Information technology systems are so complex that it is virtually impossible to evaluate correctness or performance of the various parts without automated tests and methods. These tests and methods are most useful and cost effective when they are widely adopted, but they are beyond the reach of individual companies or user organizations to develop. As a neutral party, we are often asked to help industry standards writing organizations by developing tests that capture the technical description of the written standards. The tests help to assure compliance and consistency of products that implement the standards. We do not set the standards.
Industry sets standards.
Here are some examples of how our work is used by a broad spectrum of organizations to advance the development and use of new technology. We are contributing to the development of tests for the interoperability of products and services based on this new, high speed digital technology for networks. These systems automate the conversion of handprinted letters and numbers to a digital form for computer processing. Automatic recognition of different styles of handprinting continues to be a tough technical challenge. We have distributed our evaluation method and a collection of many different samples of hand printed text to more than 150 U.S. companies, small and large.