Standards are provided by A. standards organizations B. user groups C. computer vendors D. All of the above E. None of the above

The correct answer is: D. All of the above

Standards are technical specifications or documents that establish uniform engineering or technical criteria, methods, processes and practices. They are developed by standards organizations, which are non-profit, non-governmental organizations that develop and publish voluntary consensus standards. User groups are organizations of people who use a particular product or service, and they can also develop standards. Computer vendors are companies that sell computer hardware and software, and they often develop standards for their products.

Here are some examples of standards:

• The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) develops and publishes international standards. For example, ISO 9001 is a quality management system standard.
• The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) develops and publishes standards for electrical and electronic engineering. For example, IEEE 802.11 is a standard for wireless local area networks (WLANs).
• The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a private non-profit organization that coordinates the development and use of voluntary consensus standards in the United States. For example, ANSI X12 is a standard for electronic data interchange (EDI).
• The Open Web Consortium (W3C) is an international community where Member organizations, a full-time staff, and the public work together to develop Web standards. For example, HTML5 is a standard for the markup language of web pages.
• The Linux Foundation is a non-profit organization that promotes the Linux kernel and other open source software. For example, the Linux Standard Base (LSB) is a standard for the Linux operating system.

Standards can be voluntary or mandatory. Voluntary standards are developed by consensus and are not enforced by law. Mandatory standards are developed by government agencies and are enforced by law.

Standards can be used to:

• Promote interoperability and compatibility between products and systems.
• Facilitate trade and commerce.
• Improve quality and safety.
• Reduce costs.
• Protect the environment.
• Promote innovation.

Standards can be developed by a variety of organizations, including standards organizations, user groups, computer vendors, and government agencies.