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Overview

INCITS Mission Statement

An open, collaborative community that enhances the competitiveness of U.S. organizations and brings technological advancement to society through the development and promotion of consensus-driven U.S. and global Information Technology standards.

What is INCITS?

INCITS -- the InterNational Committee for Information Technology Standards -- is the central U.S. forum dedicated to creating technology standards for the next generation of innovation.  INCITS members combine their expertise to create the building blocks for globally transformative technologies.  From cloud computing to communications, from transportation to health care technologies, INCITS is the place where innovation begins.  INCITS is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and is affiliated with the Information Technology Industry Council, a global policy advocacy organization that represents U.S. and global innovation companies.

What are the INCITS working groups and committee structure?

INCITS is guided by the leadership of its Executive Board.  In addition, we have more than 50 technical committees, task groups and expert groups that are constantly developing standards for new technologies and updating standards for older products that are evolving through innovation.

Our technical committees grow regularly to match the ever-evolving ICT marketplace.  New products and new approaches come online every day.  INCITS members work with the developers and users before a product goes to market so it is broadly accepted and highly interoperable.

When was INCITS created?

The organization was established in 1960, then known as the “Accredited Standards Committee X3, Information Technology.”  At the time, X3 was sponsored by the Business Equipment Manufacturers Association (BEMA) and later renamed the Computer and Business Equipment Manufacturers Association (CBEMA), and now is ITI.  X3’s first organizational meeting was in February 1961 and was established under American National Standards Institute (ANSI) procedures.  The organization was renamed NCITS -- the National Committee for Information Technology Standards in 1997.  The current name was approved in 2001.

How can I obtain standards and standards-related information?

INCITS Standards may be purchased from two locations:

How do I get in touch with INCITS?

We are available by phone and email:

  • Email: 
  • Jennifer Garner/202-626-5737, Vice President, Standards Programs
  • Lynn Barra/202-626-5739, Vice President, Standards Operations

INCITS Accreditation

INCITS was founded in 1961 as Accredited Standards Committee, X3 Information Processing Systems. INCITS is accreditation by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

The most recent accreditation renewal was December 13, 2022 under the name INCITS.

What does INCITS do?

INCITS promotes the effective use of information and communication technology by developing standards in a way that balances the interests of all stakeholders and increases the global competitiveness of the member organizations.

How does INCITS conduct its work on standards?

INCITS operates through consensus.  Our members work together in technical committees and working groups to create standards that result in globally accepted, highly interoperable products.  Many times, the U.S. standard that INCITS members develop then will become the baseline standard for the international community.  The INCITS process protects the intellectual property rights of members and ensures that every voice counts, with a quick pace to match the rapidly evolving market.  Our procedures allow everyone with an interest in the subject covered by a standard to participate, either as a member of the consensus body or through public comment, and to have their comments considered.

What is INCITS' relationship with other standards-focused organizations?

INCITS is accredited by, and operates under rules approved by, ANSI (the American National Standards Institute).  These rules are designed to ensure that voluntary standards are developed by the consensus of directly and materially affected interests.

INCITS coordinates technical standards activity between ANSI and joint technical standards committees worldwide. This provides a mechanism to create standards that will be implemented in many nations.

Who are INCITS' members?

INCITS members are information technology developers, producers, and users.  Our members come from hundreds of U.S. organizations and encompass more than 1,600 experts involved in the production and use of cutting-edge technologies.  The one thing that all of our members have in common is that they have a material stake in how a standard is developed.

What is the value of INCITS's membership?

Standards are critical to success for a product in the IT marketplace.  INCITS is the development forum for market-relevant standards that drive the tech industry.  Through participation in INCITS, industry leaders and users alike have the opportunity, through standards, to open new markets, dismantle non-tariff trade barriers, and create the basic building blocks of the future information technology structure.

This information will help industry engineers, product managers, and company management to evaluate the approaches available for standardization of their technology which will result in globally accepted, highly interoperable products.

The services and tools that INCITS provides include:

  • A forum to gain broad industry consensus;
  • Technical input and discussion with multiple industry sectors;
  • Staff support to ensure public review, committee operations and other value added services; and,
  • Editing guidelines for the standard using internationally accepted formats.

No matter which option are chosen, the existence of a standard ensures:

  • Lack of confusion in the marketplace;
  • Interoperability of products;
  • Lower product development costs; and,
  • The ability to satisfy procurement requirements.

Does INCITS only cover U.S. standards? Or is your work global?

We are the leading developer of global and U.S. information and communications technology standards.  Domestically, we focus on creating new American National Standards.  

In the global arena, we serve as the U.S. Technical Advisory Group to the international standards-setting organization called JTC 1.  Our Executive Board members have direct entry into the international standards arena and participate as voting members of U.S. delegations to global standards meetings and deliberations.

How do members participate?

Members participate by working on one or more technical committees or study groups to build a consensus approach to a particular standard.  There are two categories of INCITS membership:  Voting and Advisory (Non-Voting).

  • Voting Membership:  Voting membership is open to any company, consortium, or individual materially affected by a standards issue.  There is a fee associated with this membership level to fund the administrative work that is involved with any development process.

    A representative of a prospective voting member shall initially attend a meeting of the appropriate committee or group without voting privileges.  Voting privileges become effective with attendance at one of the next two successive meetings and receipt of the applicable fees for the membership year.

    If a group is meeting to focus on a new standard, all attendees at the formation meeting or its next follow-up meeting shall be considered voting members.

  • Advisory (Non-Voting) Membership:  All advisory memberships are non-voting memberships.  Advisory members may attend meetings, speak, and submit contributions to the development of a standard.  Any party that pays the designated service fee can be an advisory member.

How do I join?

INCITS Executive Board
Applications for membership on the INCITS Executive Board shall be by correspondence to the INCITS Secretariat.  Applicants should explain why they are interested in membership and describe their involvement and select their organization’s interest category. Additional information on this level of participation can be viewed from the Membership Info page.

INCITS Technical Committee (TC), Task Group (TG) or Study Group (SG)
Applications for membership on an INCITS TC/TG/SG can be completed via the online sign-up form. Additional information on this level of participation can be viewed from the Membership Info page.

Interested parties should review and understand all required actions (i.e., membership agreement, patent policy guidelines, etc) prior to establishing participation. These items can be found on the Membership Info page and in the INCITS Organization, Policies and Procedures document.