A rule, principle, or measure established as a model or example by authority, custom, or general consent. Standards generally are in the form of baseline specifications according to which manufacturers can develop products with the assurance that they will interconnect and interoperate with those of other manufacturers, at least at a fundamental level. Standards typically allow for options that manufacturers can exercise in various fashions peculiar to their own product development philosophies, strategies, and so on, thereby distinguishing those products from others.Although standards have been criticized as common denominator or consensus solutions that stifle creativity, they in fact provide a common framework of technical specifications within which manufacturers can exercise a considerable level of creativity. Standards serve to create the technical basis for a competitive market that offers buyers a choice of products, while ensuring interconnectivity and interoperability at a fundamental level. Standards take several forms.