This bulletin covers the subject of ISO standards. What are they exactly? What were they created for? And more… Enjoy.

Knights wouldn’t torture themselves too much with the question of where they should forge their swords. They would go to their village’s familiar, reliable blacksmith, and would not bother asking him about the type of steel, the way he cuts the blade, or whether or not the fuel he uses is environment friendly…

Now imagine a modern knight – he would be faced with an overwhelming variety of swords that would simply confuse him. Should he buy one made in France, in England or in an unknown location in the Far East? How can he be sure that the sword he is given will really meet his requirements rather than failing him in a life and death battle?

Standards were born as a result of the development in international industry and commerce, with a purpose of forming a language common to all firms.

And so, an organization called ISO (International Organization for Standardization) was established on February 23rd, 1947 in Switzerland, comprised of representatives of the different countries’ standardization organizations.