The OSI Reference Model was formally initiated by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in March, 1977, in response to the international need for an open set of communications standards. OSI’s objectives are: to provide an architectural reference point for developing standardized procedures; to allow internetworking between networks of the same type; to serve as a common framework for the development of services and protocols consistent with the OSI model; to expedite the offering of interoperable, multi-vendor products and services.