To many engineers, standards are the stone tablets handed down from the mountain by the technology deities, telling us what’s what and how we’re going to do it. Only that’s not really how that works, at least not in the IETF.

The IETF draws people from across the industry to collaborate on drafts that might eventually become standards. And anyone can take part in this process. Most don’t, however—especially folks from the enterprise.

One organization, the Enterprise Data Center Operators Group (EDCO), wants to change that. EDCO’s goal is to get enterprises engaged with the standards process to ensure their concerns are heard and their feedback incorporated into drafts.

Joining us to talk about EDCO is Nalini Elkins. Nalini is CEO and founder of Inside Products and an EDCO leader.

We discuss the motivation behind EDCO’s founding, why it’s important for the enterprise voice to be heard in the standards process, how EDCO can serve as a proxy for organizations that don’t participate directly, and how you can get involved (IETF 99 is this July).

Show Links:

Enterprise Data Center Operators

Grass-Roots Collaboration: Enterprise Data Center Operators Group – IETF Journal

Inside Products

IETF 99