Standards bodies also have no authority. Compliance with nongovernment standards bodies standards is voluntary, although it is usually in the vendors' or users' best interests to comply. T he figure below illustrates how the various standards bodies relate to each other. In particular, DOE participation in the development of IT standards is illustrated. Federal IT Standards Groups Voluntary Standards Bodies Online Standards Information T he need for IT standards arises from the interchange betwen users with requirements and suppliers with products.
Users come from industry, academia, and government.
Out of these user groups, or from individual users and suppliers, comes a realization of the need for standards. When a need for standards in a certain area is identified, these groups form a consortium. Consortia are formally organized groups with small full-time staffs and other staff donated from the member bodies. These consortia work with official standards bodies to define the necessary standards. Some of the better-known consortia are shown below.