There certainly is more choice in how the standards will be paid for in their development and use. That's clear. Organizations like ASTM are global organizations. They will develop standards that can be used around the world, in a hundred countries. They can be translated into 15 languages. So their business model is very different from that of an organization that focuses on only the federal government, for example, or on Canadian consumers. That gives them an advantage and can lower their cost.
On May 5th, 2015. See this statement in context.