Aug 11 2006
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI), coordinator of the U.S. voluntary consensus standardization system, has launched a new version of its NSSN vertical search engine for national, foreign, regional and international standards and regulatory documents. Major enhancements include additional content; a streamlined, user-friendly design; greater speed; improved search functionality; and results filtering and display options.
First launched in 1997, the NSSN: A National Resource for Global Standards is a cooperative partnership between ANSI, U.S. private-sector standards organizations, government agencies and international standards organizations. The site has become the leading provider of technical data and information about developments in the global standardization arena.
The redesign was based on extensive consumer research to make it easier to find standards and related documents and to identify points of contact for standards developing organizations. Simple and advanced search options assist users in searching for standards by title, document number, key word or developer. More than 270,000 records are indexed with links to download the documents from the ANSI electronic Standards Store or from other standards developers or resellers. Users can also create and manage customized user-profile accounts to monitor updates on standards activities in areas of personal interest.
“As more groups enter the standard-setting arena, it has become harder to distinguish who is doing what, why they are doing it, and for what customer,” said S. Joe Bhatia, ANSI president and CEO. “The NSSN was developed because an online warehouse of data on standards and specifications was needed. It was enhanced because we are committed to delivering online services that are fast and easy to use.”
ANSI is engaging new data content providers—including consortia and other forums—to expand the range of standards metadata housed on the NSSN.
ANSI is a private non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance U.S. global competitiveness and the American quality of life by promoting, facilitating, and safeguarding the integrity of the voluntary standardization and conformity assessment system. Its membership is comprised of businesses, professional societies and trade associations, standards developers, government agencies, and consumer and labor organizations. The Institute represents the diverse interests of more than 125,000 companies and organizations and 3.5 million professionals worldwide.
The Institute is the official U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and, via the U.S. National Committee, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and is a U.S. representative to the International Accreditation Forum (IAF). ANSI currently has offices in New York City and Washington, DC.
http://www.ansi.org/ and http://www.nssn.org