American National Standards Institute - ANSI

An organization that oversees the creation and dissemination of norms and standards in almost every U.S. business sector. ANSI is also actively involved in the accreditation programs that oversee those standards, including ISO 9000 (quality) and ISO 14000 (environmental) management systems. It was founded in 1918 by five engineering societies and three government agencies; it is now a nonprofit organization.



|||Under ANSI's supervision, Accredited Standards Committee X9 (ASC X9) oversees the global financial services industry and is responsible for all financial-services standards in the U.S. In that capacity, ASC X9 plays a key role in the introduction of new banking technologies. Examples include standards for paper and electronic checks, credit card magnetic stripes and ATM cards. The American Bankers Association provides administrative support for ASC X9 standards.