Standards-related literature within business-to-business (B2B) covers many separate areas. Examples are enabling technology, development processes for standards in formal, semi-formal and informal fora, base standards (XML and EDI) extensions and evolvement, intellectual property rights, etc, etc. In computer science literature, the term life cycle is usually used to denote the previously mentioned phases for a product or process, from rdquobirth to deathrdquo. They are useful for understanding various phenomena and how these relate to their respective environments such as to stakeholders. However, the standards life cycles is only rarely discussed in literature. This paper examines seven existing life cycle models for standards and standardisation, and shows where extensions to the current approaches are needed. The result is a general standards life cycle model, which may serve as the basis for discussion and to identify perspectives for both standards research and standards practice to consider.