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. Definition Standards provide a basis for reuse, inter-networking, cooperation, and portability of hardware and software.
Standards allow different products to interact.
This level of interaction may vary from an interface between products to true product integration. The level of specificity varies greatly from standard to standard. The two types of standards are de jure and de facto. De jure standards are generally known as public or industry standards, established by public bodies. De facto standards are generally created by a single vendor with market dominance or a highly specialized niche product.