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 Overview of MFPA Project Procedures
MFPA continues to be a leader in progressing technical and marketing
projects to benefit the industry and the consumer. In fact, the activation
energy which formed the MFPA organization was the initial MFPI (Multifunction
Peripheral Interface) standard. Since then, we have been instrumental in
guiding and influencing standards as they are progressed in other groups, as
well as progressing our own initiatives.
Generation Process
The typical process used within the MFPA organization consists of a series
of discussions, typically in face-to-face meetings, email discussions, and
teleconferences, coupled with written documents that are the eventual result
of the process. These written documents can then be directly utilized by the
industry, or they can be further processed by official standards bodies.
In some cases, the work performed falls within the normal scope of
existing standards organizations. If this is the case, the MFPA will attempt
to introduce the topic to that group, and follow the generation within
that group, as opposed to attempting to duplicate the group within the
MFPA. This is the case with the ietf-fax initiative (snmp-fax, T.37),
real-time internet fax (T.38), and topics appropriate for the Printer
Working Group (PWG). Many of these standards have been progressed to
the level of international standardization through the process of the ITU-T,
the International Telecommunications Union. The ITU is supported by the
United Nations and has been the home for any fax and related standards.
In the case of the original MFPI standard, this was essentially progressed
by the IEEE-1284.4 group, albeit resulting in the result that the HP
proposal was used in lieu of the interface defined in TIA IS-650 (MFPI).
TIA, the Telecommunications Industry Association, is the U.S. counterpart
to the ITU, and is the ANSI-accredited standards body wherein the MFPI
standard was originally drafted.
Current Projects
MFPA has a number of current projects which are included as separate
pages on this site, and will not be further summarized here.
Participation
To participate in the generation process of these standards, please become
a member of the association to provide the funding required to support the
organization.
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MFPA Overview
Activities
Meetings