Information technology measurement and testing activities at NIST

Our high technology society continues to rely more and more upon sophistica ted measurements, technical standards, and associated testing activities. T his was true for the industrial society of the 20th century and remains tru e for the information society of the 21st century. Over the last half of th e 20th century, information technology (IT) has been a powerful agent of ch ange in almost every sector of the economy. The complexity and rapidly chan ging nature of IT have presented unique technical challenges to the Nationa l Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and to the scientific measur ement community in developing a sound measurement and testing infrastructur e for IT. This measurement and testing infrastructure for the important non -physical and non-chemical properties associated with complex IT systems is still in an early stage of development. This paper explains key terms and concepts of IT metrology, briefly reviews the history of the National Burea u of Standards/National Institute of Standards and Technology (NBS/NIST) in the field of IT, and reviews NIST's current capabilities and work in measu rement and testing for IT. It concludes with a look at what is likely to oc cur in the field of IT over the next ten years and what metrology roles NIS T is likely to play.