A standard is a generally agreed-upon technology, method or format for a given application.
Official standards, also known as de jure standards, are overseen by one of a number of governing bodies that exist to promote their development and confirm their status. The IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force), for example, is a standards organization that defines Internet operating protocols such as TCP/IP.
Standards that are endorsed by the IETF and similar organizations are known as de jure standards. De facto standards,on the other hand, gain prominence because they are widely used. Examples of de facto standards include Microsoft’s Windows operating system and the QWERTY keyboard layout.