ITU's New 'Kitchen Cabinet'

Today is World Standards Day, and two initiatives coming out of Telecom 99 this week will make a significant impact on this key issue.

On Tuesday, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the standards-making body for the telecommunications industry, announced a reform initiative designed to ensure its continued role - and relevance in this capacity. Yoshio Utsumi, secretary-general of the ITU, met yesterday for the first time with a selected group of chief executive officers from the telecommunications industry, who will serve as a ''kitchen cabinet'' for him as he seeks to reform the somewhat change-resistant organization. This special advisory group includes the chief executive officers of AT&T, Cisco systems, NHK, Sony, Nortel, Alcatel and SAP, plus top-level officials from the International Chamber of Commerce and the European Commission.

Keeping pace

Ironically, while speaker after speaker emphasized the need for speed and flexibility in today's environment, the ITU has been ''slow to develop work programs that reflect the industry marketplace,'' said an ITU official. Mr. Utsumi is determined to break through this logjam because to ignore it or to move too slowly might result in the usurpation of the ITU's standard-making role by fast-moving industry groups. ''If we don't act now it may be too late for the ITU,'' continued the ITU official.

The role of the kitchen cabinet may encompass the allocation of some corporate intellectual resources to the ITU for a period of time. In addition, the members of the advisory group are expected to provide feedback on market conditions.

WAP is the word on the floor

Much of the buzz at Telecom 99 is focused on mobile Web access. Yesterday, the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) Forum and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute - birthplace of the GSM mobile standard - announced the signing of an agreement to cooperate in the development of future standards for the wireless Internet. Bridget Cosgrove, deputy director-general of ETSI, explained: ''Telecom 99 is about the Internet, and through this agreement, ETSI and the WAP Forum can work on key elements of the wireless Internet for the benefit of customers in Europe and globally. This partnership has significant implications for connectivity.''

Gregory Williams, WAP Forum board chairman, noted that his organization is a fast-growing industry group with 208 members worldwide, with new members coming on board at the rate of three to five a week.

ETSI has agreements and memoranda of understanding with industry groups and de facto standardization bodies worldwide because only through official organizations such as ETSI can such groups legitimize the reliable, interpretable standards they need to compete effectively in the marketplace.

Claudia Flisi