There is nothing standard about innovation. It usually comes with a need, a need to solve a problem. I have always wondered does standardization cripple innovation or does it abet it? On one hand, to introduce new network technologies is a very expensive affair and marred with patches that need to inter op with legacy systems. But at the same time standardization of wireless protocols like 802.11, has bought so many new products to the market as product developers can abs tact the wireless communication. Same applies for Web Services, they are not most efficient but the are standard compliant and that makes them easier to implement as the “reuse” factor is high and tools can be made available for things that are standard.
While I may change my stance , I strongly believe that standards aid innovation. There are some trade off, like with everything else, but if one had to choose between standards and a hooch pooch of proprietary (but more efficient) options, what would you choose?