Interoperability standards have been a critical factor in the sustained growth of the information technology industry. Individuals, corporations, academics, and governments have benefited from the sustained investment contributors, participants, and implementers have made to hundreds of standards organizations.

Microsoft contributes to, and collaborates with, more than 150 standards organizations on an annual basis. We also participate in a wide variety of other specification development initiatives with groups of industry leaders or publish Microsoft specifications in order to enhance interoperability of our products and services. Our standards work embraces innovations in PC hardware, software and associated devices, the Internet and its infrastructure, Consumer Electronics devices, Telecommunications systems and products, and a wide variety of industry specific products and services. This work is made possible through development of core interoperability technologies, without which these products and services would not be able to deliver the value they do to customers of virtually anyone, virtually everywhere.