IEEE-SA Introduces Advanced Corporate Membership, Allowing Unlimited, Single-fee Participation in Standards Working Groups

PISCATAWAY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The IEEE today announced that the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA) has enhanced its corporate-membership program with the introduction of a new, advanced level that offers unlimited participation in entity-based working groups, as well as a simpler fee structure that reduces costs for many entities. The enhancements to IEEE-SA’s corporate-membership program will further streamline and expedite IEEE-SA entity-based standards development, a one-entity/one-vote model that typically yields standards very quickly (in about two years, on average).

“The enhancements to our corporate-membership program are based on feedback from both IEEE-SA members and nonmembers and better aligns us with best practices across industry”

“The breadth of entity-based working groups within the IEEE offers a company the opportunity to engage in a wide variety of technology areas that might be complementary to its own core competency,” said Steve Mills, Chair of the IEEE-SA Corporate Advisory Group. “IEEE-SA invites a company into an ecosystem of development, and that’s an increasingly valuable benefit given that innovation is now so frequently driven by leveraging the benefits of one technology in relation with those of others across industry lines.”

IEEE-SA’s entity-based working groups bring together corporations, government agencies, academic institutions, nonprofits and industry associations in collaboration to advance innovation. IEEE-SA’s roster of working groups represents an expansive array of technology areas, including aerospace electronics, bioinformatics, broadband over power lines, communications, components and materials, earth observation, electromagnetics, environmental assessment, information technology, instrumentation and measurement, microwave theory and techniques, the National Electrical Safety Code^®, portable battery technology, power electronics, power and energy, transportation technology and voting-system engineering.

While IEEE-SA basic corporate members may observe entity-based working group meetings, advanced corporate members can participate and vote in as many entity-based working groups as they choose. (An entity that is not an IEEE-SA member may attend one meeting of an entity-based standards project to determine its interest in participating.)

Advanced corporate membership also allows for improved planning and budgeting, as participation in multiple entity-based projects is covered with a single, annual payment. IEEE-SA corporate-membership dues are tiered according to membership level (basic or advanced), entity type and the entity’s annual revenues.

“The enhancements to our corporate-membership program are based on feedback from both IEEE-SA members and nonmembers and better aligns us with best practices across industry,” said Mary Lynne Nielsen, Director of the IEEE-SA Corporate Program. “We will continue to refine, as necessary, any of our services—extending from before the creation of the standard all the way through approval and market implementation—in order to better meet the needs of our members and to spur innovation.”

For further information on IEEE-SA corporate membership, visit http://standards.ieee.org/sa-mem/corp_overview.html.

About the IEEE Standards Association

The IEEE Standards Association, a globally recognized standards-setting body, develops consensus standards through an open process that engages industry and brings together a broad stakeholder community. IEEE standards set specifications and best practices based on current scientific and technological knowledge. The IEEE-SA has a portfolio of over 900 active standards and more than 400 standards under development. For information on the IEEE-SA, see: http://standards.ieee.org.

About the IEEE

IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.), the world's largest technical professional society, is commemorating its 125th anniversary in 2009 by "Celebrating 125 Years of Engineering the Future" around the globe. Through its more than 375,000 members in 160 countries, IEEE is a leading authority on a wide variety of areas ranging from aerospace systems, computers and telecommunications to biomedical engineering, electric power and consumer electronics. Dedicated to the advancement of technology, IEEE publishes 30 percent of the world's literature in the electrical and electronics engineering and computer science fields, and has developed nearly 900 active industry standards. The organization annually sponsors more than 850 conferences worldwide. Additional information about IEEE can be found at http://www.ieee.org.