"I've been thinking about this since I published the Standards
Primer a month ago. In the next two to five years, Google will be
challenged by a technology standards effort that it will need to
encourage or manage in its mission to organize the world's
information and make it universally accessible and useful. Such
efforts cannot be erected quickly (as demonstrated most recently by
Microsoft), and preparations for that day should begin in the near
future. Google is also in a unique position to turn the standards
development process on its head.
"Here are a number of ideas for how Google can plan for the
future in the most flexible and cost effective manner, and
contribute a unique and valuable re-think of the standards
development process. Well organized, a standards function can be an
order of magnitude more effective at growing or defending a
company's business..."