Australian Government funds strategic advisory group to join discussions on ICT standards
The government has announced a new high-level strategic advisory group will contribute to international discussions on ICT standards issues.
The Strategic Advisory Committee on ICT and Digital Economy will include representation from the Australian Government, State Government, industry, small business, research and academia communities and consumers.
It will be administered by Standards Australia, an independent, not-for-profit organisation, recognised by the Australian Government as the peak non-government standards body in Australia.
The Australian Government will contribute $100,000 (GST inclusive) towards the establishment and operation of the Committee for the first year.
The Committee will advise on the strategic direction of ICT standards development at the national level and provide a focal point for industry, government and other stakeholders to discuss and prioritise standards and related issues.
It will initially focus on cloud computing, e-health, smart infrastructure including sensor networks and smart grids, and accessibility matters.
The Committee will coordinate Australian positions for submission to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)/International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Joint Technical Committee 1 (JTC1).
Chief Executive Officer of Standards Australia, Colin Blair, welcomed the announcement as an important step forward for Australia’s participation and international engagement in JTC1.
“The funding will further support Australia’s representation at an international level on critical ICT issues. It will deliver more effective prioritisation of work and resource allocation,” Mr Blair said.
Mr John Sheridan, First Assistant Secretary, Australian Government Information Management Office, Department of Finance and Deregulation, will chair the Committee.
As the chair, Mr Sheridan will represent Australia as the head of delegation at the next international JTC1 Plenary in November 2011.
More information on JTC1 can be found online at: http://www.iso.org/iso/standards_development/technical_committees/list_of_iso_technical_committees/iso_technical_committee.htm?commid=45020
Contact: media@dbcde.gov.au
