The International Organization for Standardization, widely known as ISO, is an international-standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations. Founded on 23 February 1947, the organization promulgates worldwide proprietary industrial and commercial standards. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. While ISO defines itself as a non-governmental organization, its ability to set standards that often become law, either through treaties or national standards, makes it more powerful than most non-governmental organizations. In practice, ISO acts as a consortium with strong links to governments.

ISO's main products are the International Standards. ISO also publishes Technical Reports, Technical Specifications, Publicly Available Specifications, Technical Corrigenda, and Guides.

The term ISO9000 refers to a set of quality management standards. ISO9000 currently includes three quality standards: ISO 9000:2005, ISO 9001:2000, and ISO 9004:2000. ISO 9001:2000 presents requirements, while ISO 9000:2005 and ISO 9004:2000 present guidelines. All of these are process standards (not product standards).

ISO 9001 Standard 's purpose is to facilitate international trade by providing a single set of standards that people everywhere would recognize and respect.

Source: ISO 9000, Products, Template, Software.