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Volume 5, Number 2 – April 2008 |
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From the Director's Desk
It's that time again – and it's not about taxesBy James A. Peyton, I3A Director of Standards and Technology Here in the I3A headquarters office, April signifies two things – the beginning of spring and the inevitable rush to complete U.S. tax returns. This spring, however, another event has I3A looking at its records, retrieving information and making reports – it's the ANSI Audit, which is scheduled for the first week of December 2008 Once every five years the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) conducts an audit of its accredited Standards Developing Organizations' checklist items (SDOs) to ensure that they comply with the ANSI Essential Requirements. These Essential Requirements include openness, balance and meticulous record-keeping. Complying with these Essential Requirements determines whether the SDO maintains its accreditation. The audit reviews the SDO's development procedures, its record-keeping for committee membership and ballots, and a host of other items, all designed to ensure fair and balanced standards development. I3A has undergone audits twice: in 1998 and 2003. In fact, I3A was one of the first SDOs to have an audit, and in both cases I3A passed with no significant findings. Why is the ANSI Audit important to I3A? With I3A heavily focused on International Standards development (see Figure), it's easy to ask why this domestic audit process is important to I3A. The answer is simple – without accreditation, I3A would lose its position as the Administrator for the USA Technical Advisory Group for ISO/TC42 and would no longer be eligible to act as Secretariat for TC42. Clearly it is in our best interest to prepare for and pass this important test of I3A's standards program.
What we're doing to prepare As in 2003, I3A is preparing for the ANSI audit well in advance. We are once again calling upon the experience of Phil Wychorski (Orion Standards LLC and past SMB Chair) to conduct an internal review of the I3A standards program. This will include a complete revision and consolidation of the I3A Standardization Procedures (SPs) and Administrative Practices (APs). The consolidated Standards Operating Procedures have been completed and sent to the Standards Management Board for review and approval. Ultimately the SOPs will receive I3A Board approval and will be sent to ANSI for acceptance in our auditing process. Other preparations are internal. With Donna Cohn joining the I3A staff, we have embarked on a training program to ensure that the Standards Department understands the ANSI Essential Requirements and the I3A SOPs. We are revamping our filing system so that any new Standards Actions and supporting materials are stored electronically in accordance with ANSI Guidelines. We are archiving older records in an effort to reduce the amount of paper stored onsite. These preparations are time-consuming but necessary if I3A is to maintain its leadership role in imaging standards development. Come see why standards are important to I3A Members No one familiar with I3A will dispute the importance of formal standards development to our industry. I3A is unique in its approach to technology development, as we offer several paths for arriving at solutions required. Pathways to Technology Solutions will be the focus of a session on Wednesday, June 4th as part of Imaging Innovations 08, the I3A Annual Conference in Vancouver, BC. For more information about the Conference and the Wednesday afternoon Birds-of-a-Feather sessions, please visit the I3A Annual Conference Web site.
JWG21 Meets in ParisJWG21 met in Paris on April 19th to prepare the final revision of the ISO 5 Series of standards on densitometry.
The four standards under consideration are: ISO 5-1 Photography and graphic technology – Density measurements – ISO 5–2 Photography and graphic technology – Density measurements – ISO 5–3 Photography and graphic technology – Density measurements – ISO 5–4 Photography and graphic technology – Density measurements –
These standards form the backbone of traditional photography, and are referenced in more than 50 other International Standards dealing with subjects ranging from electronic still picture imaging and graphic technology to non-destructive testing and medical diagnostics. JWG21 is administered by ISO/TC42 and is run jointly with ISO/TC130 – Graphic technology. The four standards will be sent to the ISO Central Secretariat for Member approval in July 2008.
ITIP Alert: TSA Unveils Plan to X-ray Air CargoIn a recent article in USA Today, the Transportation Security Administration announced plans to launch a program to screen cargo carried aboard commercial aircraft. The effort seeks to "close the loop" on items carried aboard commercial carriers, where only passengers' checked items and carry-on luggage have been screened. According to the article, the program may mean longer delivery times for packages shipped by air. Manufacturers of computers and auto parts use commercial carriers as well as many others. The inspection program calls for the use of the more invasive Explosives Detection Systems, which have been shown to have serious effects on sensitized goods such as consumer and professional photographic film and medical diagnostic products. The TSA indicated that companies could sign up for a pre-screening program that would allow the inspection of goods shipped by air in their own factories. This would mean the purchase of costly inspection equipment – not always an option for small shippers. The I3A Integrity in Transportation of Imaging Products (ITIP) committee will monitor the new TSA program and advise I3A Members of its impact. ITIP was formed to address concerns over damage to imaging materials when inspected during travel or shipment. I3A has been active in this area since it began studying the effects of airport X-ray inspection on photographic film in the 1970s. Today I3A continues to help protect imaging products and consumers’ precious memories as they are subjected to an increasing array of potentially damaging screening technologies. All I3A members are welcome to join the ITIP committee. Contact I3A to join. I3A Technical Committee, IT2 Image Evaluation: 2007 Annual ReportGeneral InformationSince the last formal report was prepared, IT2 Image Evaluation has held one meeting, on Activities in 2007IT2 is continuing the withdrawal of joint standards in support of the ISO preference. The
IT2 standards approved since the January 2006 meeting:
IT2 standards at ANSI for Public Review are as follows:
IT2 standards in Letter Ballot process:
At the end of 2007 IT2 retained the following ANSI/I3A/PIMA/NAPM standards:
IT2 has agreed to review specific ISO TC42 Working Group 4 and WG13 standards when
Representatives of IT2 attended the ISO TC42 Plenary held in Lausanne, Switzerland June 25-29, 2007. Meeting agenda and notes for the Working Group 3 session are available IT2 members reviewed and voted on the following ISO TC42 WG3 standards:
Submitted by Chairman and SMB Representative: Michael Smalter.
New Look and Feel for I3A Web Sites! We are excited to announce that I3A now has new public and members-only Web sites! We know that keeping you connected to your community is of vital importance to the continued success of your business and the industry as a whole. So, for the past several months, I3A has been developing a new public and members-only Web site, designed to keep you connected to everyone and everything Imaging. We’ve greatly improved the appearance and organization of the site making it much easier for you to find what you're looking for fast. New features on the I3A public Web site include:
We've also kept some of your favorite features:
Enhanced members-only Web site features include:
You'll see all of this and more, including a navigation system that is both user-friendly and intuitive, allowing you to find what you are looking for quickly and easily. We hope you enjoy the new Web sites. To review your member account information, please visit: http://members.i3a.org/kmembers/person/change_personal_info. If you experience difficulty logging in, have been inadvertently left off a committee, or have a general question. please send an email message to Shannon Taylor at staylor@i3a.org. Consumer Photo Preservation Team Open to All Members I3A is pleased to invite all I3A members with interests in helping consumers preserve their digital photo collections, to join the Consumer Photo Preservation team. By sharing their knowledge and expertise, members of the Consumer Photo Preservation team will work together to ensure that SaveMyMemories.org continues to be an effective and useful site for years to come. They will provide insight into new technologies and customer solutions, enabling site updates that reflect advances in the areas of image preservation and storage. In addition, CPP participants will have an opportunity to contribute to current search engine optimization efforts and assist in the development of new methods of promoting the Web site, including speaking opportunities, in order to increase awareness among the ever-growing number of people who use digital cameras to capture their visual memories. The lack of information on storage methods and media previously available to consumers makes SaveMyMemories.org an invaluable tool for the imaging industry and consumers alike. All I3A Members are encouraged to join the Consumer Photo Preservation team. If you are interested in contributing to this team's valuable efforts, request an enrollment form from Donna Cohn.
Jean Barda Joins I3A as European Coordinator
Jean Barda has joined I3A as its European Coordinator. In this role, Barda will drive I3A's outreach activities in Europe, raising awareness and supporting I3A's European based members. Barda is a longtime contributor to the imaging industry, as a technologist, business executive and author. Most recently he was General Manager of Netimage, in Gargilesse, France. His background is particularly suited to this position with I3A, as he has had significant involvement in imaging standards development activity, serving as the head of the French delegation to ISO on JPEG for more than 10 years. Barda also served on the Board of I3A and its predecessor organization, DIG, for six years. "We are very pleased to have this opportunity to tap the knowledge and expertise of our good friend Jean Barda," said Walker. "In order to better serve our European-based members, it's important to have local eyes and ears in this and in other regions around the world. We look forward to enhancing I3A's activities and value to members with Jean's insights." An expert in imaging and display processes, Barda has registered a dozen patents, some of which are still used in TV production, such as multilingual captioning. His work was also incorporated into Minitel, the French precursor to the Internet. His career started with the French Civil Aviation Administration, where he was responsible for visual displays and systems (TV, radar, text and graphics). Following this, he became involved in hardware design, then migrated slowly to software innovations, such as the patent he filed in 1992 for pyramidal image organization (JTIP), still in use today. Barda's most recent work has been in the area of Intellectual Property Rights and Digital Rights Management (IPR and DRM). Barda is co-author of two reference books, Dictionary for Multimedia, AFNOR, Paris; and Standards for Multimedia, Dunod, Paris. Barda and the I3A European office can be reached at +33 (0)254 47 80 39 or by sending an email message to jeanb@i3a.org.
Imaging Innovation '08
Claim Your Free Subscription to Executive Information ServiceAll I3A member companies are entitled to receive at least (depending on membership level) one free subscription to the Future Image Executive Information Service (EIS), which includes both the Future Image Report monthly and the Future Image Weekly Briefing delivered via email. These reports, which are widely viewed as required reading for executives in the digital imaging industry, feature trends analysis, market research reports, and exclusive conversations with industry leaders, information on high-level job openings, and major transitions at imaging companies. You will find that the EIS is a truly great value as you navigate the course of our industry and its rapidly evolving trends. Contact Jeannette Bouthillet for more information about starting your subscription. Share Your Best Shots With I3AThe I3A community is stocked with great photographers and people who appreciate great photography. A new feature of the I3A Web site is a place for I3A members to show and share their favorite shots. Members are especially invited to submit photos taken at I3A events. Send your photos to editor@i3a.org.
Member Soapbox – Have Your SayTo the outside world, the development of standards may seem, well, boring. To insiders, who know what's at stake, the world of international standards development is alive with dynamic and strongly-held opinions, vital discussion, and advocates of 'diverse' approaches. Do you have stories to tell? Thoughts about a controversial issue? Air them here in a new newsletter feature, The Member Soapbox. Send your story to editor@i3a.org.
I3A MarketPlaceThe MarketPlace is a service for I3A members. There you will find I3A's Access the MarketPlace at: http://members.i3a.org/members/marketplace/.
DX Reports Available The 135 DX system was developed by Technical Committee IT1, Access the latest reports at: http://members.i3a.org/members/marketplace/.
ISO New Project ProposalISO/NP 18941 Imaging materials – Color reflection prints – Test method for ozone gas fading stability Scope: This International Standard describes test methods for determining the ozone stability of colour photographic
ISO/TC 42 BallotsSO/NP 15781 Photography – Digital cameras – Measuring shooting time lag, shutter release time lag, shooting rate, and start–up time Scope: This international standard defines the terms shooting time lag, shutter release time lag, shooting rate, and start-up time when used in the area of digital photography. It describes how to measure and report these timing values for digital still cameras, camera modules used in the area of “mobile imaging”, and other devices used to capture still images. The described method shall not be used to measure the auto focus accuracy and speed at low light conditions. Published ISO StandardsISO 15740: 2008 Photography – Electronic still picture imaging – Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP) for digital still photography devices Scope: The Second Edition of ISO 20462-2 will be published on 2008-05-01.
ISO/TC 42 Convener NominationCall for New Convener – TC42/WG8 – Photographic film and paper products – Dimensions After many years of dedicated service to the imaging industry, Yoshiyuki Kobayashi has retired from FUJIFILM and the Japan National Committee for TC42, the Administrative Working Group and as Convener of TC42/WG8. TC42 is issuing a general call for nominations to fill the WG8 vacancy. Please forward nominations to the TC42 Secretariat by 2008-06-27. Membership UpdatesUpdates to membership of the I3A Standards Management Board (SMB), ISO/TC42 Working Groups (WG) and Technical Committees: No membership changes were recorded for this period. I3A Meetings and EventsTo arrange to attend any of these meetings, please register on the members’
Industry EventsAs a service to its members, I3A provides a listing
To share your comments about this newsletter or to submit information, send a message to Editor@I3A.org. Stay in touch with I3A: I3A (International Imaging Industry Association) To leave this list, click here. © 2008 International Imaging Industry Association. All rights |
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