This press release (http://www.iso.org/iso/en/commcentre/pressreleases/2007/Ref1059.html) seems to signify a change of direction for ISO. While self assessment tools are a good thing from the users perspective, ISO does not have the expertise nor the resources to do it in it's own. So, they have to partner with organizations that can do it. In this case, they partnered with in Investors in Software (IiS - www.InvestorsInSoftware.com (http://www.investorsinsoftware.com/)), which could lead to tremendous dissatisfaction by the competitors of IiS.

ISO needs to tread very carefully so it is not perceived as straying from it's main purpose of developing and maintaining international consensus standards. But it is hard to ignore the tremendous business opportunities, after riding the ISO 9000 wave for 20 years.

This press release (http://www.iso.org/iso/en/commcentre/pressreleases/2007/Ref1059.html) seems to signify a change of direction for ISO. While self assessment tools are a good thing from the users perspective, ISO does not have the expertise nor the resources to do it in it's own. So, they have to partner with organizations that can do it. In this case, they partnered with in Investors in Software (IiS - www.InvestorsInSoftware.com (http://www.investorsinsoftware.com/)), which could lead to tremendous dissatisfaction by the competitors of IiS.

ISO needs to tread very carefully so it is not perceived as straying from it's main purpose of developing and maintaining international consensus standards. But it is hard to ignore the tremendous business opportunities, after riding the ISO 9000 wave for 20 years.Good point, Sidney! I remember the flap when the American Medical Association made a similar [devil's bargain] partnership with Sunbeam when Chainsaw Al (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_J._Dunlap) was gutting the joint. A lot of people ended up with smelly stuff all over their feet!