| Standards Boost Businesses of All Sizes The American National Standards Institute (ANSI), U.S. member body to ISO, is doing its part to help U.S. businesses understand the power of standardization in driving economic growth and spurring innovation. In partnership with more than 25 leading organizations from across the U.S. standardization community, ANSI coordinates the Standards Boost Business initiative - a free online resource of videos, testimonials, and tools designed to help corporate leaders understand the strategic and economic value of standards to their business and overall U.S. competitiveness. Learn more at www.standardsboostbusiness.org. | , presents a quick visual overview of how International Standards can help SMEs increase their competitiveness in the global market. The video points out that when SMEs use ISO standards, their products and services gain credibility and foster confidence. The
goes more in-depth, with a portfolio of articles detailing how SMEs can work more efficiently, increase productivity, access new markets, and get a competitive edge by applying International Standards. The issue highlights the application of software engineering, environmental management, and integrated management system standards in smaller settings, and the benefits of active participation in standardization for SMEs. ISO Secretary-General Rob Steele said, "ISO standards offer big benefits for small and medium-sized enterprises, helping them to compete on a level playing field with bigger enterprises, opening up export markets and opportunities to participate in global supply chains, and providing best business practice and state-of-the-art requirements for the products and services they produce. This, in turn, leads to increased credibility for the SME and increased confidence in their product or service from the most important group of people a business has - its customers."