ISO announces the launching of a new, free-of-charge e-mail newsletter providing concise information on ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 developments worldwide and new developments such as standards for the service sector and for social responsibility.

The e-newsletter is called IMS Alerts after ISO's magazine ISO Management Systems (IMS). It will carry advance news of upcoming articles in the magazine, such as recent surveys on the concrete results of implementing quality and environmental management systems based, respectively on ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001.

ISO Secretary-General Alan Bryden commented: "The launching of the IMS Alerts e-newsletter is an example of ISO's forward-looking stance since it will make it easier for people to acquire early news of developments on the 'new frontiers' of ISO and its members - such as standards for services, management practice and social responsibility. It also shows our firm commitment to communication and to using IT to communicate more efficiently."

The e-newsletter will represent an added value to ISO Management Systems, a colour magazine published six times a year in English, French and Spanish editions. The magazine's comprehensive coverage includes implementation case studies from around the world.

IMS regularly carries early news of management system-related standardization, such as ISO 22000, Food safety management systems, and ISO 10014, which will give guidelines for realizing financial and economic benefits from quality management, as well as new ISO publications, such as the e-brochure, ISO 9001:2000 - What does it mean in the supply chain?

ISO Management Systems also covers the expanding area of standards for the service sector, with articles on innovative work of ISO and its members that pioneers international standardization in areas such as market, opinion and social research (ISO 20252) and mediation between organizations and their customers (ISO 10003).

ISO's recently launched development of guidance for social responsibility (ISO 26000) and the vital to trade area of conformity assessment complete the coverage provided by ISO Management Systems.

While IMS is available by paid subscription, there is no charge for subscribing to the IMS Alerts e-newsletter. In addition to advance news of ISO Management Systems articles, subscribers to IMS Alerts will benefit from alerts to new ISO press releases and fresh material on ISO's Web site.

Subscription to IMS Alerts is online via the ISO 9000/ISO 14000 section on ISO's Web site. For the launching of the e-newsletter, this section, one of the most-visited on ISO's Web site, has been completely redesigned and re-structured to make it both more attractive and easier for visitors to navigate to the information they need.