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FOCUS.ICT is a Presidial committee of DIN German Institute for Standardization, and its main office is located at DIN in Berlin.

Members of FOCUS.ICT include

• representatives from leading ICT associations
• representatives from German government agencies who are responsible for economic policy or large public projects in ICT
• representatives from important ICT companies, including major ICT users
• researchers and academics
• chairpersons and other representatives of the relevant standards committees and consortia

FOCUS.ICT is chaired by Dr Jochen Friedrich and Prof. Dr Dieter Wegener. Dr Stefan Weisgerber, of DIN German Institute for Standardization, has been appointed Managing Director.

The scope of our activities includes project work to implement the German Standardization Strategy in the field of ICT. FOCUS.ICT concentrates on complex, cross-disciplinary projects involving several organizations. Its aim is to use the potential of ICT standardization to enhance the competitive strength of the German economy.

Our tasks are to

• Analyse ICT technologies and markets and identify standardization tasks that require interdisciplinary cooperation.
• Evaluate and prioritize these tasks with a view towards promoting Germany's competitive ability and upholding its role as a leading industrial nation.
• Define individual tasks, determine the level (national, European, international) at which they are to be carried out, and assign them to the suitable organizational bodies.
• Establish the form the results of this standards work are to take (standard, specification, PAS).
• Assist in carrying out these standardization activites (forming working bodies, taking on functions at international and European level by German experts, holding secretariats, etc).
• Ensure the necessary resources are made available by the stakeholders (and where this is not possible, see that the project is stopped).
• Monitor and coordinate the standards work. Take advantage of synergies and promote new methods and procedures.
• Carry out corrective measures, where necessary.
• Ensure the transparency of all FOCUS.ICT projects and results.
• Prepare an annual report for the DIN Presidial Board.

Please note that the development of standards and specifications is NOT a task of FOCUS.ICT but of the responsible standards bodies.

Project work at FOCUS.ICT

Our work on projects covering specific topics helps us implement the German Standardization Strategy in the field of ICT. Topics are selected on the basis of criteria such as:

• the current relevancy of the topic;
• economic importance;
• extent of standards development in the area
• holistic aspects such as the potential for successful completion from the point of view of FOCUS.ICT.

At present FOCUS.ICT is focussing on projects covering the following subjects:

• security
• the Smart Grid
• electromobility
• the "Internet of Things"
• mobile computing
• health telematics
• service quality and social dialogue
• cloud computing
• human-machine interfaces
• ICT standardization in Europe

We also monitor current results in ICT standardization, carrying out interventional measures whenever necessary.