Being an IEEE member, has multiple benefits for soft skills development to business opportunities, but it is now more than ever that we value, understand and engage IEEE’s mission, to foster technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity. But, You don’t have to be an IEEE member to be benefited by it. And why is that…

The COVID-19 pandemic changed our working routine and behavior, from a personal to company and government level. Suddenly the possibility of working remotely became necessary and obligatory for many, forcing companies to find technological solutions on how to do that the soonest possible, and at the same time to retain the working flow as smooth as possible. Of course, IEEE couldn’t be not affected by this pandemic, and it was recently announced that IEEE turned on remote work.

We have the ability and the opportunity of working remotely, because of IEEE 802 standards family, and we are able to get online, surfing the internet, chatting with our friends on Facebook or following our loved influencers on Instagram, because of IEEE 802.3 (widely know as WiFi) or IEEE 802.11 (ethernet) standards.

Working remotely happened

Using the internet to work and collaborate through online tools, became a challenge for many people during the period we are going through. Mainly to people who had no previous experience at working from home. Working remotely happened for many people a new experience, moving their office routine to their home environment. One challenge that had to be first passed, was to find the way to get connected with your colleagues, and manage to communicate business-wise through chat or teleconference tools. Might that possibly be an opportunity for skills development?

In IEEE for both volunteers and staff members, working remotely isn’t something new. Being spread in 160 countries, remote work is required, including working and collaborating with many people from different time zones to get connected.

What is the IEEE 802 standards family

IEEE 802 is a family of IEEE standards dealing with local area networks and metropolitan area networks.

Paul Nicolich, IEEE Fellow and 802 Chair, says “ The 802 was formed in March of 1980 to develop technical standards for local area networks for the interconnection of computers and its peripherals but the actual birth of the technology occurred a couple decades earlier in 1960s, with academic research and local area networking technologies. That academic research in the 1970 transitioned into commercial products and services based on a variety of local area networking technologies that were proprietary, and the industry realized that having it split up amongst a couple of dozens different of interconnecting computers would inhibit the growth of computer industry, the peripherals as well as the networking industry. So, a few of the members of that initial group had the experience with standardization development inside of the IEEE’s Computer Society, which is where 802 is housed, and suggested that the industry come together in IEEE to develop a single interoperability standard for local area networking. So, no matter who was manufacturing the networking equipment of the computer equipment it would interoperate, and as a result of that it would enable a much larger market share. And that was the beginning of 802.”

The role of IEEE in standards development

IEEE has nearly 1.300 standards and projects under development, making it the leading developer of industry standards in a broad range of technologies. A specially focused association is found in IEEE, the IEEE Standards Association. But what is IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA)?

As described”  is a leading consensus building organization that nurtures, develops and advances global technologies, through IEEE. We bring together a broad range of individuals and organizations from a wide range of technical and geographic points of origin to facilitate standards development and standards related collaboration. With collaborative thought leaders in more than 160 countries, we promote innovation, enable the creation and expansion of international markets and help protect health and public safety. Collectively, our work drives the functionality, capabilities and interoperability of a wide range of products and services that transform the way people live, work, and communicate.” – https://standards.ieee.org/

But, what are standards?

There is no better explanation than this being given by IEEE Standards Association. Standards are published documents that establish specifications and procedures designed to maximize the reliability of the materials, products, methods, and/or services people use every day. Standards address a range of issues, including but not limited to various protocols to help maximize product functionality and compatibility, facilitate interoperability and support consumer safety and public health. Standards form the fundamental building blocks for product development by establishing consistent protocols that can be universally understood and adopted. This helps fuel compatibility and interoperability and simplifies product development, and speeds time-to-market. Standards also make it easier to understand and compare competing products. As standards are globally adopted and applied in many markets, they also fuel international trade. – https://standards.ieee.org/

How technological standards benefit daily life?

Imagine for example, what would have happened if each telecommunication company had its own standards and protocols to get connected to the internet? Would it be possible to work remotely?

It is only through the use of standards that the requirements of interconnectivity and interoperability can be assured. It is only through the application of standards that the credibility of new products and new markets can be verified. In summary standards fuel the development and implementation of technologies that influence and transform the way we live, work and communicate. – https://standards.ieee.org/