Something like that could benefit Google, both directly and indirectly. Open standards could lead to a shift to open-source products such as OpenOffice and Linux desktops. And it could push government agencies to try software-as-a-service -- including Google's online offerings, its Gmail and Docs.

The presumption among tech policy groups is that an Obama administration will be more than just tech-aware; it'll be tech-aggressive and more likely to push the federal government in new directions.

The Bush administration was "so tech unoriented," said Ed Black, who heads the Computer & Communications Industry Association. "You are going to see a whole lot more people in important positions in this administration who do 'get' tech."

John Palafoutas, the senior president for domestic policy and congressional affairs at AeA (formerly the American Electronics Association) agreed with that view. The people coming into the Obama administration "know how to use technology and they're not afraid of technology," Palafoutas said.

There's good and bad in having a tech-focused administration in the White House.