Magazine: History of IT in India

ISSN 0970-647X | Volume No. 36 | Issue No.
5 | August 2012
` 50/-
Cover Story Computing in Kolkata Strolling Down Memory Lane 5 CIO Perspective Managing Technology Business Information Systems: IT Infrastructure and Services 29
Article Software Techniques in Computer Graphic Technology 12 CIO Perspective Digital World Beckons Marketers!!! 32|
CSI Communications
www.csi-india.org
August 2012 | A
CSI Calendar 2012

Date Event Details & Organizers
Prof. S V Raghavan
Vice President & Chair, Conference Committee, CSI
Contact Information
August 2012 Events

7-8 Aug. 2012 9-10 Aug. 2012 11 Aug. 2012 13-14 Aug. 2012 13-14 Aug. 2012 First Rajasthan State Student Convention Aishwarya Institute of Management & IT, Udaipur Regional Student Convention Region 5 G. Pulla Reddy Engineering College, Kurnool, A.P Workshop on Cloud Computing ER Perumal Manimekali College of Engineering - Hosur Kerala State Student Convention TKM College of Engineering Workshop on Personal effective skills ER Perumal Manimekali College of Engineering-Hosur Prof. Archana director@aimudr.org Mr. Akhil Pandey akhilpandey2811@gmail.com Prof. I K Ishthaq Ahamed ishthaq@gmail.com Mr. T Sabapathy tspathy@cymphony.com Prof. Keerthi Venkat keerthi_venkatt@yahoo.co.in Dr. Chitraprasad dcpvenus@yahoo.com Mr. Muraleedharan Pillai muraleer@gmail.com Prof. Keerthi Venkat keerthi_venkatt@yahoo.co.in Prof. Tejpal Upadhyay tejpal.upadhyay@nirmauni.ac.in Dr. Rajveer S Shekhawat rajveer1957@hotmail.com Dr. C G Ravichandran cg_ravi@yahoo.com Dr. M Sundaresan bu.sundaresan@gmail.com Dr. T V Gopal gopal@annauniv.edu www.transformhealth-it.org
24-25 Aug. 2012 Regional Student Convention - Region 3 Nirma University Institute of Technology, Ahmedabad 24-25 Aug. 2012 Sixth Tamilnadu State Student Convention R.V.S College of Engineering, Dindigul, T.N 31 Aug.-1 Sept. 2012 Third International Conference on Transforming Healthcare with IT CSI Division II (Software), Hyderabad
September 2012 Events

5-7 Sept. 2012 6-7 Sept. 2012 13-14 Sept. 2012 13-15 Sept. 2012 International Conference on Software Engineering ( CONSEG 2012) CSI Division II ( Software), Indore Cloud Computing MVJCE, Bangalore (SBC), CSI Division V Dr. T V Gopal gopal@annauniv.edu www.conseg2012.org Prof. Rajapusha hod_cse@mvjce.edu.in
Global Science and Technology Forum Business Intelligent Summit and Awards Dr. T V Gopal gopal@annauniv.edu CSI Division II ( Software), Singapore www.globalstf.org/bi-summit FDP on Intelligent Computing New Horizon College of Engineering, Bangalore Prof. Ilango banalysist@yahoo.com
19-20 Sept. 2012 Fourth e-Governance Knowledge Sharing Summit (KSS2012) Mr. A M Parial ceochips@nic.in Govt. of Chhattisgarh, in association with CSI-SIG-eGOV at Hotel V W Canyon Maj. Gen. (Retd) Dr R K Bagga Raipur rbagga@iiit.ac.in 27-29 Sept. 2012 Regional Student Convention - Region 6 MGM's Jawaharlal Nehru Engineering College, N-6, CIDCO, Aurangabad Ms. Parminder Kaur dhingra.param@gmail.com Prof. S S Sane sssane65@yahoo.com
October 2012 Events

12-13 Oct. 2012 20 Oct. 2012
26thAnnual Karnataka Student Convention on Green Computing - Challenges & Change
Sidganga Institute of Technology, Tumkur, Karnataka I.T.S - Management & IT Institute Mohan Nagar, Ghaziabad, U.P
Prof. Sunita nrsunithasit@gmail.com Prof. Ashish Seth ashishseth@its.edu.in Prof. Alka Agrawal alkaagrawal@its.edu.in
Communication Technologies & its impact on Next Generation Computing (CTNGC-2012) Prof. Umang umangsingh@its.edu.in
November 2012 Events

29 Nov.-1 Dec. 2012 Third International Conference on Emerging Applications of Information D P Mukherjee/Debasish Jana/ Technology (EAIT 2012) Pinakpani Pal/R T Goswami CSIKolkata Chapter Event at Kolkata URL: https://sites.google.com/site/csieait2012/ csieait@gmail.com
December 2012 Events

1-2 Dec. 2012 47th Annual National Convention of CSI (CSI 2012) CSI Kolkata Chapter Event at Kolkata, URL: http://csi-2012.org/ Subimal Kundu/D P Mukherjee/ Phalguni Mukherjee/J K Mandal csical@gmail.com
6-8 Dec. 2012
Second IEEE International Conference on PDG Computing [PDGC 2012] , Technically Dr. Nitin pdgc2012@gmail.com
CSI Special Interest Group on Cyber Forensics at Jaypee University of information Dr Vipin Tyagi dr.vipin.tyagi@gmail.com Technology, Waknaghat-Solan (HP) http://www.juit.ac.in/pdgc-2012/index1.php 14-16 Dec. 2012 International Conference on Management of Data (COMAD-2012) SIGDATA, CSI, Pune Chapter and CSI Division II Mr. C G Sahasrabudhe Shekhar_sahasrabudhe@persistent.co.in
CSI Communications Contents

Volume No. 36 Issue No. 5 August 2012
Editorial Board
Chief Editor
Dr. R M Sonar
Cover Story
Practitioner Workbench
5 12 15 18 19 20 21 23
Computing in Kolkata - Strolling Down Memory Lane

Dr. Debasish Jana
Editors
Dr. Debasish Jana Dr. Achuthsankar Nair
Articles
Software Techniques in Computer Graphic Technology V K Mohanan Challenges in Early days of Programming in IBM 360 - An Introspection M Jayalakshmy FishNet: An Early Experience with Email Satish Babu MINSK at Space Center - A Nostalgic Flashback R Narayanan In Remembrance of Alan Turing, the Father of Computer Sciencel Dr. Debasish Jana
27 28 29 32 35 37 38
Programming.Tips()
Wallace Jacob
Programming.Learn (Python) GUI Design with Python

Umesh P
Resident Editor
Mrs. Jayshree Dhere
CIO Perspective
Managing Technology Business Information Systems: IT Infrastructure and Services
Dr. R M Sonar
Advisors
Dr. T V Gopal Mr. H R Mohan
Published by
Executive Secretary Mr. Suchit Gogwekar For Computer Society of India
Digital World Beckons Marketers!!!

Dr. Anil V Vaidya
Security Corner
Information Security Software IPR in India
Adv. Prashant Mali
Design, Print and Dispatch by

CyberMedia Services Limited
Technical Trends
Lets do LESS Hareesh N Nampoothiri Near Field Communication (NFC) and Changing the Airline Passengers Travel Experience Nemil Sheriff and Diptiman Dasgupta
IT Act 2000 Prof. IT Law in Conversation with Mr. IT Executive: Issue No. 5
Mr. Subramaniam Vutha
HR
Demystfying Assessment in the World of Work
Ambereen Pradhan
Please note: CSI Communications is published by Computer Society of India, a non-prot organization. Views and opinions expressed in the CSI Communications are those of individual authors, contributors and advertisers and they may differ from policies and official statements of CSI. These should not be construed as legal or professional advice. The CSI, the publisher, the editors and the contributors are not responsible for any decisions taken by readers on the basis of these views and opinions. Although every care is being taken to ensure genuineness of the writings in this publication, CSI Communications does not attest to the originality of the respective authors content. 2012 CSI. All rights reserved. Instructors are permitted to photocopy isolated articles for non-commercial classroom use without fee. For any other copying, reprint or republication, permission must be obtained in writing from the Society. Copying for other than personal use or internal reference, or of articles or columns not owned by the Society without explicit permission of the Society or the copyright owner is strictly prohibited.
PLUS
Brain Teaser
Dr. Debasish Jana
40 41 42 43
Ask an Expert
Dr. Debasish Jana
Happenings@ICT: ICT News Briefs in July 2012

H R Mohan
CSI News
Published by Suchit Gogwekar for Computer Society of India at Unit No. 3, 4th Floor, Samruddhi Venture Park, MIDC, Andheri (E), Mumbai-400 093. Tel. : 022-2926 1700 Fax : 022-2830 2133 Email : hq@csi-india.org Printed at GP Offset Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai 400 059.
CSI Communications | August 2012 | 1
Know Your CSI

Executive Committee (2012-13/14)
President Mr. Satish Babu president@csi-india.org Hon. Treasurer Mr. V L Mehta treasurer@csi-india.org
Hon. Secretary Mr. S Ramanathan secretary@csi-india.org
Vice-President Prof. S V Raghavan vp@csi-india.org Immd. Past President Mr. M D Agrawal ipp@csi-india.org
Nomination Committee (2012-2013)

Dr. D D Sarma Mr. Bipin V Mehta Mr. Subimal Kundu
Regional Vice-Presidents
Region - I Mr. R K Vyas Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal and other areas in Northern India. rvp1@csi-india.org Region - V Prof. D B V Sarma Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh rvp5@csi-india.org Region - II Prof. Dipti Prasad Mukherjee Assam, Bihar, West Bengal, North Eastern States and other areas in East & North East India rvp2@csi-india.org Region - VI Mr. C G Sahasrabudhe Maharashtra and Goa rvp6@csi-india.org Region - III Mr. Anil Srivastava Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and other areas in Western India rvp3@csi-india.org Region - VII Mr. Ramasamy S Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Andaman and Nicobar, Kerala, Lakshadweep rvp7@csi-india.org Region - IV Mr. Sanjeev Kumar Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Orissa and other areas in Central & South Eastern India rvp4@csi-india.org Region - VIII Mr. Pramit Makoday International Members rvp8@csi-india.org
Division Chairpersons, National Student Coordinator & Publication Committee Chairman

Division-I : Hardware (2011-13) Dr. C R Chakravarthy div1@csi-india.org Division-IV : Communications (2012-14) Mr. Sanjay Mohapatra div4@csi-india.org Division-II : Software (2012-14) Dr. T V Gopal div2@csi-india.org Division-V : Education and Research (2011-13) Chairman Division V To be announced div5@csi-india.org Division-III : Applications (2011-13) Dr. Debesh Das div3@csi-india.org National Student Coordinator Mr. Ranga Raj Gopal Publication Committee Chairman Prof. R K Shyamsundar
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Presidents Message
Dear Members
Satish Babu From : president@csi-india.org Subject : Presidents Desk Date : 1st August, 2012
CSI was founded in 1965, when computing technologies were conned to a few research institutions, universities, and government departments. In particular, there was no IT Industry that is so prominent today, and computing was fragmented between different hardware manufacturers, who also made the software for the computers that they manufactured. The computing domain at that time was driven by a few stalwarts, many of whom CSI has had the good fortune to associate with. Given that CSI was the only organization who was associated with the growth of the computing domain in India - later to develop into the IT Industry - during its early days, it is only natural that CSI has a special affinity towards this period. It is important to remember that the founding fathers of CSI were themselves the pioneers of computing in India.
of the numbers of people impacted, the tripping of the three grids is a major catastrophe. As technologists, it is perhaps time that our talk about smart computing, manifesting itself as initiatives such as smart homes, smart vehicles, and smart grids, became a reality. As we know, a smart grid is an electricity grid that uses IT to gather and process information... in an automated fashion to improve the efficiency, reliability, economics, and sustainability of the production and distribution of electricity. Of course, we are still at the preliminary stage of transitioning into smart grids, but events of this kind shows the vulnerability of technologies that are in everyday use, and the increased responsibility that engineers and technologists have in ensuring the quality of life of people.
History of IT in India
This issue of CSI Communications has the theme of History of IT in India. We look at some of the early initiatives in computing in the country in this issue for the benet of the newer generations of IT professionals. Of course, IT and Communications are interleaved so much today that one cannot exist without the other. Together with computing, the Internet has also been a major driving force behind the popularization and democratization of what has come to be known as Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) in the last two decades. At a personal level, this has also provided me an occasion to reect on my own early days in programming - which started as a hobby in college in the early 80s, later becoming a passionate avocation. After encountering the Internet for the rst time in 1993 at a UK University, its immense possibilities were immediately clear to me, and prompted me, in 1994, to become a part of the United Nations Volunteer (UNV) program named IndiaLink, connecting a few NGOs around the country using ERNET as backbone. My experiences are provided in a brief article, FishNet: An Early Experiment with Email, in this issue (page 18). Given CSI's preeminent position in the history of computing in India, we have plans to strengthen the CSI History Initiative, which has been initiated a few months back, so that we have a chronicle of the efforts of the early pioneers of computing in India.
ACC 2012
An important event held last month was ACC 2012, the International Conference on Advances in Cloud Computing held at Bangalore. This event showcased the technological developments in one of the most talked-about technologies in the recent past, Cloud Computing. The event attracted signicant participation. Congratulations are due to Dr. Anirban Basu and the other team members of CSI Bangalore Chapter who were able to successfully organize this Conference.
Student Chapter Handbook

I am happy to report that, in order to provide the student branches with a comprehensive framework to enable the formation, operationalization, mission delivery and reporting, CSI Education Directorate and the National Student Coordinator have prepared a brief presentation and handbook, which can be accessed at http:/ /www.csi-india.org/web/csi/1330
Smart Computing
As I write this piece, there are news of crippling power breakdowns across much of the country, affecting a reported 600 million people. Although it is the rst time in a decade that a disruption of this magnitude is being reported, in terms
With best wishes, Satish Babu President
Editorial
Rajendra M Sonar, Achuthsankar S Nair, Debasish Jana and Jayshree Dhere

Editors
Dear Fellow CSI Members,

India had her tryst with computing more than half a century ago. Unlike the present when the cyberpace brings in a wave of homogenising, the early years of computing evolved differently in different parts of the world. The HEC and URAL in Kolkata and the MINSK down south in Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre were key triggers of the early computing age in India. The present IT community of India may not be aware of the great challenges faced by the professionals in the yester years. As a matter of curiosity, as a matter of taking stock, as a matter of paying tributes to early contributors, this issue of CSI Communications features the theme of "History of Computing in India". The editors were overwhelmed with a large number of contributions, most of which were unique. We have therefore decided to continue with the theme in selected future issues. This issue rightly features "Computing in Kolkata - Strolling Down Memory Lane" as the cover story. Dr. Debasish Jana has compiled a comprehensive picture of the Kolkata computing scene of 1950s and 1960s. The computing saga at ISI of course marks the glorious beginning of Indian computing. It features the prole of early pioneers associated with the Kolkata computing scene. Jana to mark the occasion. Under Technical Trends section the article curiously titled "Let's do Less" by Hareesh Nampoothiri introduces the latest open source CSS dynamic language LESS. Another article we present in Technical Trends section is "Near Field Communication and Changing Airline Passenger's Travel Experience" by Nemil Sheriff and Diptiman Dasgupta of IBM.
As a matter of curiosity, as a matter of taking stock, as a matter of paying tributes to early contributors, this issue of CSI Communications features the theme of "History of Computing in India". The editors were overwhelmed with a large number of contributions, most of which were unique. We have therefore decided to continue with the theme in selected future issues.
Practitioner Workbench column has a section titled Programming.Tips() and it provides a write-up by Prof. Wallace Jacob on different usage of main(), scanf() and printf() functions. The other section called Programming.Learn("Python") under Practitioner Workbench covers guidelines on "GUI Design using Python". In his series of articles about Managing Technology in the CIO Perspective column, Dr. R M Sonar has written about Business Information Systems: IT Infrastructure and Services. CIO Perspective column is also enriched with an article by Dr. Anil Vaidya on Digital World Beckons Marketers!!! Information Security section of the Security Corner feature has an interesting article on Software IPR in India, which throws light on the kind of protection to provided to software as intellectual property in our country. Another section called IT Act 2000 under Security Corner comes with a write-up by Mr. Subramaniam Vutha, wherein he explains key challenges in the context of electronic commerce or electronic contracts. HR column is enriched with an article on Demystifying the Assessment in the World of Work by Ambereen Pradhan, who is Director of Energia Welllbeing Pvt. Ltd. As usual there are other regular features such as Brain Teaser, Ask an Expert and Happenings@ICT. CSI Reports and CSI News section provide event details of various regions, SIGs, chapters and student branches. Please note that we welcome your feedback, contributions and suggestions at csic@csi-india.org. With warm regards, Rajendra M Sonar, Achuthsankar S Nair, Debasish Jana and Jayshree Dhere Editors
The HEC and URAL in Kolkata and the MINSK down south in Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre were key triggers of the early computing age in India. The present IT community of India may not be aware of the great challenges faced by the professionals in the yester years.
Down south, a few years later, the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre started its initiatives with a Russian MINSK computer. To give a real taste of the challenges faced in those ages, we reproduce a 1985 article by a CSI member, Er V K Mohanan, who was instrumental in producing graphic output with a crude digital computer. He produced a typesetting system which could set maths symbols and also Malayalam text. We hope that the article "Software Techniques in Computer Graphic Technology" gives the young IT professional an opportunity to contrast the present with the past. "Challenges in Early days of Programming in IBM 360 - An Introspection" by Ms. Jayalakshmy M and "MINSK at Space Center - A Nostalgic Flashback" by R Narayanan are both articles that further give a glimpse of early computing at the Space Centre. The CSI President Sathish Babu who was a pioneer in popularising IT in the modern times shares his memories about a public email facility that he initiated in 1990s, in the article "FishNet: An Early Experience with Email". We have not been able to do justice to the theme as we realise it is really very vast. We hope to cover more ground in coming issues focusing on the same theme. Alan Turing is being remembered all over the world this year as it is his centenary year. We have the article "In Rememberance of Alan Turing, the Father of Computer Science" by Dr Debasish
www.csi-india.org
Cover Story
Dr. Debasish Jana

Chairman, CSI Kolkata Chapter; Editor, CSI Communications
Computing in Kolkata - Strolling Down Memory Lane

The memories of punch card puts me in the history lane, although history as a subject was too repelling for me in school days, and used to drag my marks down in schools. As time passes by, memories of the past as well as knowing the history of things, places, events become so sweet, so pounding, motions get dragged by emotions. In Rabindranath Tagores words, Purano shei diner kotha, bhulbi ki re, haay o shei, chokher dekha, Praner kotha, shei ki bhola jaay? aay aar ek ti baar aay re shokha, praner maajhe aay mora, shukher dukher kotha kobo, praan judabe taai (The memories of the good old days, can you ever forget them? They were witnessed by our eyes, were the voice of our life, Can they ever be forgotten? Come back once more, my friend, come and be a part of my life. We will talk of smiles and tears, and will feel very good about it). Last June, I completed 25 years (silver jubilee) since graduating in Computer Science from Jadavpur University. We were the third batch of undergraduate Engineering in Computer Science Jawaharlal Nehru, Prime Minister of India visited ISI in Machine from this University. Unbelievable! So many years have passed by. We had One Regional Computer Tabulation Unit P C Mahalanobis, Pandit Jwaharlal Nehru Centre (RCC) that used to meet the computing need of the University as well as for the local & K C Poddar on 1954 (Photo courtesy: Reprography and Photography Unit, ISI Kolkata) industries and corporates because almost none had an in-house infrastructure back in mid-80s. In the RCC, we had two windows, one labeled as "Input" and other labeled as "Output". In Input window, we used to submit our deck of punch cards containing program in Fortran or Cobol or Algol or PDP-11 Assembly. I was an expert in reading punch card holes to decipher the character punched in a column. And I remember, when we were not allowed to punch ourselves, the punch card operator who was familiar with COBOL syntax used to correct our assembly statement written as MOV command by MOVE, thinking it was a spelling mistake. And, we had to re-punch those cards. Later, we were allowed to punch ourselves. After submitting the deck of cards to Input, we had to wait at least 3-4 hours (sometimes more) to get the output (in 132 column line printer sheets) from the Output window. Since so much waiting time to see the output coming in, we had hardly any option to write incorrect programs. So, automatically, our programming skills were forced to be better, one mistake (syntax or logical) could lose so much time that we couldnt afford. In Hindu mythology, it is believed that Goddess Durga was created from collective energies of all the Gods. She got her weapons from various Gods: trident from Rudra, discus from Vishnu, thunderbolt from Indra, kamandalu from Brahma, ratnahar from Kuber etc. Computer Science course and syllabus were designed from collective synergy of several different elds, electronics, mathematics, physics, mechanics, and many others. While trying to collate memories from several thought leaders, pioneers, sweet and sour old recollections churned down memory lane, we present here their personal reminiscences that had captured the emotions and of course historical footprints for computing in Kolkata, some told and some untold earlier. Lets get straight from the mouth of the horse, the Gurus and disciples of computing in Eastern India: I'll tell you a tale strange but true, Sir, And you can believe it or not, But I swear every word, Sir, is Gospel, A liar is one thing I'm not! I'll relate the events as they 'appened, A singular tale you'll agree... (from The Fisherman's Tale by Paul Wilkinson)
Glimpsing through Early Days of Computers in Kolkata

Devaprasanna Sinha
Fellow, Computer Society of India; Formerly, Director, Cad Cam Consultants Pvt Ltd and Former Chairman, Computer Society of India, Kolkata Chapter
Kolkata (the then Calcutta), being the capital of British India, can boast not merely of few rsts in India, like trams, metros but is well-known for its pioneering roles and innovative projects in arts, sciences, social work, and politics. Pursuits in Kolkata in Computer Science and technology may well claim for such an enviable status. It is, however, not too well-known that computer age dawned in Kolkata when the rst analog computer was fabricated out of surplusmaterials at the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), Kolkata in 1950 with its early use primarily with solution of simultaneous linear equations. Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanabis, the architect of ISI, could realize in those days the tremendous potentials of the fast and massive computational capabilities that would open up the electronic era. As early as in 1953, the ISI had mounted its own models on research efforts in this direction. But technology overseas moved faster and ISI went for a purchase as well. British Tabulating Machines (BTM) agreed to sell their machine, called HEC-2M (Hollerith Electronic Computer model 2M) to ISI but would not undertake either to install or commission it or to maintain it in India. Two engineers, Mr Mohi Mukherji and Mr Amaresh Roy were recruited for this purpose. HEC-2M became operational
by end August 1955. By the end of 1959, the URAL-1, the second such machine from USSR was in operation. Prior to HEC-2M and URAL-1, there were large number of electromechanical DP machines from IBM, Hollerith (UK) and Powersemes (UK). These have been largely used in statistical work and government work in National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO). It is to be mentioned that activity in the area of electronic computer development started in India in 1954 at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) where the design of a pilot model general purpose computer became operational in 1956 and subsequently a fullscape version in 1960. This machine named TIFRAC was in operation till 1964 and many early users of the computer in the country had the opportunities of their initial experiences on it. The TIFRAC project was carried out in the rst generation computer and was built with electronic hardware of the time, namely, vacuum tubes, semiconductor bodies and ferrite core memory. The rst attempt in India for the development of a general purpose second generation computer was undertaken jointly by the Indian Statistical Institute and Jadavpur University in Kolkata in 1963. This was a system that was cost limited but reasonably
fast and versatile, incorporating features of the time. The system became operational in 1966 and christened as ISIJU-1, after the names of the two institutions. A number of graduate students became involved in the project. ISIJU-1 has been used for a fairly long period on teaching in programming, computer circuit design as well as performing research problems of moderate size on the limitations arising from limited memory size. Upto the mid-60s, electronic computers were being used in India only in a few educational institutions of advanced learning. They were too complicated for use on a large scale in the Indian industrial and commercial environment of those days. It was only after when IBM marketed their highly successful second generation computer of the 1400 series in India, large business houses started using them for their commercial data processing work. Automation activities such as the large scale of computers in business was initially routine clerical work - pay bill, accounts ledger, issue of shares, inventory control, and accounting and the like. The white collar employees felt threatened that computer would replace them all. The management did nothing to allay the fears of workers and politicians found an issue which was, rightly or wrongly, felt to be a question of life and death day by many. Thus sprang up a very strong anti-automation agitation of white-collar workers which was partially successful in Kolkata, not allowing installation of electronic computers anywhere for the purpose. One remembers the violent opposition by the trade union leaders against the installation of CESC computer in late 1960s. Indifferent attitude by the state government over more than three decades undoubtedly made it clear that Kolkata has apparently missed the bus. Neverheless, in the education and training areas, posts were advertised for trainees in 1953 at ISI. Those were the rst computer posts in India, apart from traditional disciplines like applied mathematics or electrical engineering. Mid-60s saw many IBM and ICL installations in companies like Bata, Dunlop, Union Carbide, HMV, Hind Motor etc. and a large number of applications written in Autocoder and Plan had been developed. The rst organizational meeting was held at IBM Educational Centre at Faridabad, Delhi where sixteen representatives from seven computer establishments attended the meeting and the All India Computer Users Group (AICUG) was constituted. The AICUG held its rst meeting at IIT Kanpur on December 18, 1964. The Group from ISI was also involved in the formation of Computer Users Group in this part o the country and met frequently in a number of meetings at ISI and other organizations. On 18th December,
1964, it was decided to rename AICUG as the Computer Society of India to broaden the scope of the group. Kolkata hosted the rst Annual Convention (then called Meeting) of Computer Society of India at Indian Statistical Institute in Kolkata from 15-17 December, 1965 with the theme An Ideal Computer Map in India. Compared to CSI Convention today, this was a rather tame affair, with hardly fty participants with representations from all corners of India and from many areas of applications - scientic research, defense, economic planning, education, business, and industry. Since 1982, all the chapters of the Society are celebrating 15th December as the Computer Day every year for promoting the computer awareness amongst every citizen of the country. Kolkata Chapter also organized the Silver Jubilee Convention in Kolkata in 1990. Professor Jogabrata Roy, ISI, was the Chairman of CSI Kolkata Chapter. Past chairmen of CSIKC till eighties include Prof J V Ranga Rao, Mr J S Kalotra, Dr C A Verghese, Prof D Dutta Majumder, Mr A K Ghosh, Mr N K Roy, Mr Amal Roy, Mr P B Ghosh and Prof A N Daw. Obviously, the names listed here are not an exhaustive ones. There were many members in different capacities who served the Society at all levels during that time and later, as well. It may not be out of place to mention that the Indian Society for Automation & Information Sciences (ISAIS) was formed, way back in 1962, after the Conference on Automation and Computer Scientists of India in 1962 in BIT Sindri, possibly the rst Conference of computer scientists in India. ISAIS could carry out some activities in the region among research groups but after the formation of CSI, it did not pursue further activities. IITs started Computer Science departments way back in the 1960s. In Kolkata, Oneyear Diploma Full Computer Course in two different streams, namely, Hardware and Software was started in ISI and JU in 1968. Jadavpur University would become the rst University to start Computer Science as a subject in the undergraduate course. School of Computer Research was formed under the able guidance of distinguished professors at ISI, JU, CU, IIT Kharagpur, IIM Kolkata, B E College on different areas of specialization not only in theoretical aspects but also on applied research and projects also undertaken by RCC, Kolkata. Regional Computer Centre (RCC), Kolkata was set up in 1976 with the installation of Burroughs 6738 computer system to provide the high-end computing facilities in the Eastern Region. One can also mention in this connection that Concordance works on the literary works of Rabindranath were started way back in early 1970s, possibly the rst in India, before similar works undertaken elsewhere and the Multimedia Rabindranath project in mid-90s.
Reminiscences of Computing: Infrastructure and Practice

Nirajit Kanta Roy
Fellow, Computer Society of India; Formerly, EDP Manager, Bata India Limited; Former Chairman, Computer Society of India, Kolkata Chapter
Way back in 1953, I attended a course as a Trainee in Unit Record Machines (URM) at ISI, Kolkata. And in course of time, got acquainted myself with the panel wiring of various applications. At that time, there was a system called Powersemes. Many applications were done using URM. We learnt that and spent almost 24 hours at ISI. I still remember the 45 column card punch. I joined Union Carbide caused by a vacancy there again on unit record systems. I had a mastery over panel wiring at that time, and soon after, offered a post in Bata India Limited. I still remember those old places and offices and some names with whom I worked with in that period. At Bata, with tabulator, collator, I did redesign our applications and with the installation of IBM 1401, the most popular computer in the commercial environment at that time, we developed many
application systems using Autocoder. We did install the computer in the EDP department as a separate unit at Kolkata and not in the factory for obvious reasons prevailing at that time. In those days, we made a direct changeover of our systems, not even a pilot run. We implemented the systems and then ultimately accepted by the trade unions. Applications like invoicing was taken earlier, then payroll, and we went to use IBM 1401 system at ISI to test the programs, as our installation was not ready at that time. It took huge time to build the conversion/migration work with accuracy and human effort, as well. During eighties, I was responsible for implementation and installation of many application systems all over India like Faridabad using yesteryears computers TDC-316, HCL Horizon and other systems.
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Reminiscences of Computing: Education, Teaching, and Practice

Debabrata Ghosh Dastidar
Fellow, Computer Society of India; Formerly, Professor, Jadavpur University, Kolkata
I was in IIT Kanpur from 1965 to 1967. Prior to that, I was doing my PhD in a branch of applied mechanics. I became interested in computers and attended a computer course there in 1964 which lasted for two weeks. This was attended by 40 participants from different parts of India. Five IBM 1620 computer systems were installed at that time at IIT Kanpur, IIT Kharagpur and other places. Prof Harry D Huskey, who formed the Computer Users Group with Mr Bijay Kumar Chatterjee later, was one of the visiting professors at IIT Kanpur. Professors from American universities and institutes used to come at IIT Kanpur at that time. I remember Prof. Kesavan and Prof. Rajaraman were there in the Computer Centre. We were taught FORGO and FORTRAN II to help research workers to solve their problems, I took tutorial class in the course for the research workers in the centre. I still remember the machine was so hardy that it worked for 24 hours. We had to work at nights on
several occasions. The machine was shut only because of weekly maintenance of air-conditioner system. IBM 7044, a powerful computer at that time, was installed later at IIT Kanpur. After a brief period in Department of Mathematics at Jadavpur University, I joined in the Electronics & Telecommunication Department of Jadavpur University. At that time, in the Compute Centre under the Department, Post Graduate Diploma of Computer Science was stared in 1968 in two groups - hardware and software. We had to send our students to IIT Kharagpur and University of Calcutta to test their programs on IBM 1620 and IBM 1130 respectively. Students after obtaining their diploma joined in different companies. We also visited other computer installations in Kolkata like Union Carbide, Kulgian, Indian Oxygen to test ALGOL, COBOL, and other programs. There were many colleagues in these days. I may recall Asish Sen, Prabhat Kumar Mitra, Bimal Chanda and Ajay Kumar Majhi.
Reminiscences of Computing: Education, Infrastructure, Teaching, and Practice

Mohit Kumar Roy
Formerly, Professor, Jadavpur University, Kolkata; Former Chairman, Computer Society of India, Kolkata Chapter
After obtaining my MSc degree in Applied Mathematics from the University of Calcutta, I agreed to join to do computational work at ISI, Kolkata at the request of our teacher Professor Parimal Kanti Ghosh. I learnt machine language programming on HEC-2M and URAL machines. Thats my initial exposure and computational experience. I remember that I was initially assigned the work to calculate the trajectories of ballistic missile using computer. At that time, Prof. Samrendra Kumar Mitra, Prof. Prabhat Kumar Mitra, Prof. Biswajit Nag, amongst others, were there. Project ISIJU-1 was mooted at that time, the rst second generation indigenous computer. In 1963-64, courses on computers were organized at IIT Kanpur under the IndoAmerican program. I, from ISI, along with others, was in the second course. Prof. Harry D Huskey, Prof. Acton and Prof. Rabinowiecz taught us on different aspects of computer and related areas like numerical analysis and methods. There I heard the word assembly language for the rst time and later, high level language. Programs were written by us in assembly language to solve the computational problems for a host of research workers in different disciplines. I remember that
one-year diploma course on computers were introduced in 1965 that lasted for one year only. I taught in that course. Along with computational experience, I started to acquire teaching experience there. After a brief stint at ICL Limited, I joined the newly formed Computer Centre of the Department of Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering at Jadavpur University in 1968 to teach PG Diploma course in Computer Science. At the All India level, every year 10 students from software and 10 from hardware joined this one-year program. Many students passed from this course before the degree course was instituted in the university in early 1980s. Prof. J S Chatterjee, the then Head of the Department, told me to pursue research in computer science. I got my PhD in 1978 on data structures. I read a paper in the First CSI Convention held at Kolkata in 1965. On deputation, I spent a few years at the Regional Computer Centre, Kolkata in the early days of Burroughs 6738 system, involved myself not only in various teaching assignments but also in many government and commercial projects with my co-workers, before my joining as Professor of Computer Science at Jadavpur University.
IT Scenario in Seventies and Early Eighties, Contribution of RCC

Aditya Bagchi
Professor, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata
During the 70s of the last millennium, computing facilities available in Kolkata hardly matched with the growing demands in commercial, industrial, government, and academic sectors. Most of the commercial applications were running in old IBM 1401 systems using assembly language like AUTOCODER. There were very few computers even for running applications developed using COBOL. Situation in academic sectors was no better. Only facility available in Kolkata was an IBM 1130 system at the University of Calcutta. On the other hand, demands for good computing facility were steadily increasing. Even political apathy towards computerization was gradually waning since both central and state governments started realizing that processing huge data generated in different areas of government activities can hardly be handled
manually. On the other hand, there was no computer manufacturing facility available in the country. Only resort was to import computers from Europe or USA, which was very expensive for most of the academic and commercial organizations. Realizing this growing need and consequent market pressure, Dept. of Electronics (now, Dept. of IT), Govt. of India decided to open Regional Computer Centres in collaboration with the state governments as well as commercial sectors. First Regional Computer Centre (RCC) started functioning in Kolkata in January 1977 with a Burrows 6700 system installed at the Jadavpur University campus. Later another RCC was also established in Chandigarh. RCC in Kolkata was established as a joint effort of Dept. of Electronics, Govt. of India, Govt. of West Bengal, and UGC. Vice-Chancellor of Jadavpur University was the Chairman
of the council of RCC as UGC representative. Establishment of this Regional Computer Centre had far reaching consequences. 1. It was the rst multiprogramming facility available in the eastern region of the country. So, it started catering as a computing facility to many users concurrently. The demand grew so fast, that RCC authority soon had to start operating round the clock. 2. A relatively lower rate of charging for academic users, encouraged researchers to use the RCC facilities rather than going to TIFR or IIT, Chennai. They even started procuring special purpose packages from abroad and donating them to RCC for installation. 3. Users from commercial and industrial sectors found it a very useful facility and started developing new applications which were not possible in the AUTOCODER environment. Large-scale simulation and different optimization oriented applications became possible. 4. A very important impact of RCC is in establishing online computational facility through terminals. An experimental link was provided at Mecon, Ranchi. The connection was a combination of ordinary telephone line, coaxial cables, and microwave link. Link failure was
quite frequent. Bit dropping was very high. Reliable communication could be made only at around 300 bps. However, users started believing that computer can be used even without punching cards. 5. The greatest impact of RCC was possibly in generating general computer and computational awareness. It started offering courses at different levels, participated by college students to retired professionals. It even arranged visits by school students to see and experience a real-life computational facility. RCC even arranged courses at different locations in the eastern region. Ultimately, RCC started a one-year diploma course in Computer Science. In short, RCC, Kolkata made a signicant contribution in developing future professionals, encouraged different user communities to try and accept new and challenging areas of applications hitherto unexplored and above all, had a very positive impact in developing computer awareness in the society. From mid-80s onward, microprocessor-based systems started entering the market and computational facility became inexpensive. PCs rst entered the offices and then to drawing rooms and establishment like RCC lost its demand.
Foundation of Information and Computing Technology (ICT) in India and role of Indian Statistical Institute (ISI)
Dwijesh Dutta Majumder
Professor Emeritus, Electronics and Communication Sciences Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata Emeritus Scientist, CSIR and Director, Institute of Cybernetics Systems and Information Technology
The rst Electronic Digital Computer HEC-2M was installed in 1956 in the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), and the subsequent one Russian Machine URAL-1 in 1958. I joined the skeleton of an Electronics Laboratory in ISI after my MSc (Tech) Exam in the then newly started Radio-Physics Electronics in 1955 (practical exam was yet to take place). After seeing a news item in a Calcutta newspaper in which Prof. P C Mahalanobis (PCM) was showing an incomplete Analog Computer to the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. I met Professor Mahalanobis who gave me a detailed lecture on the importance of computer for developmental planning in India, and asked me to join the computer laboratory yet to be formed. ISI did develop one small ten by ten matrix solver, not fully complete though, in 1954. After my joining in 1955 we started R&D in Digital Computers about which we knew very little except a few reports received from abroad. After an intensive successful R&D in 50s & 60s on magnetic drum memory and tiny toroidal core memories, we in collaboration with Jadavpur University developed the rst solid state Computer ISIJU-I, and TIFR in the same period developed TIFRAC-I with vacuum tubes - which were the rst two digital computers in India. TIFR transferred its computer technology and ISI transferred its memory technology to ECIL that started developing TDC12, 16 etc. But both ISI and TIFR stopped hardware research and concentrated on advanced level applications with nonnumerical information processing namely pattern recognition (speech, speaker, and pictures), image processing, computer vision, and articial intelligence. ISI developed internationally recognized SoftComputing R&D groups, (Fuzzy Logic, ANN, Genetic Algorithms etc.). TIFR concentrated on Theoretical Computer Science. In late 1970s, ISI developed some very signicant theoretical and applied research program on Cybernetics & Systems theory. The decade of 80s was very signicant both from National & International developments in the elds of ICT. In 1980 at the 8th World Computer congress in Tokyo, Japanese
scientists presented a Fifth Generation knowledgebased Computing (FGCS/KBCS) Program indicating that up to 4th Generation both PCs and large-scale computers were number-crunching machines, but for human decision-making process in the society, science, health care and industry - what is needed is about 70% nonnumerical information processing (pictures images, speech, language etc.), and 30% number-crunching problems. Coming back to India, some of us tried our best to convince the then Government Departments DOE & DST, about the need for taking national-level KBCS/FGCS projects. The other important event that occurred in India was that in 1984. Shri. Rajiv Gandhi became the Prime Minister with an ambition to make India a powerful computerized modern nation. The new computer policy of 1984 was announced within 19 days of Shri. Gandhis assumption of Prime-Ministers office liberating the shackled potential of Indian IT. Shri. Rajiv Gandhi also believed effectiveness of the power of R&D in shaping the destiny of a nation. In 1985, DOE launched the famous KBCS/FGCS project following the style of Japans and UKs ELVY projects, involving ISI, TIFR, IISc & IIT (Madras). ISI became the Centre of Excellence with myself as the national coordinator in the areas of Pattern Recognition, Image Processing, Computer vision, & AI; TIFR with Prof. P V S Rao as the national coordinator started research work in the areas of speech & language processing; IISc (Bangalore) with Prof. Raja Raman as the national coordinator concentrated in the areas of parallel processing. Prof H.N. Malabala of IIT (Madras) was the national coordinator in the areas of Expert System Development. There was an apex committee with all these national coordinators as members and Dr. N Seshagiri was the Chairman of the Apex committee. The project had substantial amount of foreign exchange for the travel & training of the young scientists learning in each of the national centers to different International centers of excellence like MIT, Stanford, Maryland, Oxford, Cambridge, Michigan etc. in respective areas, and about 50 young scientists were trained.
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In collaboration with the FGCS/KBCS program, the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) was established for the development of parallel and Supercomputing facilities, and the Centre for Development of Telecommunications (C-DOT) was established for the modernization of Telecommunications with Mr. Sam Pitroda as in-charge. It may be mentioned here that, though the UKs ELVY project and Japans FGCS/KBCS program continued for 15 years, Indias FGCS/KBCS was stopped only after ve years - may be because the emphasis did change from R&D and advanced-level teaching & training to market forces after the untimely demise of
Rajiv Gandhi. It may be mentioned that Dr. N. Seshagiri played a crucial role in shaping Indias IT policy for about 50 years. Two other names that must be mentioned in connection with Indias phenomenal growth of Software Industry are Wipros Azim Premji and TCSs F C Kohli. I have come across in the recent past that Fakirchand Kohli is campaigning for hardware and microelectronics. In this connection I may mention that I shall not be surprised if nanoelectronics becomes the driving force in the Web-based ICT Industry of the world.
About A Forgotten Pioneer: Prof. Arun Kumar Chaudhuri

Subho Chaudhuri
Dept. of Computer Science & Engineering, Birla Institute of Technology Mesra, Kolkata Campus
Prof. Chaudhuri did his BE in Electrical Engineering at University of Calcutta, ME in Electronics & Telecommunication Engg., with specialization in Computer Engineering at Jadavpur University. He has over 25 years of teaching experience in the areas of Computer Architecture & Organization, Operating Systems, Digital Logic, Compiler Design, Computer Graphics The scientic history of India is replete with names who have not been given their due recognition and honor - mainly because of negligence and apathy. One name that immediately comes to mind is the multifaceted persona of the late Prof. Arun Kumar Chaudhuri (DSc). He was one of the founder teachers of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur when it was set up in 1951. At that time he was instrumental in designing and implementing the rst analogue computer in India, which was at that time the
state-of-the-art. His name unfortunately now is a forgotten one, even at IIT (KGP). He was also an important member of the team under late Prof. Meghnad Saha, which designed the electron microscope at Rajabazar Science College, probably the rst in India. He retired from Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata. His research interests are represented through publications scattered over a large number of international journals on subjects ranging from analog computation, control theory, to applied & pure mathematics, to physics, to mechanical engineering, to electrical engineering, and of course in the areas of management. In fact being the rst to theorize and solve the mathematical intricacies of third-order servomechanism, he came to be known as ThirdOrder Chaudhuri in the Control Theory community. He had told this correspondent a few years before his death that he could visualize a solution to Fermats Last Theorem, which alas was not to be. Born in Kolkata on the 23rd of June, 1924, he breathed his last, an unsung pioneer, on 12th of May, 2002.
Russian Hollerith Company: Punch card machine installed by Russians engineers in ISI on, 20.07.1956 (Photo courtesy: Reprography and Photography Unit, ISI Kolkata)
Russian Delegation at ISI, in 1956 (Photo courtesy: Reprography and Photography Unit, ISI Kolkata)
Dr. S Bhagavartan, scientic advisor of defense minister in ISI on 22.01.1966 (Photo courtesy: Reprography and Photography Unit, ISI Kolkata)
It was a second generation advanced machine that was transistordriven, at Jadavpur by Chagla and others, on 18.03.1966 (Photo courtesy: Reprography and Photography Unit, ISI Kolkata)
First CSI Convention 1965, Kolkata, Dr. Dwijesh Dutta Majumder explaining to the delegates
CSI Annual Convention Committee in CSI-1994: Standing (from left) : Mr. D Roy, Mr. R Datta Gupta, Mr. D P Sinha, Mr. S Bandyopadhayay, Mr. D Sinha, Mr. A Mukherjee and Sitting (from left): Mr. M K Roy, Mr. N K Roy, Mr. S Chatterjee, Mr. A Deb, Mr. D Ghoshdastidar (Source: Inside Back Page of CSI 94 Commemorative Volume)
Mr. J Roy, ISI seen with Mr. Michael Lackner during First CSI Convention 1965, Calcutta
Exhibition of books at First CSI Convention 1965, Kolkata
Transistor-driven computer. In collaboration with the Indian Statistical Institute, the university developed the ISIJU, India s rst indigenously made it. 1966 (Photo courtesy: Reprography and Photography Unit, ISI Kolkata)
Views from Disciples made in Jadavpur University

Views from Ramanuj Bhattacharya, rst Batch in BE (Computer Science), Jadavpur University
Ramanuj Bhattacharya did BE and ME in Computer Science and Engg (1985 and 1987), MBA from Univ. of Chicago (1999), PMP from PMI. He started his professional career in 1987 in India and moved to the US in 1991. He has worked for several large US companies including CSC, Sears, PWC, and IBM. Few critical projects include - PMO manager for Sears/Kmart merger ($55 Billion), Strategic transformation of $2 Billion Sears Home Services Business, IT Strategy and Procurement transformation for Blue chip Canadian and US clients with signicant bottom line impact.
In 1981, I joined 21 other students to start my journey into the 4-year BE course in Computer Science and Engineering at Jadavpur University. It was a brand-new course at the University and in the region in 1981. Additionally, everything was also new for me - the city of Kolkata, the Kolkatans, the University, engineering curriculum, and most importantly the magical world of Computer Science. I joined the course because the name sounded very interesting and appeared to be shrouded in untold mysteries. When I started, I got tons of free and friendly advice about computers in general and a long scary list of dos and donts. Everybody I knew was very knowledgeable about computers (except me) even though they had never seen one in their lives. So, most of the advisers had pity on me. Keep in mind that personal computers had not reached India at that time as it was being launched in US in 1981. Anyway, I am glad to say that none of their advice was useful and their predictions never became a reality. We had the opportunity to learn from a fantastic group of Computer Science Professors at the Jadavpur University and it was denitely one of the best programs in the country at that time. These professors were very experienced and knowledgeable. They also exhibited sincere devotion to teaching and genuine care for the students. The quality of the students was also very high in our class. The curriculum was brand-new with ambitious goals and there was equal emphasis on both hardware and software. Although the eld of computers is much more varied and advanced today, the concepts I learnt there are still valid and useful and make me stand tall even today. Although a lot of institutions are teaching computers in India today, we must recognize the fact that Jadavpur University was a pioneer in spreading the knowledge of computers and its practical use at that early age in India. When I look back today, I get amused with the then state of technology. We learnt programming by submitting programs in punch cards at the Regional Computer Center (on Burroughs 6700) which was situated within the University campus. What a pain it was to replace a wrongly punched card from a deck of cards when the program didnt run after waiting for several hours. In friendly ghts, a big punishment was to mix-up the deck of opponents punch cards. Later on we got access to monochrome terminals which were a big relief. I saw the rst PC with dual oppy disk in 1984-85 which made life much easier and a new era of video games started. We also learnt about basic electronic circuits, computer hardware, and Intel 8085 microprocessors. It really amazes me when I think about the changes in technology, the overall transformation, and the impact of technology in our daily lives. I am not
embarrassed to admit today that my 10-year-old son knows more about 1 computers and other gadgets (like iPhone, IPad etc.) than I do and often he teaches me new tricks. I should also mention that a lot of private concerns were coming up in the early 1980s in order to teach basic computer skills to the young generation who were looking for a job. It was a common joke that time that if one failed to get a job in other areas after best attempt, one started learning computers as the last resort. Some people viewed me as unsuccessful in nding a good job and had pity on me that I was studying computers. Common people didnt understand the difference between the graduates in Computer Science and somebody who took a data entry class for 3-6 months. I am mentioning this just to make the reader familiar of the state of computer awareness in Kolkata and other parts of India. When we passed out in 1985, there was immense demand for the freshly minted graduates. I can remember I got offers from TIFR, ISRO, and several private companies. However, I decided to continue my masters degree in Computer Science and Engineering at the University (again the rst batch at the Masters level). This course required undergraduate degree in Computer Science and Engineering. I was also working as a research associate at the CAD project funded by UNDP and teaching computer courses at a private institute during that time. In 1987, I took up a full-time job in Kolkata. Today, I am proud that I had the opportunity to be a part of the rst generation of IT revolution in India. In 1987, three months after taking up a job, I was deputed to a sister concern in Philadelphia. The concept of bringing in cheap Indian labor force to US was new to many including me and I unknowingly became part of the next revolution that was going to be an important chapter of the Indian IT industry. My US coworkers were impressed with my skills I learnt at the Jadavpur University and soon realized that Indian programmers were no less qualied than their US counterparts if not better. Gradually, many more Indians arrived in the US and quickly won over the respect and trust from the US companies with their hard work, commitment, and can-do attitude. I saw this massive, turbulent revolution and its impact on the US socioeconomic fabric from the very beginning and the slow ascendance of Indians from low-cost laborers to board room consultants; but, its a different story for another day. I have been in the US for the last 21 years. Today, I focus on providing strategic, transformational services by synthesizing Business and Technology Strategies to very large global companies in the US and Canada. Although, I had to get an MBA from a top US University to complement my technical skills, I still consider the education and learning I had at Jadavpur University as the bedrock of my professional foundation. The journey I started 31 years ago at Jadavpur is still going strong and I hope this will continue into the future. I also would like to mention that majority of my classmates and juniors have been more successful than me and have helped tremendously behind the scene to bring on the IT revolution in India in their own way as it stands today. I end my write up with these nal words - Thank you very much Jadavpur University and all my professors, class mates, my juniors at Jadavpur and staff for making me successful and proud. My heartfelt love and respect go out to you all.
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Angshuman Guha, Principal Engineer, Yandex Labs, California, USA
Suprateek Sarker, Professor, Washington State University, USA
(Angshuman Guha did BE in CS from JU, 1983-1987. He worked on handwriting recognition for 11 years at Microsoft and then he was at Google for 5 years doing web search, book search, and conversion prediction for ads.) I wrote my rst program in BASIC, punching it on a stack of cards using a Hollerith puncher and submitting it for batch execution on a Burroughs 6700 mainframe. The problem was to nd each 3-digit integer that equals the sum of cubes of its digits. My teacher, Mohit K Roy, had given us the rst number, but how many such numbers existed was an exciting unknown to me. His enthusiasm still infects me after 25 years. He taught us two more programming languages that rst year Fortran and COBOL. I spent long happy hours debugging my implementation of the Towers of Hanoi (recursion!) with a pen on the back of dot-matrix printouts of unsuccessful batch runs. Despite my hero Dikjstras warning against anthropomorphization of programming, I have to admit that pretending to be the computer was excellent training for a career in computer science. I graduated without C and OOP, almost without PCs, and with my usual Indian sense of inadequacy. The rst few weeks at my American university were lled with a dread of being found out and expelled, until I realized I had received a worldclass education that prepared me more than adequately for tackling what lay ahead. The price of that education was a mere pittance, as my mother Anindya Banerjee, would point out: India Professor, Madrid Institute for educated me, only to see Advanced Studies, Spain me immediately leave (Anindya Banerjee did BE in CS from JU, on the brain drain 1983-1987, later earned his PhD from Kansas train. State University and was a postdoctoral fellow at the Ecole Polytechnique, Paris, and the University of Aarhus, Denmark. Before Madrid Institute, he was 7, c Professor of Computing and Information Sciences at Kansas 1 f State University and Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Stevens Institute of Technology, USA).
(Suprateek Sarker, BCSE 87. MBA, MS, PhD is Philip Kays Distinguished Professor of Information Systems at Washington State University, Pullman. He also concurrently holds the University of London Chair of Technology and Information Management. Suprateek researches managerial implications of IT and has published in many leading journals and conferences. He is currently a Senior Editor of MIS Quarterly (the top-ranked research journal in MIS), and serves on editorial boards of many journals including Journal of MIS, Journal of the AIS, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, and IT & People). We were fortunate to study in our BCSE program with 29 other individuals, most with superior intellectual capability by any standards. As I look back at those days, I cannot help but think of the classmates who were gifted not only with brilliant minds but also with hearts of gold - ones who would have mathematical and technological insights beyond the grasp of most in the cohort around the country, and at the same time, would stand out as being the most giving, unselsh, and humble. Somehow, the JU BCSE culture attracted and nurtured such individuals. Many years have passed since our graduation, and in this period, I have met many successful scholars and business leaders in disciplines related to computing. I must say that my BCSE classmates, Samik Gupta, Vice President especially those who, through their actions more Engineering, Converged than 25 years ago, represented to me the best of Communication Processing, Mindspeed the intellectual and human qualities, remain Technologies, USA my idols from whom I continue to draw (Samik Gupta did his BE in Computer Sc & inspiration. One of these special Engg from Jadavpur University, Kolkata in 1987, individuals, Amitabha Dey is no having a rich 25+ years of experience in several IT more with us, but his unique industries) contribution to our educational experience at JU has not been and will never be forgotten. My earliest memory of the JU computer science department was writing BASIC programs in our rst semester. We punched cards on a machine that never had an inked ribbon and the line of code never printed at the top of the card. We held up 25 the card to the light and visually decoded the Hollerith code. ars Today we use IDEs that seem to almost write the code by a themselves and those card punch machines seem so archaic. Didn't seem that way back then - it felt like we were doing something incredibly special and cool. We were "programming" when most people had no idea what that was. That sense of wonder is what I remember most about my four years at JU. Our teachers had the foresight to develop a curriculum that covered all aspects of what makes a computer - from transistors to ip-ops to algorithms to communication theory. Each semester seemed to t in one more piece to the puzzle and helped me understand this thing called a computer (or "machine" as we sometimescalled it). Looking back after 25 years, I'm grateful for that Arobinda Gupta, education.
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Many fond memories of my time studying computer science at Jadavpur University (1983-1987) relate to the high-quality instruction imparted by Profs. Sukumar Ghosh, Debabrata Ghosh Dastidar, Shyamal Majumdar, Debidas Mukherjee, and Mohit Roy. Looking back, it is fair to say that I wasn't drawn to computer science during the rst couple of years at Jadavpur. At the end of the second year, it never ceased to surprise me how quickly the rst two years had vanished and how little problem-solving skills I had acquired. This was despite the fact that we had encountered excellent teachers along the way. (It was only years later I realized that "things take time".) Things started changing with Prof. Roy's data structures course in the rst semester of the third year. That course convinced me that there was something very deep and Professor, Department mathematical about computer science that went beyond simply making a program "work". of Computer Science & I suppose that semester was also the rst time we heard of Dijkstra, Hoare, Wirth, and other Engineering, IIT Kharagpur computer scientists. Amazingly, some of their books were also available in our departmental (Arobinda Gupta did his Bachelors and Masters in library. A few of us learnt to bribe our librarian, the evergreen Mr. Nirmal Dey, with cigarettes, so Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering from Jadavpur we could keep the books beyond the due date. University, Kolkata in the late 80s. He is currently a Professor in the That I chose to pursue research as a vocation was certainly aided by many discussions with Department of Computer Science & Engineering at IIT Kharagpur) the above core group of faculty, particularly Prof. Shyamal Majumder. I fondly recall the time when I borrowed a book on Mathematical Logic by Stephen Kleene from the departmental library. It was the mid-80s when we rst got the chance to program on a Prof. Majumder simply said that I had stumbled upon a "gold mine" and that I should "study the book". computer. The Burroughs mainframe in the Regional Computer Center He also made time every week to discuss the chapters of the book. At a certain point, he suggested that (RCC) located in Jadavpur University, Kolkata used to be the pride I meet one of the senior PhD students, Debasish Banerjee. Debasish da introduced me to the magic of of Eastern India in those days, with many companies and other programming language semantics and gave me a photocopy of one of the earliest books on the subject. I institutions depending on it for their IT and other computational have gone back to that book many a time in the intervening years and the photocopy still remains with me. needs. We being students were the less important users, and We were able to interact with Prof. Sukumar Ghosh only in the second semester of our nal year. The our interface to the vaunted machine was limited to two high quality of his operating systems lectures still remain a fond memory; that clarity and meticulousness windows, an "Input" window to submit our programs on a is something to which I still aspire. Debasish da was a student of Prof. Ghosh and had alerted me to the deck of punched cards, and an "Output" window to collect scholarship of some of the faculty in our department. Despite the paucity of resources, Profs. Roy and the printouts with the result at the end of the day. Well, Ghosh Dastidar had published in the Communications of the ACM and The Computer Journal. Prof. Ghosh that, and looking at the giant machine wishfully through had published in the Journal of the ACM. Moreover, we were very proud to discover that Prof. Ghosh had glass partitions, and just being jealous at the seemingly communicated a theorem to Dijkstra which became the topic of one of Dijkstra's famous EWD notes. superhuman CMC Engineers who got to walk around and Debasish da, himself, had published an article in the ACM TOPLAS; he had an uncanny ability to ask probing ddle with the machines; more so in the hot summer questions, to most of which I had no answers. months as the RCC oor where the machine was Finally, it was a great pleasure to share in the process of learning with my classmates. Not only did housed had the only air-conditioning around! they unknot many of my complicated reasoning processes, but also they opened my eyes to the world
rg fte
raduation
beyond computer science. I fondly remember our many discussions on theater, cinema, literature, politics, love, and the meaning of life. By a great stroke of fortune I have been able to retain contacts with a few of them over the past 25 years.
Article
V K Mohanan
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre Trivandrum, India
Software Techniques in Computer Graphic Technology

A 1985 article from V K Mohanan of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre which clearly indicates the enormous challenge of those days in producing graphic output and how the challenge was successfully faced by the clever engineers and scientists of our country. The new generation IT professionals may be able to appreciate the sophistication of the modern technology better with this contrast.
ABSTRACT: The objective of this paper is to present an overview of the basic software techniques used in computer graphic technology. Using this techniques a graphic software package called 'Typesetting and Graphic System' has been developed and implemented on the Cyber Computer at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Trivandrum. The general features Of this Software is also explained in this paper. INTRODUCTION The use of computer graphics is rapidly growing importance in the computer field. It has always been one of the most visually spectacular branches of computer technology. Computer graphics is also an extremely effective medium for communication between man and computer. The human eye can absorb the content of a displayed diagram or a perspective view faster than it can scan a table of numbers. GRAPHIC SYSTEM A graphic system may be defined as a collection of hardware and software designed to make it easier to use graphic input and output on a computer. The design of graphic system is a very important aspect of computer graphics. It is only by constructing suitable graphic software packages we are able to exploit the potential use of computer graphics. This software package is a set of subroutines or functions which is capable of generating pictures on a display terminal or plotter. GRAPHIC PRIMITIVES A graphic software consists of a set of graphic primitives. Those primitives are the basic subroutines that we use to develop other subroutines in the graphic package to generate a picture. Let us define two basic primitives that you may find in all graphic packages. 1) MOVE (x,y) This is used to move the drawing beam (cursor or plotter pen) to the point (x,y) on the display screen. 2) LINE (x ,y) This is used to draw a straight line from the current beam position to the point (x,y) and reset the beam position at (x,y)
Using these two basic primitives it is possible to define any other primitives. A graphic system should provide the facilities for altering a picture already drawn. For example, it should be able to magnify or reduce the size of a picutre. It is achieved by translation, rotation and sealing. TYPESETTING AND GRAPHIC SYSTEM Using the basic primitives defined above, a graphic package called "Typesetting and Graphic System" has been developed and implemented on the Cyber computer at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Trivandrum. TAGS is an easy to use plotting tool for the terminal users. This can be used for generating x-y curves, logarithmic curves, polar curves, bar diagrams, pie diagrams, line diagrams, flow diagrams, charts, posters or any other picture, without developing any user programs. This can be used for writing and composing texts in different languages viz, Malayalam, Hindi, English and Greek. A set of Mathematical symbols are also available to write mathematical expressions and equations. Users who would like to compose pages of texts in graphic art quality consisting of graphs, mathematical symbols and graphic designs can easily use this system. This software can be implemented on any computer having graphic facility by suitable modification in the software. This is developed in FORTRAN language. TAGS Commands TAGS consists of a set of commands. Using these commands, you can generate your graphic outputs on the display screen of your terminal. Some of the commands and their abbreviations are given below:GRID XAXIS YAXIS CURVE PLOT FIGURE LINE XTITLE YTITLE TITLE (GR) (XA) (YA) (CU) (PL) (FI) (LI) (XT) (YT) (TI)
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CIRCLE SCALE MOVE
(CI) (SC) (MO)
Data file for plotting. Ist column contains x-values. 2nd & 3rd columns contains y-values 0. 10. 90. 10. 50. 40. 20. 20. 10. 30. 80. 50. 40. 40. 20. 50. 0. 10. 60. 70. 20. 70. 90. 40. 80. 10. 80. 90. 30. 20. Plot produced on the display terminal of the Cyber computer.
The general form of a command is as follows:COMMAND, arg1, arg2, arg3,... arg1, arg2 etc. are arguments in a command. Many of the commands have optional arguments. An argument in a command can be omitted, but the comma that immediately follows it, must be retained. Last arguments can simply be omitted if not required, without putting any commas. If an argument is omitted, default or previously defined value will be taken for execution. Arguments are detected by their relative positions. The first two characters are enough for a command. TAGS is executed through a TAGS command file. You can create your command file using any of the text editors available in your computer. After creating your command file say 'lfn', execute it by typing the following command on the terminal followed by 'RETURN' key. TAGS, lfn Your command file and data file if any, must be available as local files at the time of executing TAGS. The commands are executed from 'lfn' and your graphic output will be displayed on the display screen. This can be routed to a plotter or a hard copy device. GRAPHIC TERMINAL TAGS commands are to be executed from a Tektronix or a CDC-795 graphic terminal of the Cyber Computer. This can be changed by suitable modification in the software if required. The display screen of the terminal is divided into 1024 x 780 raster dots or points. Each point is addressable in the form (x,y) where 'x' varies from 0 to 1023 in the horizontal direction and 'y' varies from 0 to 779 in the vertical direction. The lower left corner of the screen is taken as the origin (0,0) in the screen coordinate system. PLOT AREA Plot area is a rectangular area on the display screen in which you want to draw your graphs. To specify the size and location of the plot area you have to use an 'ORIGIN' command. ORIGIN, xorg, yorg, xlenth, ylenth This command defines xy-coordinate position of the lower left corner and length and breadth of the plot area. TAGS COMMANDS TO PLOT TWO CURVES ORIGIN,300,200,300,500 XAXIS ,0,10,10,5,62,0 YAXIS ,0,10,10,5,62,0 PLOT ,3,1,2,5,4 PLOT ,3,1,3,1,3 XTITLE,6,X-Axis.
HOW TO DRAW AXES Axes can be drawn using any of the following commands. 'GRID', 'XAXIS', 'YAXIS' commands are used to draw axes. The GRID command is as follows: GRID, xmin, xmax, ymin, ymax This command will draw the x & y axes. You have. to specify the maximum and minimum values of the variables to be plotted along x & y axes. Example 1:- Let the values on the x-axis lies between -1 and +1 and the values on the y-axis lies between -10 and 20. Then the command to draw x and y axes can be given as follows:GRID, -1, 1, -10, 20 The 'XAXIS, and 'YAXIS' commands are as follows: XAXIS, xmin, xinc, nmaind, nsubd, id YAXIS, ymin, yinc, nmaind, nsubd, id In these commands axes are drawn always at the
boundaries of the plot area. Here, you can have major and minor tic-marks. Axes can be drawn at all the four sides of the rectangular plot area in different forms by selecting suitable 'id' values. Example : The following commands will draw X and Y axes. XAXIS, -1, 0.2 Here xmin = -1 & xine = .2 YAXIS, -10, 3 ymin = -10 & yine = 3 HOW TO DRAW GRAPHS Graphs are drawn by joining points with straight lines. Points are to be represented by a set of cartesian coordinates or polar coordinates. First, you have to arrange the values columnwise in a file. Columns are to be separated by comma or space. Values can be given in integer or flotting point form. You can plot one or more curves using the data file created. There are two commands available for graph plotting, 'CURVE' and 'PLOT'. The CURVE command is, CURVE, ncolns, xcoln, ycoln1 ,ycoln2 ncolns: Total number of columns in your data file. xcoln : The column number selected for x-axis. ycoln1: Column number selected for y-axis to draw the 1st curve. ycoln2: Column number selected for y-axis to draw the 2nd curve. HOW TO FORM TEXT STRINGS We can write any text in Malayalam, Hindi, English and Greek. Alphabets in Malayalam, Hindi, Greek and some of the mathematical symbols are given some unique codes using the key-board characters available on the terminal. You have to use these codes in your command lines for writing strings using these characters. Some mathematical expressions require complicated positioning of individual symbols, but in TAGS the problem reduces to a much simpler one, namely that these formulas need to be represented as a sequence of codes. In mathematical expressions you may have to use sufixes and superscripts. Sufixes are to be enclosed within two symbols ' < ' and superscripts are to be enclosed wihtin two symbols ' > '. Any string can be used as sufixes or superscripts. Greek alphabets are to be coded in your text string using the codes defined. If you want lowercase Greek letter, write the corresponding lowercase English letter preceded by backslash ( \ ) and for uppercase Greek letter, write the corresponding uppercase English letter followed by '\ '. A text string can contain sub-strings in different languages. HOW TO DRAW PICTURES Any picture can be drawn on the display screen of your terminal by using a FIGURE command. The command is as follows:-
FIGURE, filename, figno, penup filename : The name of the file containing the digitized values of the picture to be drawn. figno : The number of the data set to be selected. penup : A code used to make the plotter pen up. To draw a picture, the first thing you have to do is to digitize the picture into a set of (x,y) coordinates. Pictures are drawn by connecting lines between successive (x,y) coordinate pairs. The digitization of a picture should conform to several restrictions. They should be adequate in detail to provide suitable representation of the picture. The data set must be the minimum required to represent the picture on your terminal. A complicated picture can be divided into different rectangular segments and each segment can be digitized independently. The digitization is done with respect to some origin choosen within the rectangular segment. The digitized data set is to be created as a data file. In one file you can have many data sets. Each data set is identified by a number 'figno'. You can enlarge, reduce, or rotate the picture using a SCALE command. The figure can be drawn anywhere on the screen by moving the cursor to that point by a command. EXAMPLES OF TAGS OUTPUTS: Following Mathematical text is produced on a graphic terminal using TAGS.
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Article
M Jayalakshmy
Vice-Chairman, CSI Trivandrum Chapter Contact: jmenon55@gmail.com
Challenges in Early days of Programming in IBM 360 - An Introspection

Introduction
A few R&D organization like BARC, TIFR, PRL, ISRO, NPOL and prestigious high academic Institutions like IIT's, Indian Institute of science etc. were privileged establishments to own centralized computers in early 1960-70 period. Even to those, having their higher education in Indian universities, the awareness of a computer and its capabilities were limited to the name of the system- as a number crunching machine only. The wonders which it was capable of doing became more popular through science ctions and also of the news coverages in dailies and contemporary magazines about U S & USSR manned mission space programs. communication culture were not a common practice like today. For doing any small job one had to depend on library books, periodicals, manuals and the experience of the peers. The facilities and resources were minimum and our university skills were inadequate to make a good start up. Still the reminiscence of early hurdles in learning the programming techniques are fresh down the memory line even though in later years I received training in advanced systems and programming languages like pascal, C, Ada etc. as a part of the skill enhancement program. With the advancement of technology and computing powers, distributed computing facilities, minicomputers, microprocessors, PCs and facilities for advanced software training programmes, there was an exponential growth of skilled man power after the 80's and the rest became a history. debugging . Considering all these aspects the software development activities were as much artistic as scientic.
IBM 360, Fortran4 Programming and the Punched Card System

One had to be a registered computer user to use a centralized computing facility. A registered user was provided with a set of job controlled punched cards and a pigeon hole in a big cupboard for output storage. The job control cards were to be duplicated, arranged according to specications with your programs in punched cards and tied as a deck before submitting for processing. This pack of cards is called a job card deck. A register entry was to be made for each job card deck to be submitted for processing. The rst card of the deck will contain the user name along with some processing instructions like approximate time of execution etc. The jobs were categorized as express(<2 mins), short( <5mins), long(<15mins), and very long(>15 mins) and decks were stacked differently, since they were scheduled for processing as batch jobs at different timings round the clock. Hence the availability of the results of computations were also at specied intervals, once, or 2 times a day, not instant like today, with display systems.
Early Computing - Art or Science?

There were even doubts regarding the programming activity whether it was an art or scientic work. It was a scientic activity, since it involved mathematical modeling of engineering design, analysis and simulation activities. It is equally an artistic activity in the sense that the inputs to the computers, punched cards, had to be well ordered and aesthetically arranged for easy handling by human beings as well as the machine. The outputs produced from the system should be readable and presentable. As the documentation facilities available were minimal, limited to the printed program listing and the results, planning the formats of the input data, coding style and the output of computed results were a major task. In the case of printed outputs, the aesthetic sense of the programmer had a major role to play. The descriptive statements or phrases were to be interspersed with the formatted output variables to be printed for clarity and readability. The documentations of the program were to be a part of the programming itself, as interleaved comment lines well spaced and neatly coded for clarity, readability and easy
Specialization in higher mathematics, like linear algebra, numerical methods, computational statistics etc. were a prerequirement for a good programmer. But these subjects were taught in science disciplines without any mention to their applications. Software development was yet to become an engineering discipline in India. Hence a new entrant to this software activity, either with a science or engineering background had to start learning from elementary level of what is a bit, byte, memory, storage, input output and so on. The challenges and the travails for an early programmer like me, straight from university, were many. There was no induction training to learn the programming techniques and acquire the necessary minimum skill, for starting the work. Established training centers or well experienced seniors as mentors were also not available for any sort of consultation. Interactions and
Labour Intensive Software Development Process

The facility available was a centralized IBM 360 computer with card punching stations, line printer outputs , 64 k bytes of user storage RAM for programming activities, magnetic tape and magnetic disk for auxiliary storage purpose. FORTRAN 4 & assembly were the language support available. Programs were to be submitted in punched cards only. In early computer programming restrictions were many. One had to follow very stringent coding restrictions. After making the ow charts the program steps were to be written in paper. This program had to be taken to the centralized punching stations to punch the cards . Each line of coding require one punched card.
In FORTRAN 4 programming there were stringent restrictions like, comments on rst column of the card, continuation character on 6'th column, 1-5 columns for statement labels, 7-72 for program statements and 72-80 for comments. A shift in any of the column punching will result in wrong punching of the statement forcing the card to be rejected. As my career started in an Electronics & Communications R&D
division, the early requirements of programming were numerical computations for computing parameters for communications subsystem design, synthesis of design parameters and simulations of subsystems through mathematical modeling and numeric computations. After learning the basic elements of computer and the elementary instructions of FORTRAN 4 programming, the computational programming activities
started . After learning the rules of how to declare variables for a program, make assignment statements, IF, DO, read and print statements, I acquired the necessary condence to make a venture in programming. The sequence of process involved are depicted in the following is images given below.
Flow chart
Coding sheet
Punching station
A punched card
Card deck
Computing center
Card reader
Line printer
Printed output
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Punching Ordeals
A punched card contains 80 columns for punching. A deck of plain cards have to be stacked in the rst slot of the punching station. The card to be punched is to be pushed in and moved to the punching slot. The punching process is done by typing on the keys which will cut holes in the card corresponding to the character typed in. Each statement of a program should be punched in a separate card. After completing the punching a card it has to be move to the destination slot for stacking. A programmer not having punching/typing experience, a careless ngering of any wrong key character will punch unwanted holes in a card, which has to be moved to the destination slot and physically thrown out. The chances of correct punching of a card for a single statement is very rare. Hence in early days, for each correct punched card, on the average, 3-5 cards will be wasted. Chances of card jamming inside the punching station and the associated hassles were also not small to speak of.
allotted for the registered programmer, in the output cupboard. The Number of occasions in which one gets the output as a rejected deck with a single sheet of paper with rejected information were many. The time and energy wasted may be due to an oversight in card punched location, misplaced cards, a bent or jammed card or a shift in punched location, in spite of taking extreme care in these activities. On many occasions cutting a sorry gure before an eagerly waiting designer due to silly mistakes in the job deck were added cause for disappointment. Debugging the program, isolating the erroneous cards and repeating the submission process will again add delay to the waiting designer as much as the programmer. Hence the delay in further activities. Most often there will not be a documented requirement procedures and each successful result of the computer program will be an input to the next process of design of a subsystem realization and testing. Hence a small error or oversight may paralyze a chain of activities. So the cost of computing have to be accounted not only in terms of the amount of computing power, time spent to get an error free output from the computer but also the wastage of punched cards and paper output generated.
This was a really challenging activity for a programmer, to get an uninterrupted sequence of processing and the associated results. Often the intermediate results may be pushed to temporary magnetic tape drives and retrieved. These activities were directed with appropriate programming steps and additional job control cards, to give instructions to the operator staff to mount a tape or unmount the tape from a tape drive.
Conclusion
The solution to a computational problem is a multi-step activity as given below. 1. Model engineering computational problem as a numerical mathematical problem. This is called the algorithm development process. 2. Identify the input variables, intermediate variables , functional process and output variables. 3. Associate the appropriate data types with the variables and decide appropriate data structures. 4. Code in FORTRAN or assembly language. 5. Prepare the punched cards acceptable to the system. 6. Link the necessary system library programs to realize specialized functionality, if any. Submit for execution. With the advancement of technology and the availability of unrestricted mass scale computing facilities with high speed network access and unlimited storage facilities, the procedures involved in using the legacy systems were totally forgotten and the amount of human interactions and efforts required even for a simple computation have become an unbelievable story.
n
A Jammed card
Program Segmentation and Memory Overlays

Since the memory availability is very limited,64 K bytes for program loading and data storage, a large storage consuming program had to be optimized in one of the several methods. Program segmentation and overlaying the program segments in used memory areas which were not having immediate requirements were to be identied and controlled using programming steps and job control cards.
Disappointing Outputs and Time Waste

After submitting the job deck for processing, one had to wait for hours or even days to get an output to be collected as printed continuous sheets of paper. The paper output along with the punched card deck would be kept in the pigeon hole
About the Author
M Jayalakshmy is a retired Scientist/Engineer, Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC), Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Dept. of Space, Govt. of India, Thiruvanathapuram. She was also formerly Webmaster of VSSC intranet & Head of Enterprise Software Section, Computer Division. At present she is the vicechairman, CSI Trivandrum Chapter. Her main expertise is in the eld of Software Applications especially computational numerical software in avionics sub-systems, microprocessor based on-board computers & telemetry systems, quality assessment of launch vehicle mission software and Development of applications software for VSSC intranet.
Article
Satish Babu
President, CSI
FishNet: An Early Experience with Email

Satish Babu, President, CSI, recalls the public email service that he started in 1994 in Trivandrum as a part of the IndiaLink programme of the UN.
In 1993, I took up a short course at the University of Hull, UK. During the course, most of my time was spent in the University Library, where a new technology was being piloted: the Internet. By the time my course was over, I was an accomplished and excited user of the Internet, using tools such a telnet, ftp, gopher and the inchoate, text-oriented, World Wide Web. At this time, I was working for the South Indian Federation of Fishermen Societies (SIFFS), an NGO working with small-scale shermen of south India. I had set up a computer centre there, and had developed all software for the business units of the organization. I was also, together with Mr. Amarnath Raja (a colleague and past President of the CSI Trivandrum Chapter), teaching myself C and Assembler. In 1994, after my return to India, I was informed of a new UN electronic connectivity project for NGOs, the IndiaLink project, run by Mr. Leo Fernandes of Indian Social Institute (ISI), New Delhi. Amarnath and I met Leo (the meeting was held in early 1994 in an Indian Airlines ight from Bangalore to Ahmedabad !) and enrolled SIFFS in the IndiaLink programme. At that time, there was no public Internet available. The Education and Research Network (ERNET) was perhaps the only pan-India network available, but this was a private network connecting institutions such as the IITs and IISc. Fortunately, IndiaLink was able to use the network access at IISc, Bangalore, for its connectivity. Toward the second half of 1994. I set up the IndiaLink software (uucp-based PSTN transport, with a bulletin-board system (BBS) called Waffle, for interactive email) in my office. I also congured my domain, named as "FishNet" (since I was working in the sheries sector), which was a subdomain of a Bangalore-based NGO, the Foundation for Revitalization of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT), which was itself connected to IISc through a modem connection. My FQDN was thus FishNet.frlht.ernet.in, and I could give provide my users with email IDs such as satish@shnet.frlth.ernet.in. The FishNet domain was opened to anyone who wanted free email services, but a major constraint was the poor availability of accoustic modems. There were only under 10 users in Kerala in 1994 on account of this reason. Since STD to Bangalore (from Trivandrum) was expensive during daytime, my computer was programmed to call FRLHT at 3.00 am and exchange mail through the modem. The system worked well, although there was at least one-day delay in getting responses. It continued to work well until VSNL, which brought public Internet to India on 15 August 1995, provided local dial-up at Trivandrum in 1996 (until then, the traffic was through STD or X.25 to Chennai). Please see http://tinyurl.com/shnet-bbs for a 1996 Usenet post announcing Internet in Kerala. The FishNet BBS was probably the rst public email service in Kerala. Besides actually using email, the BBS was also handy for demonstrating to the world the use of email. On a personal level, it gave me an early exposure to communications technology and the power of email and the Internet. Coincidentally, it was in the same IndiaLink programme in 1995-96 that I rst used Linux, and learnt about Free and Open Source Software (FOSS), which became a n matter of great personal interest later.
A CSI Member Recalls Early Computing Days

Dr. N L Kalthia
At this fag end of life, often I remember my golden days spent at IIT Kanpur. Those were the days when the word like Information Technology was not coined even. At that time it was a big thrill to work on computers. During summer of 1965 I was at IIT/K under minor research project sponsored by UGC. For the rst time saw the computer. Though it was labeled as computer, in some sense it was a speedy calculating machine. I do not exactly remember its name but probably it was P.D.P.II. We use to feed the data through typewriter keys. Have a cup of tea. Solution may be available when you return after 15-20 minutes. Computers were used mostly to handle scientic research and there by numerical problems. On other side a subject like numerical analysis or numerical techniques was introduced in most of the Indian universities. After the end of era of feeding data through typewriter keys the punched card, tapes technology began. On the other side developments were already stared for the better version of FORTRAN and COBOL languages. Though PASCAL was getting much popular in foreign countries (Because of its capacity to handle varied data types) in India we used to work through punched cards. I was again at IIT/K during years 1972 & 1973. In my research problems I used to undergo lot of calculations (problems related to Fluid ow) through FORTRAN IV In those days IBM 1620 and later on IBM320versions were considered quite fast for handling of computer programs. Sometime one had to pursue the solution of their problems, only because of limited facility to be shared among a thousand users. At IIT/K system was something like this. Computer centre opens at 8.00 A.M. Go there. Put your deck in Q. Handling of decks was done through a batch process output along with decks were available only after 4 p.m. we used to check there only. Depending upon the errors in the program changes were done in deck. Some time I used to work midnight 12.00 hours to make the deck ready for next day. It was must for us because one gets only one chance in day. Thus, often it used to consume 4 to 6 weeks to obtain a solution of the problem. We used to celebrate the day when we get a correct output. One more thing use of cards was tremendous at IIT/K because of no restriction on use of cards. Where ever you go in campus such as hostel library department etc. waste paper baskets were fall of punched cards. Even on the roads you nd cards. Because of such heavy use of cards in most of advanced educational and research institutes, often news papers used to publish what a horrible situation can be there after 20-30 years. Fortunately the forests got sanded because of the advancement in computers like PC., PC/XT, PC/AT etc. Not only the tons of papers were saved but the new technology reduced a time lag of 24 hours to 24 minutes of less than that. Today one can correct his programs error within a fraction of minute. Often I used to tell to my students about loss of a thrill in computing business. Today, the card has become an item for a museum. Roughly in seventies, slowly, an era began to use computer technology in handling / storing the information. This was done mostly through BASIC & COBOL Again these things were limited to pay bills and its related issues Inventory control, Library handling etc. of course these things were done without the label of I.T. and we all know the history of I.T. from n eighties onward. !!
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Article
R Narayanan
Senior Life Member, CSI
MINSK at Space Center - A Nostalgic Flashback

The year: 1969-70 Location: Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station near Trivandrum
The Russians had donated a digital computer called MINSK to the rocket station. It comprised bare hardware and absolutely no system software to support. The early group of aerodynamic engineers toiled by coding ight mechanics software directly in machine language! I learnt that some MINSK users had access to a perverted high-level language called Autocode (not to be confused with IBM 1401s Autocoder) but it was not very friendly. I was hired in October 1969 to lead a project to develop a FORTRAN compiler for MINSK. My credential was that I had knowledge of FORTRAN, having earlier developed applications in the domain of Molecular Biophysics. Around the same time a team from Indian Statistical Institute and Jadavpur University had jointly developed an indigenous hardware called ISIJU. This team too wanted to develop a FORTRAN compiler and so we collaborated during the design phase with the blessings of Vikram Sarabhai and Prof. B Nag. Our mentor was Prof. S K Mitra who had been a student of Dijkstra. With the excitement of being grand students of Dijkstra we learnt all about hashing algorithms, BNF grammar, and relocatable code. It did not occur to us to rst develop an Assembler and then code the compiler in Assembler. We coded the compiler directly in machine language. The architecture of the machine was peculiar, it had a memory of 4K words (yes, 4K!) each word being 37 bits long. Twos complement notation was not used, one bit being exclusively devoted for the sign. The machine language was friendly enough because with 36 bits, higher level operations could be achieved using a single instruction. For example, a whole iteration through a loop (with initial value of index, nal value, and increment) could be coded using just one machine instruction. The only input medium was paper tape of the kind that was used in telex machines. Changes had to be made by cutting the tape and splicing it with another bit. We also reveled in directly entering the contents of a word using 37 piano switches on the console. The display was through a series of 37 incandescent lamps. This short cut of direct entry of content into the machine, though, gave us anxious moments in conguration management and version control. The magnetic tape was much wider than the standard ones and there were no release and take-up spools. The tape was dumped in a heap in a cylinder by the side of the machine. Start and end of tape was marked by punching a hole in the middle of the tape across its width (no fancy silver foils). We had to code, in addition, several mathematical functions and create a library! We were a team of two during the design phase and a team of three during the implementation stage. We used to document the code by writing it out on notebooks (paper notebooks!) using octal notation, the 36 bits being grouped into 12 octal numbers. The fact that we were eating, sleeping, and dreaming in octal notation gave rise to funny incidents. My colleague had an argument with the cashier in the bank, claiming that he was depositing fty 10-rupee notes while the cashier maintained that he had given only forty. Both of them stuck to their respective stands after repeated counting, before I noticed that my friend was counting in octal form! The one feature of the language that taxed us was the ** symbol for exponentiation. The Standard syntax required AB to be coded as A**B. We decided to deviate from the Standard and used a library function POWER (A,B) instead. That one deviation reduced the length of the compiler code by 40%. With 4K memory the compiler had necessarily to be a multipass one, the intermediate outputs being written on to the free owing magnetic tape. The project had huge educational value for us since we could empathize with the difficulties of the compiler writers and did not crib about syntactical inconveniences later. We soon progressed to an IBM 1620 with the luxury of punched cards and then an IBM 360/44. Interactive dumb terminals came with Cyber 170/730 before we installed a network of IBM RS6000 intelligent workstations. I was lucky to be part of the evolution. The thrill of working with primitive facilities inculcates a respect for the profession and a sense of paying attention to details. With intelligent workstations personalized to the user, the concept of a centralized computer center became redundant. The end users did not require intermediaries to get their computations done. Sensing the shifting paradigm, many of us diversied to other responsibilities. I regret I did not preserve a photograph of MINSK. I am told it is still preserved in a science museum in Northern Kerala. n
About the Author
R Narayanan has over four decades of experience with IT. In addition to developing Application Software in Molecular Biophysics and Space Avionics, he has designed Systems Software for mission critical applications. He has specialized in software engineering processes, Quality Assurance for embedded systems, and holistic paradigms for societal problems. In his capacity as Vice President (Learning & Development), TCS, he led the learning initiatives of TCS professionals in Technology, Domain, Management, and Soft skills. He has worked closely with academic institutes in inuencing higher technical education globally. He was a member of the International Steering Committee on Software Engineering Education & Training (CSEET), and Program Committee chairman for CSEET 2007 conference held at Ireland. He has served as Chairman, IEEE Kerala Section and Chairman, CSI Trivandrum Chapter. Narayanan is currently assisting industry and academia in achieving global excellence levels.
Article
Dr. Debasish Jana

Editor, CSI Communications
In Remembrance of Alan Turing, the Father of Computer Science

Alan Mathison Turing was born in London on June 23, 1912 to upper middleclass British parents, Julius Mathison and Ethel Sara. During British rule, his father Julius was in Indian Civil Service, in the Madras Presidency. His mother was from an Anglo-Irish family, daughter of the chief engineer of the Madras railways. Turing graduated with mathematics from King's College, University of Cambridge in 1934. During the World War II, he joined the British Government's cryptanalysis team at Bletchley Park to help breaking the cryptic naval communications used by the Germans during the war. After the war, Turing joined the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) where he designed and developed ACE, one of the rst computers with stored programs. In 1948, he quit the NPL to head the Computing Machine Laboratory at Manchester University where he designed the Mark I, which was the rst true electronic digital computer. His interest in mathematical biology led to very interesting work on morphogenesis where he predicted oscillating chemical reactions such as the BelousovZhabotinsky reaction, rst observed in the 1960s. He is now also touted as father of computational biology. He brought the concept of computation consisting of a nite state machine controller, a read-write head, and an unbounded sequential tape. Depending on the current state and symbol that is read from the tape, the machine can change its state and move the head to the left or right. This was later termed as Turing machine that is believed to be the root of all computing. In 1999, Time Magazine, while establishing Turing as one of the most important 100 people of the twentieth century, said: "The fact remains that everyone who taps at a keyboard, opening a spreadsheet or a wordprocessing program, is working on an incarnation of a Turing machine". In 1950 he proposed, what was later known as the Turing test, a criterion to test whether a machine can think. The Turing test has made a signicant contribution to the debate regarding articial intelligence. The ACM A.M. Turing Award is an annual prize given by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) to "an individual selected for contributions of a technical nature made to the computing community". It is stipulated that "The contributions should be of lasting and major technical importance to the computer eld". The Turing Award is recognized as the "highest distinction in Computer science" and "Nobel Prize of computing". Some Famous Recipients include Richard Hamming(1968), John McCarthy (1971), Edsger W Dijkstra (1972), Donald E Knuth (1974), John Backus (1977), C Antony R Hoare (1980), Edgar F Codd (1981), Ken Thompson, Dennis M. Ritchie (1983), and Niklaus Wirth (1984).
CSI Celebrates Alan Turing Year Reported by Mr. Devaprasanna Sinha, Fellow, CSI
Alan Mathison Turing, universally recognized as the father of modern computer science, was born on June 23, 1912. Year 2012 is being celebrated all over the world as the Alan Turing Year. To commemorate the Alan Turing Year, more that 140 conferences, seminars and workshops are being organized in 18+ countries. The Computer Society of India (CSI) is committed in celebrating the Alan Turing Year in India under the able leadership of Prof. T V Gopal of Anna University and Chairman, CSI Division II (Software). As a part of this initiative, CSI Kolkata Chapter in collaboration with the CSI Division II (Software) had recently organized the inaugural Alan Turing Year programme in India on the birth day of Alan Turing in Kolkata, the birthplace of the rst indigenous computer in India. The focal theme of the celebration programme in Kolkata was a one-day workshop on Computability, Complexity and the Digital Era and the venue was the BIT Mesra Kolkata Campus. The workshop was co-sponsored by CDAC Kolkata and Chemuturi Consultants, Hyderabad. Inaugurating the Workshop, Dr. Debasish Jana, Chairman, Kolkata Chapter welcomed the participants of the Workshop. He also gave a brief but concise life-sketch of Alan Turing including the comments on his tragic death. Prof. Debesh Das, Chairman, CSI Division III (Applications), highlighted the contribution of Turing in todays computer science and ushered the era of quantum computing to move beyond Turings world. Mr. Subimal Kundu, CSI Fellow, introduced the speakers of the event and the vote of thanks was offered by Mr. Radha Tamal Goswami of the CSI Kolkata Chapter and in-charge, BIT Mesra Kolkata Campus. There were three principal speakers in the pre-lunch session. The rst speaker was Prof. T V Gopal, Anna University, Chennai. He introduced the year-long celebration programme of Alan Turing Year. Prof. Gopal, many of us know, has prepared a voluminous compendium, on behalf of CSI, an elaborate powerpoint presentation consisting of more than 200 slides in different sections on different aspects of Alan Turings life and works with old available pictures and texts. He showed and discussed some of these slides and referred to the presentations as available in the CSI India website for popularizing the contributions of Alan Turing. The next two speakers were Dr. Ashish Kuvelkar of CDAC, Pune and Prof. Barry Cooper of the University of Leeds from Manchester. Dr. Kuvelkar covered many aspects on High Speed Computing, Super computers worldwide and the position of India in this regard with applications. He also talked about the C-DACs initiatives in this regard during the last two decades, covering all Param series of supercomputers. Prof. Barry Cooper, in his uninterrupted lecture that continued for more than one hour from 1 pm, highlighted the contribution of Alan Turing and traversed all the paths from applied mathematics, computability, to intelligent machinery, cybernetics, articial intelligence with implications and relevance of the stuff in todays context. Prof. Cooper is the Chairman of the Turing Centenary Advisory Committee. The postlunch session included an illuminated talk by Mr. Murali Chemuturi of Chemuturi Consultants He presented and redened, in essence, a host of problems of computability of different complexities, even problems for which solutions are yet to get acceptance or gained partial acceptance, not only in the academic arena in mathematics/computer science but also in other areas like material management, OR, cybernetics etc, as well. Dr. Nabarun Bhattacharyya, CDAC, Kolkata, in his presentation, discussed many innovative projects undertaken by CDAC at Kolkata. He mentioned about electronic nose, electronic Tongue, electronic ear - an array of sensor devices , sometimes taken together, to discuss the science, as well as the technology of these devices along with their possible applications like tea toaster. He also pointed out some of the on-going projects in the areas of application of ICT in agriculture. Prof. D P Mukherjee, Regional Vice-President (Region II) presented formal vote of thanks. While thanking all the speakers, sponsors and the participants/ delegates present on the occasion, Prof. Mukherjee mentioned that the CSI family is looking forward to the year-round celebrations of Alan Turing Year with a view to focus on solving challenging computationally hard problems efficiently.
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Technical Trends
Hareesh N Nampoothiri
Research Scholar, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram http:/ /www.newnmedia.com/~haree
Let's do LESS
CSS dynamic languages are the new buzz in the web development world. LESS, developed by Alexis Sellier (alias cloudhead), is an opensource CSS dynamic language which adds mechanisms like variables, nesting, mixins, operators and functions to normal CSS. Since the beginning of SGML in the 1980s, style sheet languages were in use in one form or the other. Cascading style sheets were developed as a consistent approach in providing style information for web documents. In 1994, Hkon Wium Lie proposed Cascading HTML Style Sheets (CHSS) which can be considered as the rst version of CSS. Later, the 'HTML' part was removed from the name, since the style sheets can be used with other markup languages besides HTML. In December 1996, W3C officially released the level 1 version of CSS. W3C Working Group addressed the various issues faced in CSS level 1 and released the CSS level 2 in November 1994. CSS level 3, which was started in 1998, is in its nal stage of development as of now. The 3rd level of CSS extends the features dened in CSS 2 and incorporates many modules which adds new capabilities. CSS dynamic languages (LESS, Sass, Stylus etc.) extends the CSS 3 functionality further by adding dynamic behavior such as variables, mixins, operations, and functions. Sometimes, these languages are also referred as CSS Preprocessor languages. an editor of that kind. It also serves as a compiler which can be used to convert a le written in LESS to normal CSS. The application can be downloaded from here: http://crunchapp.net/
// LESS @my-color: #43464C; header{ background: @my-color; } footer{ background: @my-color; }
When compiled to CSS it will give the following result.

/* Compiled CSS */ header{ background: #43464C; } footer{ background: #43464C; }
Using LESS
If you are a Notepad++ user, then LESS can be enabled using the UserDened Dialogue... option available in the View menu. Download the user-dened language le for LESS and then import it in the window opened by selecting the above option. The user-dened language le for LESS can be downloaded from here: http://bit.ly/notepad-language-les You also need the latest version of less.js le, if you intend to use the LESS style sheet directly in an HTML le. It can be downloaded from here: http://lesscss.org
Mixins
Using mixins we can mix things up. Here we will dene a class (mixin class) and then mix it in other classes to achieve the properties dened in the former class. Mixins can also act similar to a function. We can pass arguments to a mixin class and get custom results based on the passed values. Mixins allow you to embed all the properties of a class into another class by simply including the class name as one of its properties. Its just like variables, but for whole classes.
// LESS .fullround (@radius: 10px) { border-radius: @radius; -webkit-border-radius: @radius; -moz-border-radius: @radius; } header{ .fullround; } #header-inner{ .fullround (5px); } /* Compiled CSS */ header{ border-radius: 10px; -webkit-border-radius: 10px; -moz-border-radius: 10px; }
Features
We all love to achieve more by doing less and in less time. LESS exactly enables us to do the same. Let's move on to the features of LESS, which extends the basic functionality of CSS and help us to achieve more by doing less.
Those who are familiar with CSS can instantly start working with LESS. Since both CSS and LESS use the same semantics, any valid code in CSS is valid in LESS as well. The major advantage of LESS (in comparison with other similar languages) is that it has a smaller learning curve (almost nil) for designers and developers as the familiar CSS syntax feels very natural.
Variables
An explanation seems unnecessary here. CSS do not provide an option to use variables and LESS simply adds that functionality. The official website gives this description:
Requirements
You may use any normal text editor to write LESS. But, it is highly recommended to use a specialized editor. Crunch! is
Variables allow you to specify widely used values in a single place, and then re-use them throughout the style sheet, making global changes as easy as changing one line of code.
#header-inner{ border-radius: 5px; -webkit-border-radius: 5px; -moz-border-radius: 5px; }
Nested Rules
Using LESS it is possible to nest selectors inside other selectors. This helps the designer to avoid constructing long selector names. Another advantage is that it makes inheritance clear and style sheets shorter. // Less
header{ background:#FFF; color: #000; h1{ font-size: 20pt; font-weight: bold; } p{ font-size: 12pt; line-height: 14pt; font-weight: normal; a: { text-decoration: none; color: #00F; &:hover{ color: #0FF; } }
header p a{ text-decoration: none; color: #00F; } header p a:hover{ color: #0FF; }
Usage
First ink the *.less le in the HTML with rel set to "stylesheet/less". Then include the less.js le in the <head> element of the page. The style sheets should be included before the script le. Sample HTML code is given below.
<!DOCTYPE html> <head> <link rel="stylesheet/less" type="text/css" href="styles.less"> <script src="less.js" type="text/javascript"></script> </head> <body> </body> </html>
Functions & Operations

LESS provides some inbuilt functions and operations. Operations will help to dene elements proportional to other elements. Functions permits the designer to manipulate the values in different ways. Operations let you add, subtract, divide and multiply property values and colors, giving you the power to create complex relationships between properties. Functions map one-to-one with JavaScript code, allowing you to manipulate values however you want.
// LESS @my-color: #43464C; @default-height:150px; header{ background: @my-color; height: @default-height; } footer{ background: fade(@my-color,50%); height: @default-height * 2; } /* Compiled CSS */ header{ background: #43464C; height:150px; } footer{ background: rgba(67,70,76,0.5); height:300px; }
} }
/* Compiled CSS */ header{ background: #FFF; color: #000; } header h1{ font-size: 20pt; font-weight: bold; } header p{ font-size: 12pt; line-height: 14pt; font-weight: normal; }
This method is often recommended only in the development stages. Once a website is fully developed, it is advisable to compile LESS les to normal CSS and link it in the HTML les. Otherwise, if the user prefers not to run JavaScript, the styles will not get applied to the pages. Another option is to compile it in the server itself, when each time the page is requested. It requires conguring the server as well as it will increase the time required to load the page. To compile LESS, Crunch! can be used in Windows/Mac machines. WinLess is another application for Windows machines which will help you to compile LESS les. WinLess can be downloaded from here: http://winless.org/ SimpLESS is another compiler which supports Windows, Mac and Linux platforms. Download the application from here: http://wearekiss.com/simpless
n
About the Author
Hareesh N Nampoothiri is a visual design consultant with an experience of more than a decade and worked with government organizations like C-DIT, C-DAC, University of Kerala and other private organizations. Currently he is doing research in University of Kerala, on communication design with special reference to the aesthetic principles of Indian art. He is an author of two books on graphic design and a regular columnist in leading technology magazines including CSI Communications. Kathakali, blogging and photography are his passions. He has directed a documentary feature on Kathakali and also directed an educational video production for IGNOU, New Delhi.
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Technical Trends
Nemil Sheriff* and Diptiman Dasgupta**

*Senior Consultant Travel & Transportation, IBM GBS Solutions & Assets **Lead Architect - Travel & Transportation, IBM Global Delivery
Near Field Communication (NFC) and Changing the Airline Passengers Travel Experience
Changing the Airline Passengers Travel Experience
Mobile Near Field Communication (NFC) is considered as the third wave in the mobile telephony revolution. NFC is an industry standard for mobile devices which enables exchange of data with each other when at a close proximity to each other. Recent Gartner[5] study suggests that NFC is anticipated to impact several industries such as mobile, banking/payment, retail, transportation, and health care. In this article, we will mainly focus on application of NFC in airlines/airport segment. A recent survey by SITA[6] suggests that nearly 80% of the world's top 50[7] airlines are planning to provide NFC services by 2014. The airline/airport industry is in the process of redesigning their business processes to fully utilize the advantages of NFC and to overcome the challenges involved. Now let us see basics about NFC and its working principles before we do more deep dive on its specic applications in airlines domain. much faster than Bluetooth. It is more on contactless transactions, data exchange, and simplied setup of more complex communications such as Wi-Fi. the micro payment data is stored in a secure device - this could be a contactless Smart Card, but could as well be a mobile phone. When the user wants to perform a payment or use the stored ticket, the user presents the device to a reader, which checks the received information and processes the payment or accepts/rejects the ticket. Device Pairing In this application the two devices communicating would belong to the same group of devices (such as a mobile device). NFC could be used either to establish a Bluetooth connection or enable data exchange.
How NFC Works

Working principle of NFC depends on three key things like Contactless Token, Ticketing, and Device pairing as below: Contactless Token This covers all applications, which use NFC to retrieve some data from a passive token. The passive token could be a contactless Smart Card, an RFID label, or a key fob. The primary use would be to store some data, which can then conveniently be read by an active NFC device. Examples of such data would be a company URL or product information stored in a tag embedded on a smart advertisement. Ticketing/Micro Payment Another major application for NFC is ticketing/micro payment. The ticket or
Mobile NFC - Key Features

NFC-based applications provide following key technical[2] features that brings a lot of benets as below: 1. Intuitive: NFC interactions require no more than a simple touch.
What is NFC
NFC or Near Field Communications is a short-range wireless communication technology which enables exchange of data between two devices. It is a set of standards that enables smartphones to establish radio communications when they are brought very closer within a few centimeters of distances. NFC involves exchange of data between two pieces of hardware - an initiator (could be a mobile with NFC) and a target (or NFC reader). NFC is an extension of RFID but works over very short distances (10 centimeters or 4 inches). However, NFC overcomes several security shortfalls that RFID has and is considered to be extremely secure. The way NFC operates is considerably similar to Bluetooth albeit with a few differences - NFC does not require pairing of devices like Bluetooth and establishing a connection between devices is achieved
2.
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6. 7.
Versatile: NFC is ideally suited to the broadest range of industries, environments, and uses. Open and standards-based: The underlying layers of NFC technology follow universally implemented ISO, ECMA, and ETSI standards. Technology-enabling: NFC facilitates fast and simple setup of wireless technologies, such as Bluetooth, WiFi etc.). Inherently secure: NFC transmissions are short range (from a touch to a few centimeters). Interoperable: NFC works with existing contactless card technologies. Security-ready: NFC has builtin capabilities to support secure applications.
4. 5.
Pay with their mobile phone; Interact with NFC-enabled advertisements; 6. Exchange information with other travelers by simply bumping their NFC-enabled phones; 7. Security check; 8. Use the phone for boarding; and 9. Use the phone for public transportation Lets have a closer look at some of these business functionalities[4] in greater details and investigate how NFC can add value to this both from passengers perspective (i.e. consumers) and from airlines/airports perspective (i.e. providers).
check-in transaction. Once check-in is complete, passengers will obtain their NFC boarding token over the air (OTA). The boarding pass data will be securely stored in the NFC mobile handset.
Benets for passengers

Ergonomics and ease of use - Passengers will not have to carry a paper document and can instead use the boarding pass data stored on their mobile handset. Passengers can present their mobile NFC phone in close proximity to the target reader for the boarding pass data to be read. This also means that passengers need not worry about how to position the screen or whether to remain still when the reader is scanning. Reliability - As opposed to an electronic bar code image, once the NFC boarding pass is stored in the chip, the mobile phone doesnt need to have network connectivity or to be switched on in order to read the data. This allows the passengers to overcome issues such as a at battery or high roaming data costs. Also we expect losing the mobile devices would be much lesser than losing the paper boarding passes.
1.
Passenger check-in
Envisaged Applications for Airlines & Airports Using NFC

A recent report[3] detailing the possible innovations for the future airport details NFC as one of the key process enablers. The predicted 247[3] million NFCenabled smartphones is one of the key drivers which will enable the adoption of NFC-based processes. By disbursing the NFC readers throughout the airport, passengers will be able to: 1. Check-in with their mobile phone; 2. Baggage check-in; 3. Receive coupons for airport shops;
In today's highly cost competitive market, airlines are increasingly relying on more self-service options. With better technology and increased adoption, self-service especially for check-ins is expected to considerably grow over the next few years. The NFC technology can bring in signicant benets to the passenger experience at the airport as it will replace the physical bar code and utilize standardized data structure in the NFC chip.
NFC at work - envisaged check-in process

Passengers will use one of the existing self-service channels to perform their
Benets for airlines & airports

NFC Boarding Pass removes the constraint of screen resolutions or other hardware specications of the mobile phone that they currently have to deal with when sending a bar code image. Airport will be able to implement more scanning points, enabling passengers to swipe phones in an ergonomic and easy manner, speeding up passenger process ow and so reducing queues. This will be more greener solution as paperless boarding pass will be environment friendly.
2. Baggage check-in
Hold baggage is still perceived as one of the major impediments to self-service check-in as passengers still have to queue to drop their bags at a desk, where the process is not optimized for that function. NFC technology will facilitate a more efficient overall baggage acceptance process and help deliver the full self-service check-in value proposition.
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NFC at work envisaged baggage check-in process

Passengers already checked in will go to a kiosk and easily identify themselves with their NFC mobile phone and get their bag tags printed. Once the tags applied to the bags, they will go to a drop point dedicated to baggage acceptance only. At this bag drop location, they will identify themselves using their NFC phone again and drop their bags.
security. Other data elds contained in the NFC boarding token could be used as eligibility criteria to use a Fast Track Lane (e.g. class of travel, frequent ier tier). Eligible passengers will swipe their NFC phone at the entrance of the security check point and will be directed to the correct lane. Passengers may also purchase Fast Track access via their NFC mobile phone.

NFC will enable increased penetration of self boarding which would in turn lead to cost reduction for the industry. Same use case can be extended for Lounge Access[9] as well.
5.
Postight transportation

Its an easier process for the travelers since passengers will only use their phone to enable access to the security checkpoint with no need to carry a paper boarding pass. Passengers who have the right credentials or have purchased an access voucher from the airlines or the airport can use their NFC token to access Fast Track.

Identication of the passenger by using the NFC boarding pass will be easier and the process will be more seamless for the travelers. Reduced transaction time for passengers at kiosk and bag drop. Seamless process and one stop shop for check-in and payment of ancillary fees related to baggage.

Easier passenger segregation at security Airlines can track location of their passengers enabling better decision making for ights departure and ight operational management. Ancillary revenues can be generated as Fast Track access can be offered to passengers prior to arrival or directly at the airport.
On arrival, most of the passengers are using another mode of transportation to reach their nal destination. Most airports are linked to city centers by direct high-speed trains. Today, many passengers need to buy a separate ground transportation ticket on arrival at the airport. NFC will enable airlines to sell add-on ground transportation tickets and send the NFC ticket over the air to their passengers.

The NFC Boarding pass token will allow much easier passenger identication. This will signicantly improve processing times and reduce queues. Airlines and airports will be able to apply their new business models with far less operational drawback for the passenger process.
NFC at work - envisaged postight process

When buying their airline ticket, passengers can also buy ground transportation tickets for their transfer from the airport to the city center, for example. The ticket will be stored on the NFC phone and used to directly board the ground transport (e.g. train).
3.
Security check
4. Boarding
One of the main challenges that airlines face in Self Boarding implementation is the ergonomics around the access control process. While bar coded boarding passes have already improved the process compared to magnetic stripe tokens, passengers are still not familiar with the self-scanning process and often nd difficulties in properly positioning the bar code on the reader and remaining still while the reading occurs etc. NFC technology[8] will bring much better ergonomics in this process. It is a user-friendly solution that improves implementation of self-boarding for airlines and airports.

Seamless end-to-end travel.
IATA and Airport Council International (ACI) are recommending that airports implement centralized security checkpoints as opposed to gate screening. As a result, it is important to identify passenger credentials to access security. Fast Tracks are also increasingly implemented by airlines and airports. Eligibility for Fast Track access usually depends on the passenger category (business class, frequent yer etc.) or granted to last minute passengers. It can also be offered by the airline or the airport as a payable service to any passenger. To facilitate implementation, it is therefore necessary to deploy access control processes to verify eligibility without slowing down the passenger ow. NFC technology provides a seamless solution to perform this eligibility check.

Facilitates ancillary revenue generation opportunities to airports by offering ground transportation services in conjunction with airline tickets.
Current Challenges of NFC-based Applications Standards - technology & business processes

For mass adoption, NFC needs to be based upon a single set of agreed standards for securely storing and accessing information. However, currently there are three different ventures led by: Phone software companies - Apple and Google: Standards based on their OS and NFC chip designs. Telecoms - Verizon, Vodafone, and Orange: Standards based on SIM cards. Credit card processors - Visa and Master Card: Micro-SD cards which one puts into the phone.
NFC at work - envisaged self boarding process

At the gate, passengers will just have to present their mobile NFC phone in close proximity to the boarding gate reader to be granted access to the aircraft.
NFC at work - envisaged security checkpoint process

Depending on their ight details passengers can be granted access to

Passengers can benet from a simple and standardized process.
This lack of a standard among "standards" is hampering the progress of NFC. From a business standpoint, airlines & airports are slowly adopting NFC as a technology and are progressively guring out business processes. Industry bodies such as IATA will hopefully enable the adoption of standardized process across airports and airlines.
frequent yer mileage in the short term; move on to more complicated applications such as NFC-enabled lounge check-in and progressively utilize full-blown NFCenabled processes in the long term. NFC will for sure change how we do business, the only question is when!
References
[1] Security in Near Field Communication (NFC) - Ernst Haselsteiner and Klemens Breitfu; Link - http:/ / events.iaik.tugraz.at/RFIDSec06/ Program/papers/002%20-%20 Security%20in%20NFC.pdf [2] The Near Field Communication (NFC) Forum is a non-prot industry association that promotes the use of NFC short-range wireless interaction in consumer electronics, mobile devices and PCs. Link - http:/ /www. nfc-forum.org/home/ [3] Navigating the Airport of Tomorrow Travel industry report by Amadeus; Link - http:/ /www.amadeus.com/ airlineit/navigating-the-airport-oftomorrow/index.html [4] 'The Benets of Mobile NFC for Air Travel' Whitepaper by GSMA and IATA; Link - http:/ /www.iata. org /whatwedo/stb/fast-travel/ Documents/iata-public-whitepaperissue1.pdf [5] Gartner Report Near Field Communication is a Long-Term Opportunity [6] Near Field Communications Demo by SITA Lab; Link - http:/ /www.sita.aero/
Huge investment
NFC does require a signicant infrastructure investment such as NFC compatible gate readers or payment terminals. For the technology to succeed, a critical mass of NFC mobile phone penetration is also required. Another key challenge for NFC is the relatively higher merchant transaction fees for NFC when compared to even premium credit cards.
Privacy & security concerns

NFC by itself does not ensure secure communications. Ensuring security for NFC data will require the cooperation of multiple parties such as device provider, application provider, transaction parties, and customers[1]. As with credit cards, the sensitive nancial data stored on mobile phones will become targets for thieves and the unscrupulous.
Conclusion
As with any technology innovation, NFC too faces stiff challenges on different fronts such as Evolution of Standards, Technology Limitations, Cost, User Acceptance to name a few. Depending on the risk appetite airlines and airports could look at applications such as logging
content/near-eld-communicationsdemo [7] NFC World - an international, independent and objective trade publication for those that design, supply, buy or use NFC-based products; Source - http://www. n f c w o r l d . c o m / 2 0 1 2 / 0 2 / 0 9/ 313088/four-in-five-major-airlinesplan-to-use-nfc-by-2014/ [8] Future Travel Experience - A website with content that focuses on the end-to-end travel process from the passenger point of view, from the moment of booking through to the collection of baggage at the arrival destination, and assesses how every aspect of the passenger experience on the ground can be improved. Link - http:/ /www.futuretravelexperience. com/2012/01/japan-airlines-tolaunch-nfc-boarding-pass/ [9] Future Travel Experience - A website with content that focuses on the end-to-end travel process from the passenger point of view, from the moment of booking through to the collection of baggage at the arrival destination, and assesses how every aspect of the passenger experience on the ground can be improved. Link - http:/ /www.futuretravelexperience. com/ 2011/06/sas-launches-nfcsmart-pass/
n
A b ou t th e Auth ors
Nemil Sheriff is a Senior Consultant for Travel & Transportation Industry and is currently working with IBM GBS Solutions & Assets team as an SME for Travel & Transportation. Nemil has worked with several leading airlines as part of key IT projects. Key prociencies include - Business Consulting, Product Management, and Requirements Engineering.
Diptiman Dasgupta is the Lead Architect for Travel & Transportation Industry in IBM Global Delivery and is a member of IBM Academy of Technology (AoT). He is an IBM Certied Senior IT Architect and Open Group Master Certied IT Architect in the area of Enterprise Integration (EI). He has 15+ years of experience in design and development, architecting, providing technical strategy, solutions for creating and leveraging assets in client solution, as well as providing technical leadership to the organization.
www.csi-india.org
Wallace Jacob
Sr. Asst. Prof. at Tolani Maritime Institute wallace_jacob@indiatimes.com
Programming.Tips()
The article illustrates the different usage(s) of the main(), scanf() and printf() functions, for instance printing a string in C without using double quotes, the usage of the %i and %p formatting characters, an interesting property of the sizeof() operator and the return value of a function I. Can the main() function in a C/C++ program accept only two arguments? The program below and its sample output illustrate that the main() function in a C/C++ program can accept three arguments: #include<stdio.h> main(int argc, char **argv, char **envr) { int i=0; system(clear); while(envr[i]) { printf(\nenvr[%d] = %s, i, envr[i]); i++; } return 0; } NOTE: The user can also type char *envr[] instead of char ** envr in the above program. A sample output of the program is given below: envr[0] = HOSTNAME=test-252 envr[1] = TERM=xterm envr[2] = HISTSIZE=1000 envr[3] = KDE_NO_IPV6=1 envr[4] = WINDOWID=12582929 envr[5] = SDM_VER=0306 envr[6] = QTDIR=/usr/lib/qt-3.3 envr[7] = QTINC=/usr/lib/qt-3.3/include envr[8] = XTERM_SHELL=/bin/bash envr[9] = USER=wallacej envr[10] = LS_COLORS=no=00:=00:di=00; 34:ln=00;36:pi=40;33:so=00;35:bd=40;33;0 1:cd=40;33;01:or=01;05;37;41:mi=01;05;37;41: ex=00;32:*.cmd=00;32:*.exe=00;32:*.com=00;32:*. btm=00;32:*.bat=00;32:*.sh=00;32:*.csh=00;32:*. tar=00;31:*.tgz=00;31:*.arj=00;31:*.taz=00;31:*. lzh=00;31:*.zip=00;31:*.z=00;31:*.Z=00;31:*. gz=00;31:*.bz2=00;31:*.bz=00;31:*.tz=00;31:*. rpm=00;31:*.cpio=00;31:*.jpg=00;35:*.gif=00;35:*. bmp=00;35:*.xbm=00;35:*.xpm=00;35:*. png=00;35:*.tif=00;35: envr[11] = KDEDIR=/usr envr[12] = PATH=/usr/lib/qt-3.3/bin:/usr/kerberos/ bin:/sbin:/usr/sbin:/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/local/bin envr[13] = MAIL=/var/spool/mail/wallacej envr[14] = PWD=/newhome/wallacej envr[15] = INPUTRC=/etc/inputrc envr[16] = KDE_IS_PRELINKED=1 envr[17] = LANG=en_US.UTF-8 envr[18] = XTERM_VERSION=XTerm(215) envr[19] = SSH_ASKPASS=/usr/libexec/openssh/ gnome-ssh-askpass envr[20] = HOME=/newhome/wallacej envr[21] = SHLVL=2 envr[22] = LOGNAME=wallacej envr[23] = CVS_RSH=ssh envr[24] = QTLIB=/usr/lib/qt-3.3/lib envr[25] = LESSOPEN=|/usr/bin/lesspipe.sh %s envr[26] = DISPLAY=:10.0 envr[27] = TC_IP=192.168.51.232 envr[28] = G_BROKEN_FILENAMES=1 envr[29] = _=./a.out The output of the program actually displays a few of the environment settings. Some of the lines in the output are common with the output of the set command. The user can simply type set in the terminal and press <ENTER>. II. The programs below explores a few ways in which scanf()/printf() can be used: (i). Is it possible to store the ENTER key in a string variable (during runtime)? Yes, it is possible to store the ENTER key in a string variable during runtime. The program below illustrates how the ENTER key can be stored in a string variable: #include<stdio.h> main() { char str[80]; system(clear); printf(\nEnter any string, terminate with TAB key : ); scanf(%[^\t], str); printf(\n\nstr=%s, str); return 0; } The statement scanf(%[^\t], str); implies that whatever the user types before pressing the <TAB> key will be stored in str variable. [Obviously the input should not exceed 79 characters]. The user may indicate any other terminating character by writing it after the ^ symbol. (ii). Is it possible to printing a string without using double quotes. Yes, it is possible to print a string without using double quotes. As an example a program is produced below: #include<stdio.h> #dene x(e) printf(#e) main() { x(abcde); printf(\n); return 0; } A sample output of the program is given below: abcde Any argument which is passed to the macro x will be printed. Instead of abcde, an integer can also be passed or characters such as #(hash) or $ can be passed, but the comma should not be passed. (iii). Is it possible to print a string from the nth character? The program below illustrates a method of using printf() function in C #include<stdio.h> main() { system(clear); printf(0+goodbye\n); printf(1+goodbye\n); printf(2+goodbye\n); return 0; } A sample output of the program is given below: goodbye oodbye odbye (iv). Apart from %d is it possible to use any other formatting character for printing an integer? #include<stdio.h> main() { int x = 9; int *p=&x; system(clear); printf(\nx = %i, x); printf(\nptr = %p, p); printf(\nptr = %u, p); printf(\n&x = %u, &x); return 0; } In C language %i can also be used as a conversion character for printing integers and %p can be used to print the contents of a pointer. The program above can be run on any machine with a C compiler. A sample output of the program is given below: x=9 ptr = 0xbff220fc /*address is printed in hexadecimal notation because of %p in the second printf() statement*/ ptr = 3220316412 &x = 3220316412 III. What will happen if a function is dened which accepts no arguments, and then arguments are passed to a function while invoking the function? The program and its output below answer the aforementioned question: #include<stdio.h> void testfn() { printf(\nWithin testfn()); } main() { system(clear); testfn(); testfn(1); /* function testfn() is invoked with a single argument */ testfn(1,2); /* function testfn() is invoked with two arguments */ return 0; } A sample output of the program is given below: Within testfn() Within testfn() Within testfn() The output of the above program testies that the compiler ignores the extra arguments in the function call. IV. What will be the effect of using the unary arithmetic operator within the sizeof() operator? #include<stdio.h> main() { int x= 7; system(clear); printf(\nsizeof(++x) = %d, sizeof(++x)); printf(\nx = %d, x); return 0; } A sample output of the program is given below: sizeof(++x) = 4 x=7 The output of the above program proves that the unary arithmetic operators do not work within the sizeof() operator in C. V. What will be the return value of a function in a C program which does not explicitly return an integer? (i). #include<stdio.h> samplefunc() { } main() { system(clear); printf(\n%d, samplefunc()); printf(\n%d, samplefunc()); return 0; } A sample output of the program is given below: 0 2 The program illustrates that if the return value of a function is not void and if a function does not contain an explicit return statement, then it returns a junk integral value. (ii). Is it possible to swap the value of two integer variables with the help of bitwise operators? The program below swaps the value of two integer variables with the help of bitwise operators. #include<stdio.h> main() { int a = 189; int b = 712; printf(\na = %d, b = %d, a, b); a^=b^=a^=b; printf(\na = %d, b = %d, a, b); printf(\n); return 0; } Ans. a = 189, b = 712 a = 712, b = 189
Umesh P
Department of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, University of Kerala
Programming.Learn (Python)
GUI Design with Python

We have discussed essential tools and syntaxes for Python programming. Let us now familiarize a new tool kit - wxPython for Python, which will help us to develop GUIs in Python. wxPython is a free cross platform toolkit for developing GUI applications in Python. First of all, download and install wxPython tool kit according to your operating system, and Python version. All versions are available in the domain - http://wxpython.org/ After nishing the installation you can check whether your PC is equipped with wxPython, by importing the module. For doing your rst program using wxPython, try the following code in your favorite editor and run it.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 import wx class myGUI(wx.App): def OnInit(self): frame = wx.Frame(parent=None, title=Python GUI) frame.Show() return True app = myGUI() app.MainLoop() 5 6 7 8 9 self.panel=wx.Panel(self) app=wx.PySimpleApp() frame=Example(parent=None,id=-1) frame.Show() app.MainLoop()
Now try the following program which creates a GUI of 500x 500 pixels with one text box and two buttons. When you enter your name in the box and press ENTER button, your name will be printed in the IDLE. The program can be modied to manipulate the string that gets printed in the IDLE, if you manipulate the denition block in the code.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 import wx class Example(wx.Frame): def __init__(self,parent,id):#initializati on, size of window can be given here wx.Frame.__init__(self,parent,id,'My First Python GUI', size=(500,500)) self.panel=wx.Panel(self) # the following code gives the definition of label and text box Label=wx.StaticText(self.panel, -1, "Type your Name: ", pos=(80,150)) self.name=wx.TextCtrl(self.panel, -1, "Name", size=(200, 20), pos=(180,150)) self.name.SetInsertionPoint(0) # Definition of Enter button follows Enter=wx.Button(self.panel, -1, "Enter", pos=(120,200), size=(120,30)) self.Bind(wx.EVT_BUTTON, self.Result, Enter) # Definition of Exit button follows Exit=wx.Button(self.panel, -1, "Quit", pos=(250,200), size=(50,30)) self.panel.Bind(wx.EVT_BUTTON, self. Exitbutton, Exit) # Action of Enter button def Result(self, panel): Name= self.name.GetValue() print Name # Action of Exit button def Exitbutton(self, panel): self.Close(True) # loop controls and to show frames app=wx.PySimpleApp() frame=Example(parent=None,id=-1) frame.Show() app.MainLoop()
Program Output
Now let us analyze the program. import wx, imports all modules in wxPython. Here wx is a namespace for the toolkit. All functions and objects will start with the prex wx.. wxPython has a collection of widgets. One of the important widget is wx.Frame, which we will use to create an application. For this, we dene wx. App class as -myGUI. Here we have used wx.App with OnInit() method for simplicity. Elements of python GUI is dened under denition of OnInt(). Here we have dened a frame with title Python GUI. To show the frame on screen we have used frame.Show(). app.MainLoop() works like an innite loop, which will wait until a message comes in or the user closes the window. There is one more method to create a GUI frame in Python. It is __init__ (double underscore at the start and end of init). The __init__ method is used to initialize the new instance and it is similar to a constructor in C++ or Java. The __init__ method not only denes the class but also pass arguments when a new instance is created. So in the example cited earlier we have used wx.App with OnInit() method. Now let us see the same program using wx.Frame with __ init__
1 import wx 2 class Example(wx.Frame): 3 def __init__(self,parent,id): 4 wx.Frame.__init__(self,parent,id,'Python GUI')
16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27
We will have more exciting experiments of GUI programming in Python n in the coming issue of practitioner workbench.
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CIO Perspective
Managing Technology
Dr. R M Sonar
Chief Editor, CSI Communications
Business Information Systems: IT Infrastructure and Services

Since last fty years the computing technologies have gone through evolution starting with centralized computing: mainframes and minicomputers to more of distributed computing: PCs, client/ server computing, n-tier computing, cluster computing, and now cloud computing and mobile computing. There are many hardware, networking, software technologies, standards, platforms, and vendors exist to choose from. Some of them are proprietary while some are based on open and widely accepted standards. The software licensing policies have changed from perpetual to more subscription based. Open source technologies opened another avenue for IT managers to have a serious look at them. Some of the rms spent heavily and end up with so many different kinds of technologies and applications in place because of organizational structure, IT function: centralized v/s decentralized, business models, scale of operations, geographic spread and may be because of
Mandated Compliance to regulation and various standards by regulators, government and statutary bodies, industry consortiums etc. It is cost of doing business e.g. KYC (know your customer), DND (do not disturb), mandatory tax online tax lings etc.
Component Computing platforms and devices Communication equipments, devices, and networks Utility and storage devices Enterprise software, tools, and applications Contents and databases Physical facilities
Example Servers, mainframes, desktops, laptops, smart and mobile devices etc. Communication media (e.g. ber optic cables, VSATs, twisted cables), switches, hubs, repeaters, routers, leased lines, local and wide area networks etc. Printers, scanners, hard disks, RAID etc. Operating systems, web servers, database servers, ERP software, CRM, SCM and KM systems, ETL (extraction, transformation, and loading) and BI tools etc. Content and document management systems, corporate level database, third party databases etc. Physical infrastructures hosting data centers, server rooms, air conditioning etc.
Table 1: Examples of IT infrastructure
mergers and acquisitions. Integrating and managing all these technologies always remains a challenge. IT managers and
decision makers struggled with decision of build v/s buy, now it is a choice between buy v/s outsource.
IT Investments and Infrastructure

The rms can see opportunities to invest in IT apart from investment that help the rms in operational, decision making, and knowledge management activities. These investments in IT can be because of various reasons. Some of the major ones are given in Fig. 1. Investment in IT infrastructure amongst all these is crucial as it provides the back bone for other IT investments and developing, deploying, and supporting various business information systems. IT infrastructure largely includes: a) computing, network, storage and utility hardware, and devices; b) enterprise software and applications; c) contents and databases applicable across the rm; and d) physical facilities that host IT hardware and software. Fig. 2 shows various components of IT infrastructure and Table 1 describes examples. IT management services involve activities and processes to explore, budget, procure, install, support, standardize, and integrate IT infrastructure components.
Competitive necessity Technology becomes de facto and well accepted, must have because competitors are using technology Technologies and systems mandated by other players in the business ecosystem (e.g. Walmart) e.g. ATMs, Net Banking, EDI (electronic data interchange), ePayment, eTicketing etc.
Complexity of operations Operations are difficult to handle manually because of scale, volume, and complexity e.g. railway and airline reservation systems, global payment systems like SWIFT, air traffic control, global positional systems etc.
Gain competitive advantage Unique and out of box technology that provides cost leadership, differentiation, and focus e.g. Technologies that help to offer unique user experiences e.g. by Amazon and Netix, highly customizable and congurable solution etc.
Implement new business models Technologies that change the basic structures of the organizations and the way they do the business e.g. eCommerce, virtual rms etc.
IT infrastructure Investment for current and future IT/IS requirements e.g. computer networks, data centers, network storage devices, enterprise system like ERP, CRM, SCM etc.
Fig. 1: Major reasons and opportunities of IT investments
Utility and storage devices Communication equipments, devices, and networks Enterprise software, tools, and applications IT management services Enterprise contents and databases Physical facilities
Computing platforms and devices
Fig. 2: Components of IT infrastructure
IT infrastructure is crucial as it has direct impact on what kind of IT systems the rm can buy, install, and use. For example, if a rm is using more and more open standard, widely used, and accepted technologies, the rm has wider choices to choose, install, and integrate new applications on existing IT infrastructure.
Managing IT Infrastructure
Major challenges in managing IT infrastructure are to deal with the rapid changes in technology, scalability, and security. What technology rms buy today may become outdated down the line, the cost of replacing or upgrading to new may be a major factor that can bring down the RoI in IT infrastructure investment. Many systems exist and integrated together facilitating distributed computing, connectivity to mobile devices and individual machines increase vulnerabilities and bring more security threats. Other issues involve managing with different platforms, changing licensing terms and conditions, lock-in and monopolies of hardware and software vendors, discontinued support to old infrastructure by vendors and integration with latest technologies and delivery channels like smart phones, kiosks, and RFIDs. However, some of these challenges and issues can be mitigated. Technologies like intranet make it easier to use existing servers and allow users to access applications through PCs, laptops, and smart devices that support browsers. Extranets allow external stakeholders like dealers, service support centers etc. to access the applications the same way rms internal users access them.
Web services add layer of extraction to integrate various applications by hiding what hardware platforms, operating systems, programming frameworks, and languages the rm uses. Some of the latest technology trends are changing the way IT infrastructure is managed. For example, focus of autonomic computing is developing systems those can selfmanage (e.g. congure and tune) and heal themselves on failures etc. thus reducing the support efforts and cost. Virtualization adds one layer of abstraction while accessing various physical IT resources such as servers, storage devices, PCs etc. These resources are not only accessible directly on individual basis but as shared pool of resources in more logical way thus hiding physical characteristics. Many physical resources such as hard-disks may be shared as single shared resource (storage) while single resource like high-end server may be accessed as multiple logical resources (VMs: virtual machines). For example, in desktop virtualization, many users can simultaneously and virtually access the same desktop machine using I/O devices such as monitors and keyboards. Virtualization helps the rms to: reduce the cost, share and utilize resources effectively, reduce support efforts, and continue to use existing IT resources to certain extend. There are other advancements in technologies to reduce power consumption, space requirements, take care of variable and high computation requirements, and using resources more effectively and efficiently. These include
Cloud computing SOA (serviceoriented architecture) Extranet & intranet Autonomic computing Virtualization and consolidation Cluster computing Multi-core processors Eective Load use of balancing resources
wireless technologies; multi-core processors (using multiple CPUs on a chip to improve performance); blade servers (ultrathin computers specially designed for servers with processors, memory, and network connections that are stored in racks); cluster computing (coupling many low-end machines together to get more computing power); and grid computing (loosely coupling many small computing resources like PCs to get massive computing power like super computers have).
Get Rid of IT Infrastructure: Cloud Computing!

The rm need not own IT infrastructure, cloud computing facilitates to access shared pool of virtualized IT resources (computing, storage, network, and software) often over the network especially the Internet as services. Since resources are accessed using the Internet, all different kind of resource users like customers, suppliers, franchises, sales, and service partners can access it seamlessly at one-to-one basis. Based on the rms requirement they can choose appropriate models like software as a service, platform as service, and infrastructure as service. The rms have options to test the functionality, choose the functionality, and differentiate subscription models. Cloud vendors provide resources on demand. The rm can get rid of many of the efforts and issues in managing IT infrastructure. However, the rms are often skeptical and cautious about the issues of lack of maturity of cloud technologies, security, availability, and dependence on cloud vendors. Private clouds can be an answer
Power and Integrating Reduced Seamless On demand space saving support and heterogeneous access to computing maintenace applications applications and eco-friendly
Fig. 3: Benets of various technologies
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to some of these issues. The smaller rms may be able to adapt to the cloud computing quickly; however, for the rms having huge IT setup, investment and having many proprietary systems may not be that easy to migrate. Fig. 3 shows some of the technologies and advantages they bring to the rms.
IT Services
Major IT services as far as IT infrastructure is concerned are as follows: Keep watch and get educated on current computing trends and technologies, understand the value such technologies bring to rm and its partners, acceptance of such technologies by other players and
Centralized Choosing the right IT investment
issues involved. Build test setup to test such technologies. Understand organizations long-term plans and goals, choose, evaluate, and invest in the right technologies. Train and develop manpower and skills. Develop/adopt and enforce various standards, governance, practices, and policies (like security, usage, access, buy etc.). Dene administrative roles and responsibilities of IT personnel. Take care of various compliances, adopting the best industry practices and initiatives like green computing. Having proper SLAs (service level agreements) in place with vendors
and managing relationships with them. Maintain complete information (inventory) of IT resources (congurations, versions etc.) and related knowledge-base that constitute IT infrastructure, IT personnel, and vendors. Optimize resources wherever possible, support, monitor, and maintain IT infrastructure on an ongoing basis. Ensure availability, continuity in business operations, and have proper disaster recovery plans. Each of these services can be exhaustive and need skills and manpower. For example, choosing the enterprise
Decentralized
Possible to evaluate and choose the right technology that Local needs (business as well as technical) and ts to overall organizations needs, requirements, and issues can be well taken care of future plans Cost-effective technologies, innovations, and Unied IT infrastructure services available locally can be leveraged on Negotiation power with vendors Less redundancy and effective utilization of resources Overall cost can be less Greater agility, relatively easier migration, or adoption to new computing models like cloud computing Organization level uniform standards and policies May be able to adapt to local standards and Better control and overall adherence to compliance and compliance requirements. best practices Easier to monitor and lower support efforts and costs Proper and enterprise level SLAs can be in place Local IT support staff can take care of support and maintenance services Help of local vendors can be sought
Dening/adopting standards and policies Support and maintenance
Security and business continuity
Robust and state-of-the art security standards and Based on local IT infrastructure, appropriate technologies can be employed security measures can be employed Better disaster recovery measures May not need high-end resources for disaster management There can be lock-in cost from the vendors who provide enterprise solutions. The cost of building enterprise infrastructure can be very high and can be a deterrence. IT infrastructure needs to be robust and scalable and considering local computing needs. One size must t all parts of the business many not be able to customize or congure for specic business needs and potential Many heterogeneous systems Too many support and service vendors Many standards and policies in place Unavailability of skilled personnel sophisticated technologies More security risks Great degree of redundancy in IT resources Increase overall capital and services costs Sharing of knowledge is limited
Issues in general
for
Best of both
The best way is to incorporate advantages of both the models and take care of issues. Selecting the technologies at enterprise level with ability to extend, customize, and congure functionality for local needs and also ability to leverage on/plug-in/integrate local technologies and services Making list of preapproved and evaluated hardware and software congurations (such as laptops, desktops, smart devices, operating systems, productivity tools etc) Proper mechanisms to capture, tap, and channelize local business opportunities and innovations Crucial IT services can be centralized, while others like support and maintenance operations can be decentralized Dening and enforcing strong centralized standards, best practices, policies and governance at the same time provide ability and autonomy to incorporate local standards, practices, and policies Proper centralized monitoring, approval, audit, checks, and control mechanisms in place to make sure decentralized services are performed in accordance, following and adhering to centrally dened standards, policies, and governance Centralized repository of knowledge base that can be shared with all Table 2: IT services, centralized v/s decentralized
Continued on Page 34
CIO Perspective
Dr. Anil V Vaidya

Adjunct Professor, S. P. Jain Institute of Management & Research anvvaidya@gmail.com
Digital World Beckons Marketers!!!

The Internet has transformed our lives with its reach and communication capabilities. The effect of globalization and networking has been profound. Good and bad news for a product, service, and individual travels fast and far, showing the relevant object in a bright or poor light affecting the perception and image. Recognizing these possibilities the digital world has innovated new ways of reaching consumers and customers. Some of the marketers have availed such opportunities, some are still to benet from those. This article brings out various models and the signicant players in the game. Introduction
The younger generation seems to have fallen in love with the mobile phones that they carry all the time. The earlier craze of listening to music with earphones in the ears and wires hanging from the iPod seems to have given way to chat and posts on mobile. The social networking has really picked up with the younger generation. The older people are not to be left behind; many in the 40s & 50s have accounts on Facebook, LinkedIn, and other sites though they may not be as active as the youth. Facebook keeps announcing its users, 900 million as the count in Q1 2012. Of the worlds population almost one-third access the Internet, estimated to be 2.27 billion in Q1 2012. No wonder such numbers attract innovative marketers. Advertising Bureau reports a 15% in Q1 2012 jump over Q1 2011 in online ad spending. Spending has increased to $8.4 billion in Q1 2012 according to PwC report[1]. The full year advertising spend in 2011 was $31 billion[2]. The Internet and websites are not new to the marketing community; however, the waves of innovations in digital advertising keep creating new opportunities. Social networks offer a completely new and different channel. It is an opportunity but also poses challenges, for one the Return on Investment computation and convincing management to invest proves to be quite a task. Besides advertisements on mobiles are reported to be producing staggering results; Twitter is showing early signs of success while selling ads on mobile devices[6]. The cost structures and reach of the two media are signicantly different. A viewer of a TV ad reaches Internet site to gather more information and may ultimately make a buy decision that is difficult to attribute to any one channel. Such crossovers pose challenges to channel effectiveness, measurements, and the advertising strategy decisions. Marketers derive their advertising plans from marketing plan and overall business plan. Fig. 1 here depicts the decision ow. It is unlikely that a marketer in the 21st century will leave out digital options altogether. It is true that he still has to decide the allocation between the two media, how much of the budget be allocated to traditional media and what quantum should be spent on digital channels. CocaCola and Ford Motors are reported to be spending 20-25% of the advertising budget on digital media[8]. One should also note that General Motors had earlier announced withdrawal of its $10 million campaign from Facebook.
Digital Media
Internet, in commercial and societal sense, has been in place for the past two decades. Company websites promoting products and disseminating information is a common occurrence. In the recent times, one notices Facebook pages of companies for branding and social interaction purposes. They have created pages and assembled their fan population. Many allow the visitors to express their views on these pages. In the traditional websites the content is directly under control of the website owner, while Facebook pages allow fans and friends to contribute. Here on Facebook pages companies want to create stronger bonds and relations rather than selling[7]. However, some also offer incentives through coupons and sweepstakes that help direct sales activity. Digital media offers many alternatives to reach customers, prospects, and general population. While browsing Internet sites surfers see many advertisements, mostly unsolicited, at times even annoying. The banner ads, ads on search pages as well as other forms of advertisements are displayed to reach viewers. Fig. 2 here depicts various options and the inputs that go into devising the digital HR plan advertising strategy.
Manufacturing R&D, etc. plans
Business plan
Finance plan
Marketing plan
Approach to Digital Advertising

Ads on popular sites Display of ads on Wall Street Journal Digital is an attractive opportunity for advertisers. Similarly, Forbes and many others offer to place ads on their sites. These are frequently visited sites that reach large population quickly; much more signicant is that the target audience
Advertiser strategy
Marketers Viewpoint
Marketers have been using traditional channels and advertising styles to reach their customers and prospects. Now with digital media available marketers nd another challenge. The traditional and digital media differ in research and measurement. Earlier concepts of the channel independence do not seem to work.
Traditional media or Digital media Reach cost, channel crossover, ...etc Marketer will rarely exclude any channel from his plan Traditional media and Digital media
Fig. 1: Advertiser strategy
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is well-dened. An ad tailored for target population serves well as a trade-off between the cost and effectiveness. Ad Networks - Google was instrumental in innovating the ad network concept. It collaborated with numerous partners to create a large advertising canvas. Two of its main products have been the search network and content network. On the search network the advertiser bids for a keyword, when the keyword appears in the search the ad is shown on the search page. On the content network, when a viewer reads an article and the keyword or theme of the article matches the keyword the advertiser has bid upon the ad is shown. The user engagement process differs based on the page where ad is shown. On search networks the viewer is actively engaged in looking for a particular search item, while on content network the reader is actively engaged in reading a particular piece and the ad is presented to him. Though Google network is the most popular one, there are many others who offer similar opportunities to advertisers. Microsoft Ad Network and Yahoo Advertising Network (Yahoo Network Plus) are the other two search-affiliated advertising networks. PocketCents, Clicksor, Bidvertiser, and AdBrite are examples of alternate ad networks. Examples of tools and information offered by leading networks are AdWords, AdCenter, AdContext, and Yahoo Advertising Solutions: To cite an example, one may look at these possibilities on the Google network. From the Advertisers perspective, ads
may be placed on: 1. Google search - when people specically search using Google. 2. Google search network - that includes its search partners like AOL and other Google sites like maps, shopping, images etc. 3. Google display network - an Advertiser advertises on Google Display network using AdWords that allows various targeting methods: (a) contextual targeting; (b) managed placements (on specic sites or pages); (c) Audience, to specic user groups; (d) Specic topics; and (e) Mobile devices. Email advertisements - Yahoo currently is not placed on the priority list by most advertisers, although Google nds room there. However, it is interesting to know that according to comScore Hotmail has the largest email active user base at 325 million with Yahoo at number two and Gmail at number three. Google contests this placement and has announced it to be number one with 425 million active users[5]. In any case, the three email service providers together have more than 900 million users. This presents a unique opportunity for email advertisers that can be targeted to the appropriate audience segment.
has 27 million fans on Facebook page. Tiger Woods has 2.5 million fans, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal with 10 million each, Lady Gaga and Shakira 51 million each, Britney Spears 19 million (all numbers as of June 2012). Advertisements on social networks have another way of reaching the target audience. Professional networks like LinkedIn offer solutions for reaching required audience in time period as well as geography. There are other congurable parameters which can be tried as well. Facebook also provides ad service offering an excellent reach, considering that Facebook has 900 million subscriber base. Mobile ads - The smartphone era has transformed younger population; they have gone mobile in every sense. Many applications as well as email accounts are being accessed on mobile devices. Sixtyfour percent of mobile users access their emails from devices representing a growth of 20 million mobile email audience in US[3]. It also presents an important channel to reach this audience. While Google and Facebook are still struggling in this area, Twitter has posted many successful mobile ad campaigns[6].
Return on Investment
Many advertisers follow count, the reach, and frequency as the primary measures to follow the objectives of campaign. It is important to decide which kind of advertising one should go for. There are many possibilities. Whether advertising on Google network or Yahoo ads yield better results or the social networks offer better reach is the key question. Computing returns on digital advertising has not been easy. Many nd it difficult to connect the advertising expense to the impact on sales; still more challenging for marketers is to convince management on investing on internet advertising. Calculating return on investment (RoI) in the traditional ways may not align with the current environment of connected communities. Two aspects need to be well attended; the rst relates to the objectives of digital advertisement and the second focuses on measuring the outcome. While channelby-channel evaluation may the regular method of assessing effectiveness, Haiges and Lewis[4] recommend that RoI be calculated on all marketing efforts rather than individual channel.
Social networking sites - In past few years there has been increasing interest in social media on the part of marketers. They Advertiser Digital Strategy have noticed the brands Products & Customers & and individuals who services prospects have been successful in getting people to like their Facebook Future plans Current status pages. Coca-Cola and Campaign Starbucks are two objectives excellent examples of brands with 42 Marketer million and 30 million budget Digital fans, respectively. Mobile channels ads Individuals are not to be left behind in this endeavor. Many political Banner Social personalities, actors, Own ads on Ad networks network websites popular sites and sportspersons have sites created their Facebook pages. Barack Obama Fig. 2: Advertisers digital strategy
A Different Opportunity A Publisher Perspective

An organization or an individual whose website gets lot of visitors may consider an opportunity to become a publisher as well. A publisher may collect some revenue by participating in Ad Networks like that of Google. One may partner in AdSense or in Googles affiliate network, allowing advertisers of Google to display ads on his/her website. AdSense partner is passive, makes ad space available. Such a partnership does not actively control the ads shown on his website. Comparatively, an affiliate partner is more active and has to integrate ad on-site (more hands-on) controlling which ads appear on his site. The publishers receive a share of revenue collected by Google from advertisements. For displaying ads with AdSense for Content, publishers receive 68% of the amount Google collects from advertisers. For AdSense for search, publishers receive 51% of the amount collected from advertisers.
The younger generation is very tech savvy and mobile, wanting to stay ever connected. The information availability has made consumers knowledgeable, they make more informed choices. New age companies such as Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn have created new channels. These offer opportunities to quickly reach information-hungry consumers. The marketers have noticed the changing consumer behavior and have started to remodel their strategies. It is vital that the advertisers use all possible avenues frequently assessing their performance, at the same time keeping an eye on the fast changing digital world players and ever transforming channels.
[3]
[4] [5]
References
[1] IAB (2012A). Internet advertising revenues set rst quarter record at $ 8.4 billion IAB June 11, 2012 accessed on June 17, 2012 from http:/ /www. iab.net/about_the_iab/recent_press_ releases/press_release_archive/ press_release/pr-061112 [2] IAB (2012B). Internet ad revenues hit $ 31 billion in 2011, historic high 22% over 2010 record-breaking numbers IAB April 14, 2012 accessed
[6]
[7]
Concluding Remarks
It is interesting to see how the digital world has opened new avenues for marketers.
[8]
on June 17, 2012 from http://www. iab.net/about_the_iab/recent_press_ releases/press_release_archive/ press_release/pr-041812 comScore (2012). US mobile email audience grows by nearly 20 million users in the past year comScore Data Mine. Haiges, S and Lewis, M (2008). The ROI of digital marketing ROI Research. Ludwig, S. (2012). Gmail nally blows past Hotmail to become worlds largest email service VentureBeat accessed on June 29, 2012 from http:/ /venturebeat. com/2012/06/28/gmail-hotmailyahoo-email-users/ Ovide, S. (2012).Twitters mobile ads begin to click The Wall Street Journal June 29, 2012 Parsons, A. (2011). Social media from corporate perspective: A content analysis of official facebook pages. Allied Academics International Conference, Proceedings of the Academy of Marketing Studies 16(2). Raice, S, et al. (2012). Facebook gains two big advertisers support The Wall n Street Journal June 20, 2012.
Continued from Page 31

software itself includes multiple tasks. It involves: a) understanding, analyzing, and documenting existing business processes; b) reengineering the processes to take advantage of currently existing technologies and best practices; c) gathering and documenting functional and technical requirements in detail possible; d) preparing expression of interests/RFP (request for proposal) and RFQ (request for quotes); e) getting proposals from vendors; f) evaluating RFPs against requirements; g) evaluating vendors themselves and negotiating commercials with them; and h) customizing software etc. Based on type of technologies which form the part of infrastructure (virtualized resources, cluster servers etc.) or models (outsourcing), the efforts, activities, skill sets and manpower required can vary greatly. For example, adapting to cloud computing model can drastically reduce support and maintenance efforts as they are managed by the cloud vendor. However, rm needs to have greater control, assessment of various security measures, and have proper SLAs in place. intranet and extranet facilitate seamless access to applications from anywhere anytime using PCs, laptops, and devices that support browsers; and middleware, XML, web services technologies make it easier to integrate various applications thus realizing better RoI on existing IT investments. However, issues of increasing costs of technologies, monopolies of vendors, hiring, developing and retaining IT skills, support to legacy systems and security remain a challenge.
IT Services Function: Centralized or Decentralized?

There has always been a debate on the coordination and management of IT services. Typically, decentralized function is more responsive to local needs and opportunities; however, it can create many heterogeneous systems and costs can be higher. Table 2 shows pros of centralized v/s decentralized IT service function, issues, and better option.
Bibliography:
[1] Laudon, Kenneth. C., and Laudon, Jane. P. (2012). Management information systems: Managing the digital rm, 12th edn., Prentice Hall. [2] James O'Brien, George Marakas and Ramesh Behl. (2010). Management information systems, 9th edn., Tata McGraw Hill. [3] Henry C. Lucas Jr. (2008). Information Technology: Strategic Decision Making For Managers, Wiley India. n
Bottom Line
One of the real challenges the IT managers face is to deal with rapid changes in technologies. Complexity of managing IT infrastructure increased over time with evolution in technologies. However, many other technologies come to rescue such as VMware and thin client technologies from Citrix allow virtualization of various computing resources; technologies like
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Security Corner
Information Security
Adv. Prashant Mali [BSc (Physics), MSc (Comp Science), LLB]

Cyber Law Expert Email: prashant.mali@cyberlawconsulting.com
Software IPR in India

In India, we follow the European model that allocates copyright protection to software unlike patent protection that is granted in the US. It is classied as a literary work instead of an invention, which performs a mechanical function. The term Computer software is very wide and includes: Preparatory design materials, e.g. owcharts, diagrams, specications, form and report layouts, diagrams, specications, form and report layouts, designs for screen displays, etc.; Computer programs (object code and source code) and other executable code; Software development tools, e.g. Relational database development systems, compilers, report generators, etc.; Information stored on computer media, e.g. conventional works such as literature, artistic works, music, etc. stored digitally, Database and data les; Computer output e.g. Sound, print-out, computer le or data, electronic signals; Screen displays; Manuals and guides (on paper or stored digitally); and Programming languages. Depending upon the nature of the work, software is protected as artistic or literary work. In India, a Computer program is protected as a literary work. However, the debate is still on internationally as to under which head of Intellectual property computer program should be protected copyright or patent. Article 10 of the TRIPS reads: (1) Computer programmes, whether in source or object code, shall be protected as literary works under the Berne Convention. (2) Compilations of data or other material, whether in machine readable or other form, which by reason of the selection or arrangement of their contents constitute intellectual creations shall be protected as such. Such protection, which shall not extend to the data or material itself, shall be without prejudice to any copyright subsisting in the data or material itself. Computer program being a literary work - for being capable of copyright protection - it should be original. Originality for the purpose of copyright law relates to the expression of thought, but such expression need not be of original or novel form. To be original, the work must not be copied from another work but must originate from the author. To secure copyright the author should expend sufficient labor, skill, judgment, and capital to impart the work some quality or character which the raw material did not possess and which distinguishes the work from the raw material. However, what is the precise amount of labor etc. which the author must bestow upon the work in order to acquire copyright cannot be dened in precise terms. Most computer programs however small are result of skill and judgment and therefore entitled to copyright. However, there is a `De minimis rule in copyright, i.e. trivial, insignicant, or very small works are not protected. Protectability may depend upon the language used. For example, to achieve the same result a program written in one language may fall in the `De minimis rule but if written in another language be entitled to copyright. programs are not patentable. However, this was not always the case. The provisions concerning patentability of software have been amended a number of times. The original unamended Act did not exclude explicitly patents for computer-related inventions, as computer technology at that point of time was relatively unknown, but the denition of the term invention itself excluded patents for computer programs. A major amendment was introduced in Section 3 with respect to the patentability of computer programs through the Patents (Amendment) Ordinance on December 27, 2004. The Ordinance split the sub-section 3k into two subsections: 3(k) and 3(ka). The excluded subject matters as originally contained in subsection 3(k) were provided in the new subsection 3(ka). They included a mathematical method or a business method or algorithms. The amended Section 3(k) read as follows: (k) a computer programme per se other than its technical application to industry or a combination with hardware. The key expressions contained in the above amendment are technical application to industry and combination with hardware. The legislative intent behind these words was clear. If an invention is directed at computer software having technical application to industry or coupled to hardware - then it is patentable. The law as it stands now however reverts to the original position of excluding computer program per se from patentability. From the above discussion it follows that if a patent is sought only for the software tools, i.e. a patent is sought only for a computer program per se, then a patent would not be available for the invention, as it would be hit by the provisions of Section 3(k) elucidated above. However, if the patent is sought for a combination of software and hardware, then it would not be a computer application per se, and hence might be patentable. As observed in Gales case: Although those instructions are not patentable as such, that is not the end of the matter. Computer instructions may represent, for instance, a technical process. What is recorded in the instructions may be the means for carrying out a technical process with the aid of a computer. In such a case the process is not barred from patentability by
Patentability of Computer Software

It is a well-established proposition that computer programs are copyrightable subject-matter, just like any other literary work. Loading a program into computer memory, saving the program or running it without authority may infringe copyright. Despite protection afforded to computer software through copyright law, it is submitted that copyright protection is not always ideal. Problems arise when, in a particular invention, software and hardware coexist. Section 3 of the Patent Act, 2005 contains a list of what are not inventions. If the invention for which the patent is sought falls within the provisions of Section 3, no patent would be granted, even if it otherwise satises the requirements of patentability outlined above. Section 3(k) of the Patent Act, 2005 prescribes: mathematical or business method or a computer program per se algorithms. Section 3 (k) of the Patent Act, 2005 thus clearly lays down that computer
Indian Provisions
S.2(o) literary work includes computer programs tables and compilations including computer databases. S.2 (ffc) Computer program means a set of instructions expressed in words, codes, schemes, or in any form, including a machine readable medium, capable of causing a computer to perform a particular task or achieve a particular result.
reason of the use of a computer as a medium by which it is carried out. Analogy may also be drawn to the Diamond v. Diehr, where the US Supreme Court granted a patent for a rubber curing process controlled by software as the patent was for the rubber curing process and not the computer software per se. From the above, it may be concluded that in ascertaining the patentability of an invention, the invention must be looked at as a whole. A claim directed to a technical process which process is carried out under the control of a program (whether by means of hardware or software), cannot be regarded as relating to a computer program per se. An invention consisting of a combination of hardware and software may be considered patentable, if it satises the other requirements prescribed by the Act.
Infringement
Difference between copyright and patent protection relevant in the eld of software patents, and which explains in part why software patents have come to be viewed as particularly desirable is that copyright protection generally does not protect the owner from independent creation or reverse engineering. In other words, to prove a copyright violation the copyright owner must prove that the alleged
infringer had access to and had copied the copyrighted material. For example, imagine a reporter who covers Olympic event of Vijendra Singh boxing bout and writes in a newspaper about it. Another reporter covers the same bout (i.e. uses the same idea) and writes an article the next day using almost exactly the same language as the rst article. Because the second reporter independently created the second article without copying the rst article, no copyright infringement has occurred. If any of the acts specied in Section 14 relating to the work is carried out by a person other than the owner or without license from the owner or a competent authority under the Act it constitutes infringement of copyright (Sec.51 of the Copyright Act). The type of acts, which will constitute infringement, will depend upon the nature of the work. Secondary infringement such as making for sale or hire of, exhibition in public by way of trade of, distribution - infringing copies - is also prohibited and punishable under the Act.
library and archive use, use associated with public administration, certain acts carried out by lawful users of computer program etc. In respect of computer programs permitted acts allow lawful users to make back up copies, to decompile program in limited circumstances, and to copy and adapt programs in ways consistent with lawful use. Creation of a similar work does not infringe if it is created independently without copying the original work. For example, A and B click photograph of the same beautiful ower from the same angle and have identical looking photographs. A and B are both entitled to separate copyright in their own photograph and one photograph does not infringe the other.
Remedies
Civil: Remedies available are injunction, damages, and accounts of prots, delivery up of infringing copies and material. Compensation can also be claimed under Section 43 of the IT Act, 2000. Criminal: Section 63 to 70 of Indian Copyright Act and Section 65 and 66 of the IT Act, 2000 deals with criminal remedies against the software infringers.
n
Acts Which Do Not Constitute Infringement

Acts which do not constitute infringement of copyright, Section 51 gives a list of such acts. Permitted acts can be classied as: fair dealing, educational purpose,
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Security Corner
IT Act 2000
Mr. Subramaniam Vutha

Advocate Email: svutha@svutha.com
Prof. IT Law in Conversation with Mr. IT Executive: Issue No. 5

IT Executive: Hi Prof. IT Law! In our last meeting you showed me how a websites offer of products should be structured from a legal standpoint. You told me that a website should invite offers rather than make offers. Prof. IT Law: Yes, and I also explained the serious problems a website owner can get into by making an offer and having it accepted by a visitor to the site. IT Executive: Yes. Thanks. What will you teach us today? Prof. IT Law: Today, I think we could talk about one of the key challenges of electronic commerce or of electronic contracts. IT Executive: That sounds interesting. What is that challenge? Prof. IT Law: You remember that I told you that all it takes to form a contract in real life is for one person to make an offer and for another to accept it? IT Executive: Yes I do. Prof. IT Law: Well, so every contract requires two persons or parties [or two entities such as companies]. And each party to the contract should know the other. That is the challenge. IT Executive: I see. But that is quite simple. Is it not? Prof. IT Law: In real life that is quite simple. The parties often know each other already. Or have been introduced to each other by a trusted third party or parties. Can you think of other ways in which parties get to know each other in the real world? IT Executive: Through agents, distributors, or dealers? Prof. IT Law: You are right. And often, each party makes enquiries about the other. Or asks for information about the other, while making some disclosures about itself. IT Executive: I know about this. We call it due diligence in our company. Prof. IT Law: Thats right. Now consider web-based contracts that we now know are fundamental to electronic commerce. How do you know the other party here? Or that the other party is genuine - that is he is really who he says he is? IT Executive: I now see the challenge here. I guess buyers on a website go by the reputation of the website owner. Prof. IT Law: You are right. But, both for the website owner and for the potential buyer, it is difficult to be sure as to who the other party is. This, in legal terms, is what we call the authenticity challenge. IT Executive: So, in electronic commerce, how do the parties determine the identity of the other party? And make sure they know who they are dealing with? Prof. IT Law: By various means. Some of which you are already aware of. But which you do not think about because such measures are now common. IT Executive: By insisting on credit cards? And various validation measures? Prof. IT Law: Yes. And the banks, credit card issuers, and payment gateways act as trusted intermediaries, making it possible to know who it is that you are dealing with. IT Executive: Yet, dealing with sellers on the Internet appears such an anonymous activity! Prof. IT Law: Yes, it does appear like that. But behind the screens a lot of work is done to make sure the parties can identify each other well. That is because fundamentally, each party to a contract [whether electronically or in the real world] should know who the other is. IT Executive: And the electronic trails can often be more reliable in tracking people and their purchases! Prof. IT Law: You are right. In the real word or nondigital economy, anonymity is possible by using cash and agents and other devices. But in the world of electronic commerce that is more difficult in many ways. IT Executive: But why is it important for the parties to know each other? Prof. IT Law: Because the basic aim of commercial law is to bring certainty to dealings. And for that, each party should know who he or she is dealing with. IT Executive: Ah, thank you. I do appreciate how you simplify law for people like me. I look forward to meeting you again soon. Prof. IT Law: Yes, I enjoy the sessions with you too. See you soon. n
HR
Ambereen Pradhan
Director/Promoter of Mumbai-based Energia Wellbeing Pvt. Ltd.
Demystfying Assessment in the World of Work

My heart was in my mouth when people called me an extrovert. From my school days till date I always felt I am an introvert. Reading was my passion, I always enjoyed working independently, and I could lend my ears to other peoples thoughts for hours together. The brownie point about me was my jovial & comical character. I did MBA with dual specialization in Marketing & HR. I took a sales job not because I wanted but as per public opinion I could connect with people faster & so selling & marketing was my key strength. When I moved on the eld I became conscious that I could not sell the product. My selling point was description of the product but with a swift jump to markdown pricing. Six months on eld and sales was not oating around me. I quit my job and thought of taking few steps backwards. I was more comfortable with the internal world than with external world. I gradually took up an HR generalist prole. I was more restful with MS-Office and sticking to my desktop. I did that for 8 months and realized that the job I am doing is too droning and it couldnt captivate my interest for too long and I left the job. The noise of waves on the beach, pampering myself with a cold coffee & my thoughts churning from positive to negative, I was trying to comprehend the unique avor in me. It was a war between internal interests & external suggestions. I realized my organization couldnt add color to my wings nor I could get my problem xed. I guess I had to learn to walk between both the worlds. Two weeks later, I got an interview call from a company and I was all prepared to crack it. Meanwhile I not only upgraded my CV but also got a new pair of formal attire, formal shoe & geared up with hardhitting professional statements. Tell me about yourself. I was showered with this question in my interview. Strange but true I was not in the position to answer it contentedly. Im not talking about your roles or social identities. You can be a friend, brother/sister, employee, boyfriend/ girlfriend, husband/wife, partner, father/ mother, son/daughter,all at the same time, but these are just an aspect of you. They dont represent who you fundamentally are inside. Your inner self is who you really are on the inside. Hmmm.....again I was left with a question.... Friday evening, I made up my mind to raise this query in the HR Conference. As usual I walked in late & missed the opportunity of Networking. To my luck I came across a renowned psychologist who used corporate assessment as a major tool for working professionals to understand themselves at conscious, subconscious, & unconscious level. This helps the employee to understand his optimal level of functioning at individual, team, & organizational level. I was zapped if these assessments could actually help me uncover my hidden potential and give a signicance and rationale to my perplexed state of mind & career. Trying to uncover your inner self can be a tricky process. For one, you hold multiple identities in your life, each with their own sets of socially dened values, visions, expectations etc. These may not directly conform to what you represent. For example, lets say you are an employee of an automobile company. As an employee, your mission should be congruent with whatever your companys mission is, say to improve quality of peoples lives through automobile manufacturing. Your goals should also be in line with the company, i.e. to increase companys sales by 20% in 1 year and expand its regional presence. However, you as a person have other dreams and goals outside which differ from your companys. Perhaps you really love volleyball with a passion. Your ideal vision is to be an internationally accomplished volleyball player and become a highly sought-after volleyball coach, training national-level teams. Thats denitely different from the visions you are expected to have as an employee. Likewise, this applies to all your other identities too. For every identity, you have a set of purpose/values/visions/ motivations/goals/beliefs which are not entirely the same as your inner selfs. These words actually unturned all the stones in my mind & I got a clear picture of what she actually meant. A company's worst enemy is not always the competition. Sometimes it's the fear that lives within its own walls. So it should begin by clarifying who the employee is... I very clearly remember her words.... We believe that its not the outer covering which matters but employees need to get in to new fragile attire by tying their knot with assessment to give them a true understanding of self in order to live a smooth coalition in different arenas, i.e. personal, professional, and social. With the incessant evolution of technology we have often wondered about what pre-employment testing will look like in the not so distant future. While psychometric tests have changed over time, the evolution of psychometric testing has been measured. By no means is this slow metamorphosis a bad thing. Psychometric tests are highly important scientic tools and care must be taken to preserve the integrity of these tools, especially when they contribute so strongly to high-stake decisions.
Psychometric tests are highly important scientic tools and care must be taken to preserve the integrity of these tools, especially when they contribute so strongly to high-stake decisions.
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In the last decade we have seen a migration from paper and pencil tests to online assessment; and now the shift seems to be toward mobile technologies. Although the medium for testing has changed, the content of assessment has remained largely unaltered. This is where we see the largest potential for change. Say your organization wanted to assess how a managerial candidate would respond to a scenario when approached by a staff member with a particular type of issue. Is that individual able to not only interpret the dialogue between two characters, but also pick up on non-verbal cues such as facial expression? What are they focussing on, do they notice changes in mood, and are they oblivious to key information? Depending on the set of actions taken by the virtual manager, the situation could be resolved in the best possible manner, or take a turn for the worse. This technology could facilitate this revolutionary type of testing. Integration of HR, Psychology, and Technology has brought a consistent change in the effectiveness of organizational style of functioning. According to me assessment was limited to recruitment and performance management, but Software-based Assessment model which stands apart by incorporating assessment in not only just standardized HR processes but also customized HR tools & techniques by using principles of Positive Psychology. Modern day assessments cover enormous subjects such as Risk-Taking, Leadership, Positivity, Creativity, assessing Organization Health, Climate, and Commitment. These assessments creates a win-win situation for both the employee & employer by creating a matrix for organization by proling their employees using our distinctive assessment tools and designing interventions for all levels. In a climate of accountability & autonomy, the development of assessment
Modern day assessments cover enormous subjects such as RiskTaking, Leadership, Positivity, Creativity, assessing Organization Health, Climate, and Commitment.
literacy among working professionals has become critical to organization success. The purpose of the needs assessment is to help professionals determine what you need to learn to, for example, qualify for a certain job, overcome a performance problem or achieve a goal in your career development plan. The assessment tools are helpful when the source of information is specic and reliable. Assessments throw radiance on Know What You Dont Know....With the onset of Corporate Assessments and availability of information, change becomes the only permanent thing in this world. What you think you are a master of today may not be the same tomorrow. Therefore, Assessments connections matter. Determining and accepting which areas you have inadequate information and knowledge is very important towards successfully installing some credibility upon yourself and making an informed decision towards learning and upgrading skills. The meaning and dynamics of effective assessment and instruction identify some of the related, hitherto unanticipated, expectations for leadership and business development. Assessments frame these expectations in terms of sets of skills strength, areas of improvement, which may serve as a focus for principal self-reection and professional planning. This will ultimately enhance Psychological Contract between the two coworkers. One of the greatest challenges faced by managers is the strategic personal development of their employees in order to ensure effective use of their talent. To properly manage this important resource, they must identify their challenges and implement employee development and training. Employee development will help managers effectively manage, motivate, and empower employees resulting in higher rates of employee retention. By using employee assessments, managers are better able to take stock of an employee's interests and aptitudes and help them apply these talents where most appropriate. So many people are left with scars from their childhood from how little skills & potential they have. More scars develop as people get older and experience more pain. I was also a victim of it as I was conditioned to think and rethink in the same track without any self-knowledge and awareness. My assessments gave me a true picture of Who Am I... With competition moving Global it is important to face change not just as a bottom line challenge but along with opportunities too. Assessments helped me obtaining objective, comprehensive evaluation and relevant information about my capability followed with intervention to function in a wide variety of areas. I got myself parked in the prole matched as per my skills, knowledge, and ability and have become a star performer from a nonperformer. Connecting the dots between your true potential and organizational productivity is the master key in todays World of Work. Pursue a New You through Effective Organizational Assessment... I Did It....So n Can You!!!
About the Author
Ambereen Pradhan is the Director/Promoter of Mumbai-based Energia Wellbeing Pvt. Ltd. Ambereen, Cofounded Energia Wellbeing in August, 2010 after jointly heading Masina Institute for Psychotherapy and Behavioral Sciences and Dr. Matcheswalla's counseling Center at Masina Hospital. Completed her graduation in the eld of Sociology & Psychology, from Sophia College, Mumbai followed by Masters in Developmental and Counseling Psychology from S.N.D.T. Women's University, Mumbai. Futher she has completed different specialization programs in the eld of psychology: R.E.B.T. Trained, Diploma in School Counseling, NLP & Self Hypnosis Workshops, and Short-term Psychotherapies courses.
Brain Teaser Crossword
Dr. Debasish Jana

Test your Knowledge on History of IT Solution to the crossword with name of rst all correct solution provider(s) will appear in the next issue. Send your answers to CSI Communications at email address csic@csi-india.org with subject: Crossword Solution - CSIC August 2012
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ACROSS
2. 7. 8. 10. 13. 16. 18. 20. 21. 22. 24. 25. 26. National Centre for Software Development and Computing Techniques (6) An early storage medium (4,9) Earliest known counting tool for use in computation (6) Considered as Father of Computer Science (4,6) The type of computer language that is made up of 0s and 1s (7) Person known for mechanical tabulation of punched card data (9) The rst electronic computer of the world (5) Indian company that made the rst indigenous digital computer (4) The company that introduced the rst personal computer (3) First electronic computer component (6,4) The rst Indian software and management consultancy rm established in late 60s (3) A time-sharing operating system of the late 60s and early 70s (3) Family of mainframe computers developed and produced in the Byelorussian SSR from 1959 to 1975 (5) Programmed Data Processor as series of minicomputers made by DEC (3) An object-oriented, imperative, reective, and functional programming language (4) An operating system initially created by Microsoft and IBM (3) Early adopter of ferrite core memory computer developed at TIFR in late 50s (6) The primary language of IBM 1401 (9) Data storage medium that used magnetic recording (8,4) Online Data Processor machine developed at TIFR in late 60s (5) The computer language that is claimed to be the rst object-oriented language (6) First single chip microprocessor made by this company in early 70s (5) A multi-paradigm computer programming language (4) A disk storage medium (8) World's rst lady computer programmer (3,8) Size in inches for early oppy disks (5) Early use of a special card that carried digital information (5,4) First Indian transistorized computer developed by ISI and JU in early 60s (5) Inventor of FORTRAN computer programming language (4,6) First Personal computer was known as this (3,2) First dedicated Indian rm responsible for maintaining computers (3) Stored program architecture is commonly known as this architecture (3,7) A popular functional programming language (2) Operating system for x86 based personal computers (2,3) The Formula Translator computer programming language (7) An early object typed programming language (3) Disk Operating System (3)
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Do you know Punch Card?

(Courtesy: Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Punched_card) A punched card or punch card, IBM card, or Hollerith card is a piece of stiff paper that contains digital information represented by the presence or absence of holes in predefined positions. Now obsolete as a recording medium, punched cards were widely used throughout the 19th century for controlling textile looms and in the late 19th and early 20th century for operating fairground organs and related instruments. They were used through the 20th century in unit record machines for input, processing, and data storage. Early digital computers used punched cards, often prepared An 80-column punched card using keypunch machines, as the primary medium (Source: Wikipedia) for input of both computer programs and data.
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Congratulations to Ms. P. Deepa (Panimalar Engineering College, Chennai) and Dr. Suresh Kumar (Manav Rachna International University, Faridabad) for getting ALMOST ALL correct answers to July months crossword.
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Ask an Expert
Dr. Debasish Jana

Your Question, Our Answer

I was like a boy playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself now and then nding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me. ~ Isaac Newton
Subject: Recursive Shell Programming
I was trying to write a small recursive shell script for unix, but getting a peculiar error stating expr: non-numeric argument. The code is given below: 1. #!/bin/bash 2. function factorial() 3. { 4. if [ $1 -gt 1 ]; then 5. val0=èxpr $1 - 1` 6. val1=`factorial $val0` 7. val2=èxpr $1 \* $val1` 8. echo result is: $val2 9. else 10. echo 1 11. 12. } 13. echo "Enter a number: " 14. read num 15. result=`factorial $num` 16. echo "Factorial of $num = $result" This small program is supposed to print as Factorial of 5 = 120, when I run the unix shell script and provide 5 as input. The output is coming as below: Enter a number: 3 expr: non-numeric argument Factorial of 3 = result is: Another observation is that if I change the statement at line 8 as below: 8.echo $val2 The output is coming as: Enter a number: 3 Factorial of 3 = 6 What could be wrong? Thanks. Abhijit Patra, Kolkata statement is given in line 10 as echo 1, wherefrom the recursion starts returning. Thus, the evaluation sequence is expected as: factorial(3) = 3 * factorial(2) = 3 * 2 * factorial(1) = 3 * 2 * 1 = 6 When the recursion starts returning, at line 6, the variable $val1 gets the value as returned from factorial $val0. In the ground case, in factorial 1, you are echoing 1, thus $val1 gets 1 (whatever you have echoed), and (line 7) $val2 becomes 2 * 1 i.e. 2 which is returned to the factorial 3 call waiting on the statement val1 = `factorial 2`. In the process, if you use (original line 8) echo result is: $val2, then the caller factorial 3 that has called factorial 2 recursively, gets the value as result is: 2 (this does not happen for the caller factorial 2 that had called factorial 1 recursively, as factorial 1 returned only 1 (echo 1 in line 10), which is pure numeric. So, factorial 3 when gets a return values as result is: 2 in the expression evaluation line (line 7) val2=èxpr $1 \* $val1`, it fails because $val1 has the value of result is: 2, which is nonnumeric. As such, when you correct this statement as (line 8) echo $val2, you are returning the numeric expression that goes well in the caller in the expr argument. The expr getting the numeric argument now is happy, and the desired result comes. This does not mean that you cannot return string from a function. You can echo a string as well from within a function. But, you cannot use a returned string in a numeric expression, thats all. Another alternative is to use a variable instead, for example the last value of val2 can be used as the return value from the function, for example: 15. 16. factorial $num echo "Factorial of $num = $val2"
Another way is to use return, here is the complete script using return. Note, when we use return from function, we use $? To get the value returned from the function. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. } 14. 15. 16. 17. echo "Enter a number: " read num factorial $num echo "Factorial of $num = $?" #!/bin/bash function factorial() { if [ $1 -gt 1 ]; then val0=èxpr $1 - 1` factorial $val0 val1=$? val2=èxpr $1 \* $val1` return $val2 else return 1
This is an interesting question. From the shell program you have given, it looks like this is running under bash shell. However, this may run on other shells too. In general, a function in a bash shell (and in other shells too) can echo a string, return some exit status (must be a number, not a string), or dene a variable so that this can be shared. Lets go step by step in your given program in a top-down way of execution sequence. Down below the function, you are executing 13.echo "Enter a number: " and then 14. read num. Upon executing the shell script, this echoes or prints the message text Enter a number: and you are providing 3 as input. So, the variable $num stores the value 3. Now, you are calling the shell function factorial passing $num as argument (as in line 15): 15.result=`factorial $num` So, the control goes to the function factorial starting from line 2 (actually line 4). The argument $num is obtained as $1 within the function factorial. In fact, if you had more arguments you could have got them as $2, $3 etc. $@ as all of them, $# for number of arguments. Interestingly, to get the last argument, you may use eval last=\${$#}. Now you check, in lines 4, if $1 is greater than 1, then you have (line 5) $val0 set as $1 -1 i.e. 2 for the rst call of factorial for your data passed as 3. Then, you call factorial function again (recursively) with argument now passed as $val0 i.e. 2. This goes in a recursion, and the recursion breaker
This will also provide you the desired result.
Send your questions to CSI Communications with subject line Ask an Expert at email address csic@csi-india.org CSI Communications | August 2012 | 41
Happenings@ICT
H R Mohan
AVP (Systems), The Hindu, Chennai Email: hrmohan.csi@gmail.com
ICT News Briefs in July 2012

The following are the ICT news and headlines of interest in July 2012. They have been compiled from various news & Internet sources including the nancial dailies -- The Hindu, Business Line, Economic Times.
Voices & Views

The public cloud computing market in India that was pegged at $160-192 million in 2011 is expected to grow at $685 million by 2014. The overall Indian market for public and private cloud stands at around $860-$912 million in 2011- Zinnov. India emerged the third most infected country after the US and Italy to lose connection to the Internet on July 9, if the PC is infected by a malware called DNS Changer. Global IT spending to reach $3.6 trillion this year - Gartner. Sixty-two percent of affluent children share personal information online McAfee survey ndings in 10 Indian cities. Software tools best way to monitor child on Internet - Trend Micros country manager, Mr. Amit Nath. By 2015, India is expected to have 237 million mobile Internet users - survey by Norton. Proposed US Jobs Act to have limited short-term impact on TCS - Moodys. Google, Facebook should share revenue with us as they are enjoying at the cost of network operators - Airtel. Beware of mails with photos, fake traffic tickets - Kaspersky Lab. Indian IT spending to grow 16.3% this year to $43.57 billion - IDC. The Indian IT industry is consuming 14,000 MW of power to run about 43 million servers, but only 5-10% of aggregate capacity of these 43 million servers is being used. Deployment of cloud will help industry save power Mr. V Srinivasa Rao, SVP, Mahindra Satyam at a FICCI meeting. The Finance Ministry and the Planning Commission have opposed the proposal to charge one-time fee whereas the cabinet lobs one-time spectrum fee decision to ministers group. Auction guidelines silent on liberalizing CDMA spectrum. Cabinet okays scheme for electronics manufacturing clusters. India cannot sidestep obligation under bilateral treaties - Lord Goldsmith QC, former Attorney General of UK.
Govt not for Internet censorship - Law Minister Khurshid. The former Telecom Secretary, Mr. Siddharth Behura, has blamed the then Telecom Minister, Mr. A Raja, for the irregularities in spectrum allocation. TRAI stipulates quality norms for mobile data services. It has suggested that operators have to offer a minimum throughput of 90% of the subscribed speed on an average. DoT may de-link auctioneer fee from reserve price. Spectrum can be pledged for bank loan. Cabinet approves incentive plan for electronics manufacturing. 2G case: Enforcement Directorate questions Raja for the rst time. Delhi High Court quashes blanket cap of 200 SMSs/day. Govt. to issue nal document for spectrum auction on Aug 22. Spectrum pricing: EGoM may cut reserve price, but hike revenue share. 2G spectrum: 9 beneciaries under CBDT lens. Govt. to set up testing labs for IT products. 2G scam: No evidence against PMO, FinMin, says CBI. DoTs monitoring wing to inspect tower sites for radiation norms. Pawar quits as head of ministers group on telecom. Chidambaram to head EGoM on telecom. Kris Gopalakrishnan to head Govt. cloud computing panel. US rms seek more green cards for Indian, Chinese techies. Huawei redeploys over 300 Indian employees in global operations. A number of leading multinationals are using virtual games as part of their recruitment process. Kalam to inspire youth through Billion Beats, his Facebook page. TCS adds 4,962 employees in the rst quarter ended June 2012 and expects to add 50,000 employees in the current nancial year. Citrix India to increase headcount by 200 this year. Keste to double staff strength to 150. Hiring plan of 35,000 on track - Infosys. AP Governor lashes out at IT industry for high salaries. MindTree reduces headcount by 170. Hinduja Global to hire 3,000 this year. Pitney Bowes to hire 200 people for Pune R&D center.
As bench gets crowded, IT majors delay hiring freshers.
Company News: Tie-ups, Joint Ventures, New Initiatives

TiE Global Deal Connect to enable startups in tier-II and -III cities to access capital. Airtel, HP to provide cloud services for small enterprises. Pressmart to launch an app soon for textbooks to lighten your kids school bags. Microsofts image-matching tech helps stamp out child abuse on the Net. US court has refused to lift the ban on sales of the Samsung Galaxy Tab in the country. Leap second wreaks Internet havoc. Datawind grapples with huge demand for tablets. It has to deliver 30 lakh tablets to those who booked online. Google phasing out ve products. Google Mini, iGoogle, Google Talk Chatback, Google Video, and Symbian search app. MobME Wireless has developed an advanced 3G-based security solution, a mobile-based crime and incident reporting platform (MCIRP) for National Investigation Agency (NIA). RCom arm les preliminary prospectus for IPO in Singapore. Facebook to soon launch job board. Bharti Airtel gets EuroFinance Treasury award. R&D center of Alcatel-Lucent in Chennai has led nearly 75 patents on various technologies. Yahoo! sets up big data research unit at IIT Madras. Yahoo! apologizes for password breach of 4.5 lakh user. Microsoft launches Office 2013. Education institutions may get access to super computing research though Garuda, the Grid Computing initiative of CDAC. Google has launched a beta version of Web Lab, which will host - physically and virtually - ve experiments: Universal Orchestra, Data Tracer, Sketchbots, Teleporter, and Lab Tax Explorer. Microsoft to release Windows 8 on Oct 26. Microsoft reports its rst quarterly loss in its 26 years as a public company. Google unveils worlds fastest Internet connection offering lightning-fast access of one gigabit per second. n
IT Manpower, Staffing & Top Moves
Telecom, Govt, Policy, Compliance
www.csi-india.org
CSI News
From CSI Chapters
Please check detailed news at: http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/chapternews-August2012 SPEAKER(S) BANGALORE (REGION V)
Mr. G S Chandy 21 April 2012: Workshop on One Page Management System (OPMS) Mr. G S Chandy, invented the One Page Management System (OPMS). He was close collaborator of the late John N Wareld and he facilitated over 60 highly commended OPMS workshops for organizations. OPMS integrates various management systems for achieving a MISSION, like Things To Do, Transitive relationship between Things to be done, Barriers, Strengths, Opportunities, Milestones to be achieved & other systems like Planning/ Marketing/Information/Production/Learning/Problem Solving and Finance Control Systems.
Mr. G S Chandy, Inventor of OPMS, interacting with the workshop participants
TOPIC AND GIST
Dr. Kodlady Surendra Shetty, Dhruv Taneja
28 April 2012: Talk on Issues: Back & Neck pain, why is it common among Software professionals? Key points of the talk were - a) Reality behind every spine-related injury, b) How to manage and eradicate pain without the help of medication, c) How advanced technology brought revolutionary changes in comparison to old conservative approach towards these injuries, d) Signicance of vertical MRI scanning facility over traditional MRI scanning facility, and e) Pictorial presentation of few simple physiotherapy exercises which could make management of few chronic pain simple and easy.
Ms. Aparna Naik
26-29 May and 9-10 June 2012: Workshop on Selenium Testing Selenium is a leading software test automation tool. It is Open Source tool and is becoming very popular among Software Testing fraternity. This workshop was completely hands-on for two days. In this workshop, participants learnt from the basics of Selenium to how to create good automation framework.
Participants attending workshop
NASHIK (REGION VI)

Mr. Madhav Shirvalkar 14 July 2012: Lecture on Unicode A talk on "Unicode" was organized to raise awareness of it in the society and industry. The Unicode Consortium enables people around the world to use computers in any language. An essential part of this seminar was to educate and engage academic and scientic communities, and the general public. The speaker spoke about the current status of Unicode in the Indian regional language and appealed to all to become members of Unicode consortium and make different Indian regional languages available on the globe.
Mr. Madhav Shirvalkar during seminar talk
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SPEAKER(S) COCHIN (REGION VII)

Mr. Sreejesh
TOPIC AND GIST

27 June 2012: Technical Talk on Network Auditing Mr. Sreejesh S explained about the networking architecture and emphasized that it is vital that an organizations network infrastructure keeps pace with the business growth. Therefore, Network Audit Service is a must to identify and avoid potential problems caused by rapid expansions. He also mentioned that Network Audit can help determine how well the existing infrastructure is working, and gives an idea about new services and applications that may be required.
Mr. Sreejesh S taking a session on network auditing
COIMBATORE (REGION VII)

Mr. S N Ravichandran 24 April 2012: Cyber Security Meeting The speaker talked about threats and vulnerabilities in the context of cyber security. Highlighting today's challenges in this area, he recommended a cautious approach for all the netizens especially in the light of dangers posed by professional hackers and by organized hackers' groups. He spoke about the relevance of IT Act and the evidence mechanism. He described various IT Acts as amendments of 2008. He shared his experiences in investigating and assisting the police in investing cybercrime especially in bank fraud cases. He highlighted practical problems faced by investigators right from the stage of enquiry and FIR up to the stage of nal conviction.
From L to R : Mr. S N Ravichandran, Mr. C Ravi, and Mr. Valliappan
Dr. P Narayanaswamy, Dr. S Subha Rani, Dr. A Chitra, Dr. K Natarajan, and Dr. G Sankarasubramanian
24 June 2012: Orientation programme on How to face Anna University Engineering Counselling This orientation program was for aspiring engineering students. The objective was to provide a platform for parents and students to listen to and interact with senior academicians. The academic experts guided students on the Anna University Single Window Engineering Admission process and provided clarity on various queries regarding choice of branches/colleges and latest industry and placement trends. Dr. P Narayanaswamy assured the students that the process is very transparent.
Dr. P Narayanaswamy, addressing the details of engineering counseling of Anna University
Mr. Sandeep Agawam
25 June 2012: Talk on Enabling Business Agility in a Dynamic World

Mr. Sandeep Agawam spoke about changing times and the need to stay competitive. Businesses also have to change. Successful companies are preparing by shifting their focus from deployment to delivery. Citrix enables organizations to step ahead of new application requirements. Today, applications are the lifeblood of the enterprise. Organizations are increasingly represented by the quality of those applications. He mentioned that everyone in the organization will play an important role in delivering the benets of Desktop Virtualization to the business.
TRIVANDRUM (REGION VII)

Mr. Raghunandan Menon 30 June 2012: One-day workshop on Risk Management
Chapter organized a one-day case study based Workshop on Risk Management in Software Projects. The workshop focused on preparing an effective risk management plan by identifying risks, qualitative and quantitative risk analysis, risk response, and contingency planning using case studies in software projects.
Speaker during workshop
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From Student Branches

http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/chapternews-August2012
SPEAKER(S)
Prof. Amit Ganatra
TOPIC AND GIST

6 May 2012: An expert lecture on Research areas in Data Mining The speaker explained how to start research and discussed the exact ow of research. He spoke on classication and different algorithms used in data mining. He explained how classication & algorithm is useful in research and how to select a topic. He told students to select the subject rst and then nd papers on the subject. He spoke about various available tools like Weka , XL Miner, R-GUI in Data Mining and gave various examples of Data Mining.
AES INSTITUTE OF COMPUTER STUDIES (AESICS), AHMEDABAD (REGION-III)
Prof. Amit Ganatra giving lecture on research areas in data mining
Dr. Sashikant Sharma
6 May 2012: An expert lecture on Research areas in Articial Intelligence The speaker talked about different research areas in Image Processing, Image Compression, Image Segmentation, Image Pre-processing, Image Restoration, Image Sharpening, and Image Enhancement. He spoke about Geo Information Technology (GIS). He informed that ISRO has large satellite data available which can be used for research work and discussed about what type of research work is being done by researchers in Image processing. He gave example on Image sharpening and smoothing and explained various lters that are useful for removing noise in Image.
Dr. Sashikant Sharma giving lecture on research areas in image processing
NIRMA UNIVERSITY (REGION-III)

24 March 2012: Computer Literacy Program Since computers have become a necessity in todays world and so this event was aimed at teaching the underprivileged students about how to operate Internet, MS Word, Notepad, Paint etc. 31 March 2012: Inspirational Movie The students were shown an inspirational movie I am Kalam in the auditorium to teach them values.
Volunteers giving online training
BAPATLA ENGINEERING COLLEGE, BAPATLA, AP (REGION-V)

Dr. Mohit P Tahiliani 13-14 July 2012: Workshop on Network Simulator-2 The topics covered during the workshop were - a) C++ architecture of NS-2, b) Wired TCL Scripts, c) Wireless TCL Scripts, d) MANETs simulation using NS-2, e) Understanding Trace les, and f) Writing AWK Scripts. BTech students from Department of IT and Computer Science & Engineering underwent training on NS-2 tool in the workshop.
Speaker conducting the workshop
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SPEAKER(S)
TOPIC AND GIST
DADI INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY (DIET), ANAKAPALLE, AP (REGION-V)

Mr. S Poorna Chandra Rao and Prof. B Jagan Mohan Rao 23 June 2012: Alan Turing Centenary Celebrations and technical talk on Corporate Communication Speaking to students, Sri. S Poorna Chandra Rao remembered the great contribution to the computer industry by Alan Turing. He said that nowadays communication skills are important to present ourselves in front of interviewers of any company. He advised to inculcate learning of communication skills in parallel with their regular academics. He told students how to learn the technical skills. On this occasion, Prof. B Jagan Mohan Rao explained the contribution of Alan Turings research to the modern computer era.
Left: Speaker conducting technical talk, right: Participants at DIET
GMR INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, RAJAM, AP (REGION-V)

Mr. J Vasudeva Rao and Mr. M Satish 7 July 2012: Event with theme Express Yourself COLLAGE event was conducted with the theme Express yourself. Students brought newspaper cuttings, ribbons, magazine cuttings, and other paper material to participate in the event. Posters were made with innovative thinking and ideas. Creativity was applied to justify the theme. This event provided a platform for students to express themselves by designing a poster through paper cuttings in which they expressed their ideologies, interests, aims etc.
Students participating in the collage event
Mr. B S P Srinivas and Mr. MallikarjunaMatam
14-15 July 2012: Two-day National Workshop on Application Development using DOT NET Mr. B S P Srinivas inaugurated the workshop and on the rst day shared his knowledge on DOT NET, CLR Execution model, Building, Packaging, Deploying and Administering Applications, Types, and Assemblies. On the second day, Mr. MallikarjunaMatam delivered a lecture on ASP.NET, ADO.NET, les, images, and media and security in DOT NET.
From Left to Right: Mrs. G Anuradha, Mr.B S P Srinivas, Dr. C L V R S V Prasad, Mr. MallikarjunaMatam, and Prof. Shashikumar G Totad
K.K. WAGH INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION AND RESEARCH, NASHIK (REGION-VI)

Mr. Sumit Kumar Singhavi 14-15 July 2012: Two-day workshop on Cloud Computing Topics covered during the workshop were: a) Introduction to Cloud Computing and Salesforce.com demo, b) Developing Application on Salesforce.com, c) Developing Application on Google App Engine, and d) Cloud Security, QoS, Middle-wares and MobileComputing. Students from TE, BE Computer Engg., and TY MCA attended the workshop.
Speaker while conducting workshop
A.V.C. COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, MANNAMPANDAL (REGION-VII)

Mr. S Tamizhvendan 3 July 2012: Awareness Programme - Placement Opportunities The Resource Person started his session with the importance of communication skills and advised students to speak with more condence. He discussed many live examples and narrated small stories for showing the importance of attitude. He also touched upon the concepts of Object Oriented Programming. At the end, he asked students to read books and newspapers.
Mr. S Tamizhvendan delivering the lecture on placement opportunities
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SPEAKER(S)
Dr. S A Sahaaya Arul Mary, Mr. S Ramasamy, and Dr. N Kannan
TOPIC AND GIST

6 July 2012: Inaugural function for next year The welcome address was delivered by Dr. S A Sahaaya Arul Mary. Mr. S Ramasamy discussed various qualities that are required for software professional and the ways to improve communication. The presidential address was delivered by Dr. N Kannan.
JAYARAM COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY, TIRUCHIRAPALLI (REGION-VII)
Guests on stage for the inaugural function
S Sathiya Devi, Dr. S A Sahaaya Arul Mary, and Dr. N Kannan
20 July 2012: Seminar on Data Mining Prof. S Sathiya Devi explained various techniques in data mining and explained how to apply association rule mining in remote clinical diagnosis for health care. The welcome address was delivered by Dr. S A Sahaaya Arul Mary.
Guests on stage conducting seminar
Following new student branches were opened as detailed below REGION V B.N.M. Institute of Technology, Bangalore Inauguration of Student Branch was held on 11th May 2012. The chief guest of the function was Ms. K S Bhanumathi. Mr. Piyush Gupta was the resource person, who presented a talk on Cloud Computing & Virtualization. He highlighted the need for virtualization, advantages of virtualization and how cloud computing goes hand- inhand with virtualization. Dr. Kavitha C briefed on the benets of being a member to CSI and encouraged students to organize and participate in various activities.
Lighting of the lamp by the Dignitaries: Dr. B G Prasad, Prof. T J RamaMurthy, K S Bhanumathi, Piyush Gupta, Sri. Narayan Rao R Maanay, , Dr. r. K avith ha C Dr. Sahana D Gowda, Kavitha
REGION VII Union Christian College, Aluva, Kerala The CSI Student Branch was inaugurated on 25th June 2012. Mrs. Ambika I S, Chairperson, inaugurated the Chapter. In her inaugural address, she pointed out the benets of joining CSI and the various activities held under Cochin Chapter. The programme was presided over by Director of M.C.A, Dr. A V Alex. He gave an insight about the role of professional bodies like CSI in colleges.
Cochin : Mrs. Veena Jose, CSI welcoming the guests on the inauguration of the Student Chapter
Please send your event news to csic@csi-india.org . Low resolution photos and news without gist will not be published. Please send only 1 photo per event, not more. Kindly note that news received on or before 20th of a month will only be considered for publishing in the CSIC of the following month.
CSI CS I Co Comm Communications mmun mm unic un icat a io at ons n | Au August Augu gust gu st 2012 2012 | 47
Registered with Registrar of News Papers for India - RNI 31668/78 Regd. No. MH/MR/N/222/MBI/12-14 Posting Date: 10 & 11 every month. Posted at Patrika Channel Mumbai-I Date of Publication:10 & 11every month
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CSI 2012
47th Annual National Convention of the Computer Society of India

organized by The Kolkata Chapter December 1-2, 2012, Science City, Kolkata
Keynote Speakers
S V Raghavan Scientic Secretary,Ofce of the Principal Scientic Advisor to the Government of India, Chief Architect, National Knowledge Network Prof. Pradeep Ray Director of Asia-Pacic Ubiquitous Healthcare Research Centre (APuHC), School of Information Systems & Technology Management, University of New South Wales, Australia Prof. V S Subrahmanian Director of the Center for Digital International Government (CDIG), and Co-Director of the Laboratory for Computational Cultural Dynamics (LCCD) at the University of Maryland
Call for Paper and Participation Convention Theme: Intelligent Infrastructure Convention Event: International Conference on Intelligent Infrastructure
The Computer Society of India Kolkata Chapter (CSIKC) cordially invites you to participate in the 47th Annual National Convention of CSI. While this event will follow the glorious footsteps of previous conventions, it would still be a unique event focussing on the theme of Intelligent Infrastructure. The event will comprise of Plenary Sessions, Paper Presentations and Panel Discussions. Intelligent Infrastructure: Compelling changes in society and nature require fusion between the physical and the virtual worlds. Todays society is a complex system of systems; it is a combination of economic development, public safety, healthcare, energy and utilities, transportation, education and various other systems. The function of intelligent infrastructure is to model as well as manage these complex interconnected systems based on a greater understanding of the interconnectivity and utilisation of the latest developments in ICT. The inter-disciplinary nature of intelligent infrastructure provides a great deal of opportunity for creative approaches to problem solving.The International Conference on Intelligent Infrastructure in CSI-2012 aims to provide a platform for fruitful deliberations on this theme of the hour. The theme includes (but not limited to) following topics: Intelligent Infrastructure Applications Precision Agriculture and Smart Growth Systems Smart Grids and Wide Area Measurement Systems Intelligent Building Automation Systems Intelligent Energy and Water Management Systems Intelligent Manufacturing, Healthcare, Transportation Systems Intelligent Infrastructure Technologies Smart Structures and Federated Devices Sensor Signal Processing and Sensor Modelling Miniature Wireless Sensors and Networks, Nanoscale Sensors Security Issues in Smart Infrastructures, Smart GIS Computational and Machine Intelligence Tools Intelligent Infrastructure Platforms Sensor Web-enablement, Sensor Data Analytics Management of Big Data and Associated Development Technologies Next Generation Data Centre Technologies for the Exascale Era Proceedings: Original unpublished research articles, development notes and position papers aligned with the theme of the convention will be published in the Proceedings of the International Conference on Intelligent Infrastructure. The author instructions for paper submission are available at http:/ /csi-2012.org/.
Invited Speakers
Reji Kumar Pillai, President of India Smart Grid Forum Dr. Alakananda Banerjee, Head. Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Max Healthcare Vinod Gupta, Founder, Space Design Consultants Deepak Konnur, Vice President Solutions, Energy and Utilities - IBM Dr. Suman Bhusan Bhattacharyya, Head - Health Informatics , TCS Debasish Ghosh, CTO at Nomura Research Institute Financial Technologies Col. A. K. Nath (Retd.), Executive Director, Centre For Development of Advanced Computing Debabrata Ghosh, Senior Consultant, IBM India
Venue: Science City Kolkata

Convention Website: http://csi-2012.org/ (Paper submission through convention website) The conference proceedings will be published by:
Last date of paper submission: Aug 30, 2012 Notication of paper acceptance: Sept 30, 2012 Please contact CSI Kolkata Chapter 5 Lala Lajpat Sarani (Elgin Road), 4th Floor, Kolkata 700 020 Phones: 2281-4458 Telefax: 2280-2035 Email: csical@gmail.com Web: http://csi-kolkata.org/
Registration
Registration Category CSI Member Non CSI Member Students Early (Till 30/10/2012) Rs. 4500 Rs. 5000 Rs. 2000
Late (After 30/10/2012) Rs. 5400 Rs. 6000 Rs. 3000
Journal Special Issues: CSI Journal of Computing (ISSN: 2277-7091) will publish a special issue on Intelligent Infrastructure after FAST TRACK review of extended versions of selected papers from the conference.

Magazine: History of IT in India

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ISSN 0970-647X | Volume No. 36 | Issue No.

CSI Calendar 2012

August 2012 Events

September 2012 Events

October 2012 Events

November 2012 Events

December 2012 Events

6-8 Dec. 2012

CSI Communications Contents

Computing in Kolkata - Strolling Down Memory Lane

Programming.Learn (Python) GUI Design with Python

Digital World Beckons Marketers!!!

Design, Print and Dispatch by

Happenings@ICT: ICT News Briefs in July 2012

CSI Communications | August 2012 | 1

Know Your CSI

Hon. Secretary Mr. S Ramanathan secretary@csi-india.org

Nomination Committee (2012-2013)

Division Chairpersons, National Student Coordinator & Publication Committee Chairman

Important links on CSI website

* Access is for CSI members only.

Important Contact Details

For queries, correspondenceregarding Membership, contact helpdesk@csi-india.org

Student Chapter Handbook

With best wishes, Satish Babu President

CSI Communications | August 2012 | 3

Rajendra M Sonar, Achuthsankar S Nair, Debasish Jana and Jayshree Dhere

Dear Fellow CSI Members,

CSI Communications | August 2012 | 4

Dr. Debasish Jana

Computing in Kolkata - Strolling Down Memory Lane

Glimpsing through Early Days of Computers in Kolkata

CSI Communications | August 2012 | 5

Reminiscences of Computing: Infrastructure and Practice

CSI Communications | August 2012 | 6

Reminiscences of Computing: Education, Teaching, and Practice

Reminiscences of Computing: Education, Infrastructure, Teaching, and Practice

IT Scenario in Seventies and Early Eighties, Contribution of RCC

CSI Communications | August 2012 | 7

CSI Communications | August 2012 | 8

About A Forgotten Pioneer: Prof. Arun Kumar Chaudhuri

CSI Communications | August 2012 | 9

Exhibition of books at First CSI Convention 1965, Kolkata

Views from Disciples made in Jadavpur University

CSI Communications | August 2012 | 10

Angshuman Guha, Principal Engineer, Yandex Labs, California, USA

Suprateek Sarker, Professor, Washington State University, USA

CSI Communications | August 2012 | 11

Software Techniques in Computer Graphic Technology

CSI Communications | August 2012 | 12

CIRCLE SCALE MOVE

(CI) (SC) (MO)

CSI Communications | August 2012 | 13

CSI Communications | August 2012 | 14

Challenges in Early days of Programming in IBM 360 - An Introspection

IBM 360, Fortran4 Programming and the Punched Card System

Early Computing - Art or Science?

Labour Intensive Software Development Process

CSI Communications | August 2012 | 15

CSI Communications | August 2012 | 16

Program Segmentation and Memory Overlays

Disappointing Outputs and Time Waste

About the Author

CSI Communications | August 2012 | 17