Did You Know? offers a quick look at the broad scope of activities underway within the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Federation, highlighting the people and initiatives making waves in standardization.
SES to Hold 63rd Annual Conference in Ottawa
ANSI member and accredited standards developer SES - The Society for Standards Professionals will hold its 63rd annual conference on August 11-14, 2014, at Ottawa's Fairmont Chateau Laurier hotel. The theme of this year's conference is Standardization and Conformity Assessment Across Borders.
The conference includes a welcome reception, keynote address by John Walter, CEO of the Standards Council of Canada (SCC), and seven technical sessions covering issues critical to standards developing organizations (SDOs), private industry, and government agencies. SES will offer two professional development courses at an additional cost on August 11 and 14; the August 11 course is entitled "Fundamentals of Standards and Conformity Assessment: Basic Knowledge and Tools for Today's Professional," and the August 14 course is titled "Standards for Industry and Government."
Individuals who register for the conference by Saturday, July 19, 2014, will receive a discount on the cost of registration and can take advantage of a special SES hotel rate of $165 per night. Online registration for the conference is available; in addition, a printable registration form can be downloaded from the SES website. For more information about accommodations for the conference, visit the hotel information webpage.
ASME Adds Social Networking Elements to Its Website
ASME, an ANSI member and accredited standards developer, has updated its website in order to provide members with access to dedicated social media tools intended to foster information exchange and community between engineers and related professionals worldwide. More than 32,000 engineers have already begun using the news social networking features, which allow users to create profiles on ASME's site, communicate with other members via posted comments and direct messages, and take part in digital groups organized by subject matter and engineering focus, among other benefits.
To register for the new service and create a profile, visit http://community.asme.org.
AAMVA Launches Online Autonomous Vehicle Information Library
ANSI member and accredited standards developer the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) has established a new online resource designed to help interested stakeholders bolster their understanding of development associated with self-driving vehicles and other related technologies. The resource, known as the Autonomous Vehicle Information Library, includes general information about these types of technologies, as well as detailed reports and presentations on relevant research and development work in the U.S. and overseas, and local, state, and federal laws pertaining to the use of autonomous vehicles, among other documents.
To access the Autonomous Vehicle Information Library, visit its webpage. For more information about the AAMVA and its activities, visit www.aamva.org.
The Center for Responsible Enterprise and Trade and PwC Issue Report on International Trade Secret Theft
ANSI member the Center for Responsible Enterprise and Trade (CREATe.org), in collaboration with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP's PwC US, recently published a report estimating that the economic impact of trade secret theft totals 1-3% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of the United States and other developed nations. The report, Economic Impact of Trade Secret Theft: A Framework for Companies to Safeguard Trade Secrets and Mitigate Potential Threats, includes a five-step system intended to help organizations protect their trade secrets, as well as additional information on key threats, analysis of the financial impact of trade secret theft, and an overview of possible future outcomes of efforts to address the issue.
The full report is available online at no charge