The technology in many areas, such as desktop computing, is evolving rapidly and the standards in these areas will need to be updated as the technology changes. The standards in other areas, such as network protocols, may change more slowly but still need to be reviewed and evaluated regularly. The procurement of hardware, software and computing services is a vital process for the successful implementation of technology initiatives. The environment is made up of hardware, software, and other components from a variety of vendors rather than a single vendor. Standards are important in providing the rules via which these products interact with each other.
Standards are essential in ensuring that diverse systems can communicate with each other.
Standards such as network protocols and interfaces between applications allow systems on a variety of hardware and operating system platforms to share information and data. Support costs are a very significant portion of the cost of ownership in information technology. A well-defined set of standards can provide the needed level of flexibility and diversity while, at the same time, providing for reduced support costs and economies of scale. The University must adopt a set of standards that provides flexibility and diversity while at the same time ensuring compatibility across the enterprise. Standards may include a particular vendor or a particular product, but in other cases may be more generic.