ISO9001:2008 applies to all types of organizations. It doesn't matter
what size they are or what they do. It can help both product and
service oriented organizations achieve standards of quality
that are recognized and respected throughout the world.

What is ISO 9001?

The International Organization of Standardization, (ISO) is a worldwide organization that develops many different kinds of Standards.
ISO 9001 is a series of documents that define requirements for the Quality Management System Standard. ISO 9001 is one of the documents in this set; it contains the actual requirements an organization must be in compliance with to become ISO 9001 Registered.
ISO 9001:2008 is the current version of the Standard. It was revised in the year 2008. Past versions of ISO 9000 included ISO 9002 and ISO 2003, but those are no longer in use. Companies are now only Registered to ISO 9001.

Why do companies want ISO 9001:2008

Market Pressure

Many organizations decide to Implement ISO 9001 and obtain registration because it assures customers that the company has a good Quality Management System (QMS) in place. An organization with an effective QMS will typically meet customer expectations better than an organization that does not have an effective QMS. Many organizations require their suppliers to have ISO 9001 Registration.

Internal effectiveness and productivity benefits

Other organizations implement an ISO 9001 QMS because it has proven over the years that it leads companies to better operations, improved performance, and improved profitability.