The opportunities offered by technology are growing exponentially at a pace faster than most of us can keep up with. The vision and devices of gurus like Steve Jobs are catalysts bringing an avalanche of technological innovation. For example, a group of researchers recently conceived a simple, inexpensive ball lens embedded in a rubber sheet that, when attached to an iPhone lens, turns the device into a microscope. Practical and low cost, it could be used by doctors in remote and impoverished areas. The idea opens up potentially exciting possibilities.

Information and communication technology (ICT) standards often exist because a tech-guru has translated a vision into a technical statement. This technology is shared for others to enhance it, and the ensuing standard then enables others to develop new products and markets. Here we pay tribute to some outstanding gurus of the ICT world whose visions have changed the world.

In October 2010, subcommittee SC 2, Quality systems, of ISO/TC 176, the technical committee that developed the ISO 9000 series of quality management system (QMS) standards, launched a major survey of existing and potential users of ISO 9001 and ISO 9004 in 122 countries. The objective was to understand user needs better, identify opportunities for improvement, and guide the long-term strategic direction of quality management.