We encounter standards each and every day, often without being really aware of this. Without standards, we would often be unable to use things in the customary manner. Standards already have a role to play for paper, for instance, which is produced for use in customary printers, or for nuts that come with matching bolts. In the construction industry, a host of standards ensures that access is barrier-free, that roofs are tight and that stairs are safe. Standards are therefore everywhere and offer consumers safety and reliability.
Standards are adopted in a defined procedure, they are generally valid, and they serve to regulate a certain situation. A standard must be technically mature and offer users a benefit. However, standards do not necessarily have the effect of a law.
A standard is often used as a general term for technical standards which are widely accepted or standardisations that have been tacitly agreed to. An informal standard is a process which has not undergone a formal standardisation process, but which was found to be useful and correct. Both manufacturer-specific and open standards exist. The latter are more commonly used. They include, for instance, the USB and micro-USB plug, the DVD or even the text-based HTML language.