IEEE Conformity Assessment Program (ICAP) – An Overview Rudi Schubert Director – ICAP Prepared for: CS-SAB Meeting March 20, 2009

Program Background  IEEE’s role in the standards lifecycle has historically ended with writing, refining and publishing standards  Many IEEE standards have very successful related testing activities, but typically without formal relationship to IEEE  Conformity assessment activity is widespread and growing, with few centralized resources for industry professionals  The ICAP initiative has been initiated by the IEEE to provide industry conformity support

Mission Statement The IEEE Conformity Assessment Program (ICAP) will be the focal point for industry technology professionals and organizations involved with product conformity to IEEE standards and related industry specifications, advancing and accelerating market adoption of conforming and interoperable products

ICAP Pillars for Success - 1  Identify and develop conformity programs aligned with specific IEEE Standards –ICAP collaborates with IEEE standards working groups and other interest groups in accelerating implementation of IEEE standards –ICAP/ISTO provides a turn-key approach for rapid initiation of conformity programs –ICAP facilitates collaboration with independent test labs and/or product supplier labs, as best suited for the technology under test --- IEEE is NOT planning to build its own labs

ICAP Pillars for Success - 2  Establish IEEE as the premier organization supporting the conformity community –Developing forums/working groups that bring together conformity engineers for interchange on key issues –Providing learning opportunities for conformity personnel, such as conferences and workshops –Building bridges between conformity participants with standards participants to establish “testable” language in standards

ICAP Activities & Services  Technical and logistical support services to industry groups interested in developing technology specific testing & conformance programs  Technical and logistical support services to industry groups executing interoperability demonstrations of specific technologies related to IEEE standards such as: –Testing round robins or private interoperability events requiring a neutral party host for protection of intellectual property, –Public interoperability demonstrations such as those held at trade shows and industry events

ICAP Activities & Services (cont’d)  Creation and support of an ICAP website, providing a home base for industry groups involved with conformity programs associated with IEEE standards  Workshops and seminars associated with industry conformity programs and processes, as well as more technically specific workshops associated with conformance to selected IEEE standards.  Additional services as identified by users

The ICAP Website  The ICAP website ( is the externally facing “storefront” for the ICAP program  General ICAP information will be provided on the site for users  Specific ICAP programs will be described and the ICAP website will provide links to any program specific sites (optionally these may also be sub- pages of the ICAP home page)

ICAP Differentiators  The IEEE brand name provides a powerful recognition factor when associated with a newly formed industry consortium  The IEEE Conformity Assessment Program is backed by the commitment of IEEE to the conformity technical community via its standards and educational activities  The IEEE Industry Standards & Technology Organization provides a turn key service for consortia creation needs – legal, financial, marketing and program support services and infrastructure are in place from the outset  IEEE standards based conformance programs are backed by the involvement of IEEE members who created the standard

IEEE Conference on Product Conformance and Certification June 1-2, 2009 – Piscataway, NJ Speakers from: NIST, WiFi Alliance, WiMax Forum, Green Electronics Council, CTIA, Verizon Wireless, Intertek, UNH-IOL, OmniAir, AT&T, with others to be announced Save the Date!

QUESTIONS & DISCUSSION