17th International Conference on Computer Safety, Reliability, and Security by Prof. Wolfgang Ehrenberger (DE)*

The 17th IFIP International Conference on Computer Safety, Reliability and Security, SAFECOMP ’98, sponsored by the IFIP Working Group on Industrial Software Quality and Certification (WG5.4), was held 5-7 October 1998 in Heidelberg, Germany. SAFECOMP ’98 was the latest event in a series of similar workshops, symposia and conferences held since 1979. The International Program Committee was formed mainly from the members of the European Workshop on Industrial Computer Systems, who are also members of WG5.4. The presentations of the conference focused on the application of computers in industrial safety-related systems.

Invited presentations came from Dr. Andrea Servida, of the Commission of the European Communities, on the CEC’s policy on computer dependability, from Dr. Tony Frederickson, (US) on the software tools and procedures of Triconex Corporation, from Prof. Bas de Mol (NL), on medical informatics, and from Dipl. Ing. Erwin Schoitsch (AT), on ISA-EUNET.

The first session of the conference was chaired by Prof. Rudolf Lauber, who started the SAFECOMP series years ago. Most of the papers dealt with software. The contributions were mainly on formal methods, including specification, design and verification, the focus there being on specification methods. Remarkably few papers were about probabilistic aspects. Computer hardware safety seemed to be no longer of scientific interest; only marginal parts on that topic were integrated in some papers. The necessary number of redundant channels for a control system of a particular safety integrity level, however, caused a lively discussion.

Some of the security contributions were stimulating. One presentation dealt with the clarification of responsibilities in large safety-related software projects, which include off-the-shelf and custom-made software. The use of public key mechanisms and trust centers was suggested.

Aspects of human factors, management and medical informatics played a certain, albeit minor, role among the papers.

From the industrial contributions, it became clear that plans for using computers are widespread. In the years to come, virtually all train s and automobiles will have computers in their safety-related parts. The IEC 61508 standard will play a major role for licensing such computer systems.

The conference attracted about 75 participants, mainly from industry. Nearly half came from Germany, and many were from the other European countries. There was a remarkably high attendance from Austria and Italy.

The venue was considered very agreeable by most of those who came. It did not hurt to have a cable car as the main means of access. Even the last session was well attended.

The proceedings have been published by Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg, lncs 1516, ISBN 3-540-65110-1.

SAFECOMP ’99 will be in Toulouse, France in September.

* former chair of WG5.4

The Computer Society Of India

by Dr. S. Ramani (IN)*

The Computer Society of India (CSI) came into being formally on 6 March 1965, upon the renaming of the All-India Computer User’s Group, which had been constituted in June 1964. Since then, the Society has grown to the current membership of nearly 16,000 individuals and 500 institutions.
The Society conducts its operations through various geographical (four regions) and technical (nine divisions) groups. The divisions are Hardware, Software, Scientific Applications, Business Applications, Data Communications, IT for Rural Development, Education and Research, Data Security and Microcomputers. The principal CSI activity centres are the 62 chapters, located in cities and towns all over the country. There are also 74 branches for student members.
Activities
One of the main activities of CSI is the Annual Convention. Thirty-three Conventions have been held since 1965. The number of participants usually reaches 2000. Apart from technical sessions, tutorials and panels, a principal feature has been the Exhibition. The last Exhibition was held during CSI-98, in Delhi, drawing keen participation from Indian as well as multi-national companies. CSI has always endeavored to bring into focus problems of national importance through adoption of appropriate themes for the Conventions. CSI-98 had the theme "IT for the New Generation," focusing on students. CSI-99, to be held in Mumbai in November, will have the theme "IT India Inc.: Enabling the Information Century." CSI also organizes a number of international conferences regularly. The most stable series of these has been the Networks conferences, which have been held every two years since 1980, with IFIP co-sponsorship. The latestst one was in Bangalore in 1998. In recent years, the International Council for Computer Communication (ICCC) has also joined as a co-sponsor. The VLDB-96 conference (Very Large Data Bases) was held in Bombay. The International Conference on Visual Computing will be held in Feb 1999, in Goa, with co-sponsorship from IFIP and the ICCC.
CSI Communications is the monthly medium of communication between CSI and its members. The journal Computer Science and Informatics is a quarterly, which contains reviewed articles of theoretical interest, case studies of successful applications of national relevance, and reviews of books and journals.
CSI started conducting the National Standard Test for Programming Competence in 1975. A Directorate of Education was set up in 1985, and a number of modules, such as Systems Analysis and Design, Data Communication, OS, and DBMS, are covered, in order to ensure a minimum level of professional competence, especially among those without a university background.
Student activities have been encouraged through the student branches as well as student-paper contests at the Annual Conventions. National Student Conventions have been annual events since 1985.
Through the initiatives of Prof. Narasimhan, the first President, CSI has been in close liaison with IFIP since its inception in 1965, when observers from India attended the IFIP Council meeting. Since 1974, when CSI became a member of IFIP, CSI has organized many IFIP-sponsored events and was host to the 1978 Council meeting in Bombay and the 1988 General Assembly in New Delhi.

CSI and Government Policies
The CSI has always provided an open forum for frank exchange of opinions amongst the members and also between members and the policy makers in government. CSI is represented in the working of the IT Task Force of India. CSI works with government departments on major policy matters. CSI is also closely associated with the Indian Bureau of Standards.
CSI has taken on projects beyond the normally understood roles of professional bodies. The project relating to Computers for the Blind, led by Prof. P.V.S. Rao (CSI President 1980-82), was the forerunner of many efforts that CSI has been involved in, as a socially conscious professional society.
The CSI Web site is at http://www.csi-india.org . E-mail can be sent to csi@bom2.vsnl.net.in   or to the IFIP representative, Dr. S. Ramani, at ramani@ncst.ernet.in .

The CSI President, Dr. R. Srinivasan, and the CSI fraternity heartily welcome the IFIP President, Dir. Peter Bollerslev (DK), and the IFIP Council to India!

* representative of CSI to IFIP, and IFIP trustee

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