ISO Focus The Magazine of the International Organization for Standardization Volume 4, No. 7/8, July/August 2007, ISSN 1729-8709 Enabling e-business • Marc Carletti : “ The financial industry is a major user of ISO standards ” • ISO 14001 – the video clip ! Contents 1 Comment Robert Blair, Vice Convenor of the Payment Standards Evaluation Group (SEG) of ISO/TC 68 2 World Scene Highlights of events from around the world 3 ISO Scene Highlights of news and developments from ISO members 4 Guest View Marc Carletti, CEO Telekurs Financial Information Ltd ISO Focus is published 11 times a year (single issue : July-August). 7 Main Focus It is available in English. Annual subscription 158 Swiss Francs Individual copies 16 Swiss Francs Publisher ISO Central Secretariat (International Organization for Enabling -business Standardization) 1, ch. de la Voie-Creuse CH-1211 Genève 20 Switzerland Telephone + 41 22 749 01 11 Fax + 41 22 733 34 30 E-mail [email protected] • Working together for interoperability – Web www.iso.org The MoU on e-business standards • Standardization to combat money laundering and terrorism Manager : Roger Frost • SWIFT – Secure and reliable message exchange between Editor : Elizabeth Gasiorowski-Denis banks and other financial institutions Assistant Editor : Dale Campbell • ISO develops PIN standards to prick Artwork : Pascal Krieger and Pierre Granier purchasing fraud bubble • A foundation for e-engineering and e-commerce ISO Update : Dominique Chevaux • UN/CEFACT and ISO – cooperation for the common good Subscription enquiries : Sonia Rosas Friot ISO Central Secretariat • ebXML – Cutting costs and simplifying processes Telephone + 41 22 749 03 36 for business Fax + 41 22 749 09 47 • Regulation and standards development in payments E-mail [email protected] • Securing an e-business world • ISO standard offers iron-clad protection © ISO, 2007. All rights reserved. for financial services The contents of ISO Focus are copyright and may not, whether in whole or in part, be reproduced, stored in a retrieval 30 Developments and Initiatives system or transmitted in any form or • Cutting manufacturing and production costs by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without written permission of the Editor. 33 New on the shelf • New ISO standards on security glazing The articles in ISO Focus express the views of the author, and do not necessarily reflect • The ISO 14001 video clip ! the views of ISO or of any of its members. • New ISO 14000 CD-ROM collection ISSN 1729-8709 • Self-assessment tool for software asset management Printed in Switzerland • Annual Report 2006 37 Coming up ISO Focus July-August 2007 Comment Increasingly global e-business -business has generated a commer- global payments and accommodate the tives, has thus acquired a natural audi- cial and financial revolution. Insti- requirements and practice of multiple ence, a focal point for initial adoption Etutions and customers increasing- payments markets. of the standard. ly rely on the speed, efficiency, comfort Partners in the creation of The standards are equally rele- and cost reduction provided by informa- ISO 20022 payment standards include vant for other national (and global) pay- tion and communication technologies. Interactive Financial eXchange (IFX), The ments markets. Other payments markets ISO International Standards provide the Open Applications Group, Inc. (OAGi), are at various stages of adoption (from vital framework that empowers global The Society for Worldwide Interbank awareness to production). Historically, e-commerce, enabling the security and Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) the payment industry has operated large- confidentiality of thousands of trans- and The Transaction Workflow Innova- ly on a national basis, and the standards actions, not only in financial services, tion Standards Team (TWIST), just to now in use reflect that national focus. but in all industries worldwide. name a few. Future use of ISO 20022 payment stand- Companies and public institutions ards offers enhanced function, efficien- alike will require an increasing amount cies, and the ability to coordinate with other standards. of interoperability between their sys- “ ISO International tems to meet the demands of consum- The unique combination of func- ers in the global marketplace. Standards Standards empower tionality and coverage can be used in a are the bridge that enables this contin- global e-commerce ” variety of global contexts, for example, ued growth, allowing communications electronic funds transfer (EFT) domestic and financial transactions to have a glo- clearings, corporate to bank communica- bal reach. International Standards pro- tions and SWIFT network communica- vide interoperability and a basis for effi- Growing numbers of financial tions through the SCORE XML pilot. ciency through harmonized internation- services users and providers are adopting E-business is increasingly glo- ally relevant consensus-based e-business these standards – the ultimate expression bal. Global standards such as ISO 20022 tools. This is only possible through the of value. Each additional user/supporter financial services industry standards consistent and effective participation enhances the value of the standard and enable and enhance the value of global of industry. broadens their relevance. Payment system business activities, providing the foun- ISO provides a foundation for operators, banks and payment services dational elements for e-business. industry partnership which is core to users, for instance, have all implemented e-business success. ISO 20022 payment standards. Partnered development efforts have Most visible is the attention giv- resulted in the creation of ISO 20022, en these standards in the European pay- Financial services – UNIversal Finan- ments market in the context of SEPA cial Industry message scheme, designed (Single Euro Payments Area), an effort to promote standards harmonization – by the European Community to move coordinated, organized standards – and from many individual, national pay- convergence. ments markets (and payments systems and related standards) to a single, region- So what is the value of ISO stand- wide payment. ards? First and foremost, they provide a The motivation for these efforts clear path to interoperability with other is improved, consistent services and standards, e.g. integration of RosettaNet pricing to payment services end users. supply chain standards with ISO 20022 As a logical next step in realizing the payment standards (the RosettaNet Pay- efficiencies of a common currency, ment Milestone Program). Robert Blair, Vice Convenor of SEPA has the attention of regulators, the Payment Standards Evaluation ISO 20022 payment standards providers, and end users alike. And the Group (SEG) of ISO/TC 68, are models of “ harmonization and con- ISO 20022 payment standards, identified Financial Services vergence ”. This standard encompasses as integral to achieving SEPA’s objec- ISO Focus July-August 2007 1 World Scene Global request to “ Make involved, covering R&D, reg- Roads Safe ” ulations, market instruments and the use and development The first UN Global Road of International Standards of Safety week with the theme the type ISO produces to safety for young road users disseminate energy efficient was held, 23-29 April 2007, technologies and good prac- organized by the World Health tices. ISO has already some Organization and UN regional useful standards, such as the The 27th meeting of ISO/TC 67/ organizations. Approximately ISO 14000 series on environ- SC 2, on pipeline transportation 1 000 people under 25 die on COPANT and PASC meet in mental management, and the Cartagena de Indias systems for the petroleum and the world’s roads every day, development of new Interna- natural gas industries, in Doha, 96 % of them in developing tional Standards for issues The Pan American Coopera- Qatar. countries, constituting a serious such as energy management tion on Technical Standards threat to development. or biofuels should be impor- (COPANT) and the Pacific Adoption of ISO standards tant additions. Area Standards Congress (PASC) had their annual on oil and gas In response to the new chal- meetings in Cartagena de The second meeting of the lenges facing the energy Indias, Colombia, in April Gulf Standards Organization sector, as well as energy users 2007, at the invitation of (GSO) committee for the oil in industry, transportation, INCONTEC, the Colombian and gas industry in the Gulf construction and consumers at member of ISO. Cooperation Council (GCC) large, and of this converging concluded with the decision call for action, ISO, in collab- ISO President Håkan Murby, to adopt 145 ISO standards. oration with IEC, is intensify- Vice-President (Policy) During the April 2007 meet- ing its efforts aimed at George Arnold and ISO Sec- ing in Doha, Qatar, the Chair strengthening and extending retary-General Alan Bryden of the GSO technical the portfolio of International focused on ISO’s work on committee for oil and gas Standards supporting energy energy efficiency and renew- Key safety concerns are hel- industry, Qatar Petroleum’s efficiency and renewable able sources, nanotechnolo- mets, seat belts, drunk driv- Mr. Saif Al Naimi, empha- sources. gies, as well as regional ing, speeding and road infra- implementation of the ISO sized the importance of structure. ISO has contributed Very important, in this respect, Action Plan for developing developing Gulf standards to road safety with standards is ISO’s ongoing