Quiz Entry - updated: 2026.07.14
What is the ISO, and what kinds of standards does it produce?
ISO = International Organization for Standardization — a Geneva-based association of 167 national standards bodies. It publishes technical, classification, and process standards.
| Category | Example |
|---|---|
| Technical | MP3 audio compression (ISO/IEC 11172) |
| Classification | Two-letter country codes "DE", "NL", "JP" (ISO 3166) |
| Process / Verfahren | Quality management (ISO 9000), information security (ISO 27001) |
Quick facts:
- Founded 1947 in Geneva.
- 167 member countries (a national standards body, not the government itself).
- Switzerland is a founding member via SNV (Schweizerische Normen-Vereinigung).
- Work happens in Technical Committees (TCs), some shared with IEC as joint TCs.
Tip: "ISO" is not an acronym — the name was chosen because of the Greek word isos (equal). The organisation's three working languages are English, French, and Russian; standards are published primarily in English.
Go deeper:
International Organization for Standardization (Wikipedia) — ISO's 1947 founding, member bodies, technical committees and the isos naming origin.