www.csi-india.org ISSN 0970-647X | Volume No. 35 | Issue No. 12 | March 2012 ` 50/- Hardware Techniques inVLSI Machine Intelligence Memory-based Education Integrating ICT inTeacher Quality ofEducation by Towards Improving the A Perspective in Software Cost Estimation: Computational Intelligence Conquer Strategy by Transform and Pattern Recognition Compression and Generation Vehicles Data Traffi Data Compression and Mystery of Through theHistory c in New 22
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Our Thirst? Will aYottabyte Quench ICT@Society » Behavior andTechnology in Depth Personnel Security -Defense Information Security » Operations, Tata Power Executive Director – Mr. S.Padmanabhan, Interview with Engineer’s Python (“Python”) » Programming.Learn Wisdom Software: Pragmatics and Towards Freedom of Programming.Freedom() »
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32 Launching India’s 1st Online Programme in Information Security
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EKLAVYATM Defense-in-depth for Information Security Certified Defense-in-depth Professional (CD-I-DP) (7 layers of defense) After completion of EKLAVYATM programme candidate will be Certified Defense-in-depth Professional (CD-I-DP- EKLAVYATM) recognized by India’s pioneering company in Information Security, MIEL e-Security Pvt. Ltd. & the world renowned Computer Society of India (CSI).
For Registrations Please Contact : MIEL e-Security Pvt. Ltd. AML Centre 1, 4th floor, 8 Mahal Industrial Estate, Off. Mahakali Caves Road, Andheri (E), Mumbai - 400 093, India. Tel.: +91(22) 30096956 / 58 / 59 / 62 Mobile: +91 9324029063 Email : [email protected] / [email protected] URL : www.mielesecurity.com / www.mielacademy.com MIEL Academy, the education services department of MIEL e-Security Pvt. Ltd. DISCLAIMER NOTICE : The information contained in this electronic mail ("e-mail") transmission is intended by MIEL e-Security Private Limited for the use of the named individual or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged or otherwise confidential. It is not intended for transmission to, or receipt by, any individual or entity other than the named addressee (or a person authorized to deliver it to the named addressee), except as otherwise expressly permitted in this e-mail transmission. If you are not the intended recipient and have received this e-mail transmission by error, please do not read, copy, use, disseminate or disclose this communication to others. We do not send or support spam. You are receiving this information because you have been exclusively selected. However, If you do not wish to receive any email from us in future or to unsubscribe, please reply to this mail with "Remove from List” in the subject line and e-mail for faster response and action. CSI Communications Contents
Volume No. 35 • Issue No. 12 • March 2012
Editorial Board Cover Sto ry Practitioner Workbench Through the History and Mystery of Programming.Freedom() » Chief Editor 6 Data Compression 25 Towards Freedom of Software: Dr. R M Sonar Praveen V Pragmatics and Wisdom Dr. Debasish Jana Editors Dr. Debasish Jana Technical Trends Dr. Achuthsankar Nair Data Traffi c in New Generation Vehicles Programming.Learn (“Python”) » 9 Ragesh N K 27 Engineer’s Python Resident Editor Umesh P Mrs. Jayshree Dhere Articles Advisors Compression and Pattern Recognition by CIO Perspective Dr. T V Gopal Transform and Conquer Strategy Interview with Mr. S. Padmanabhan, Mr. H R Mohan 13 Sajilal D 28 Executive Director – Operations, Tata Power Published by Computational Intelligence in Software Cost Dr. R M Sonar and Mrs. Jayshree A Dhere Executive Secretary Estimation: A Perspective Mr. Suchit Gogwekar 15 Tirimula Rao Benala, Satchidananda Dehuri, and For Computer Society of India Rajib Mall Security Corner Information Security » Towards Improving the Quality of Education by Personnel Security - Defense in Depth Integrating ICT in Teacher Education 30 19 Avinash W Kadam Raju Narayana Swamy I.A.S.
HR Research Front Behavior and Technology Memory-based Machine Intelligence Dr. Mahesh Deshmukh and Dr. Manish Godse 22 Techniques in VLSI Hardware 32 Dr. A P James
Please note: CSI Communications is published by Computer Society of India, a non-profi t organization. PLUS Views and opinions expressed in the CSI Communications are those of individual authors, ICT@Society: Will a Yottabyte Quench Our Thirst? contributors and advertisers and they may 33 diff er from policies and offi cial statements of Achuthsankar S Nair CSI. These should not be construed as legal or professional advice. The CSI, the publisher, the Brain Teaser editors and the contributors are not responsible Dr. Debasish Jana 34 for any decisions taken by readers on the basis of these views and opinions. Ask an Expert Although every care is being taken to ensure Dr. Debasish Jana 35 genuineness of the writings in this publication, CSI Communications does not attest to the originality of the respective authors’ content. Happenings@ICT: ICT News Briefs in February 2012 H R Mohan 36 © 2011 CSI. All rights reserved. Instructors are permitted to photocopy isolated On the Shelf! Book Review articles for non-commercial classroom use 37 without fee. For any other copying, reprint or Mrs. Jayshree A Dhere republication, permission must be obtained in writing from the Society. Copying for other CSI Report: Bridging the Global Language Culture through Information Technology! 38 than personal use or internal reference, or of S R Karode articles or columns not owned by the Society without explicit permission of the Society or the CSI News 40 copyright owner is strictly prohibited.
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 1 Know Your CSI
Executive Committee (2011-12/13) »
President Vice-President Hon. Secretary Mr. M D Agrawal Mr. Satish Babu Prof. H R Vishwakarma [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Hon. Treasurer Immd. Past President Mr. V L Mehta Prof. P Thrimurthy [email protected] [email protected]
Nomination Committee Members (2011-2012) Prof. (Dr.) A K Nayak Mr. P R Rangaswami Mr. Sanjay K Mohanty
Regional Vice-Presidents Region - I Region - II Region - III Region - IV Mr. R K Vyas Prof. Dipti Prasad Mukherjee Mr. Anil Srivastava Mr. Sanjay Mohapatra Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Assam, Bihar, West Bengal, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, North Eastern States Rajasthan and other areas Orissa and other areas in Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal and and other areas in in Western India Central & South other areas in Northern India. East & North East India Eastern India Region - V Region - VI Region - VII Region - VIII Prof. D B V Sarma Mr. C G Sahasarabudhe Mr. Ramasamy S Mr. Jayant Krishna Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh Maharashtra and Goa Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, International Members Andaman and Nicobar, Kerala, Lakshadweep
Division Chairpersons, National Student Coordinator & Publication Committee Chairman Division-I : Hardware (2011-13) Division-II : Software (2010-12) Division-III : Applications (2011-13) National Student Coordinator Dr. C R Chakravarthy Dr. T V Gopal Dr. Debesh Das Mr. Ranga Raj Gopal [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Division-IV : Communications Division-V : Education and Research Publication Committee (2010-12) (2011-13) Chairman Mr. H R Mohan Dr. N L Sarda Prof. R K Shyamasundar [email protected] [email protected] Important links on CSI website » Structure & Organisation http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/structure ExecCom Transacts http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/execcom-transacts1 National, Regional & http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/structure/nsc News & Announcements archive http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/announcements State Students Coordinators CSI Divisions and their respective web links Statutory Committees http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/statutory-committees Division-Hardware http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/division1 Collaborations http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/collaborations Division Software http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/division2 Join Now - http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/join Division Application http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/division3 Renew Membership http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/renew Division Communications http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/division4 Member Eligibility http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/eligibility Division Education and Research http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/division5 Member Benefi ts http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/benifi ts List of SIGs and their respective web links Subscription Fees http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/subscription-fees SIG-Artifi cial Intelligence http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/csi-sig-ai Forms Download http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/forms-download SIG-eGovernance http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/csi-sig-egov BABA Scheme http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/baba-scheme SIG-FOSS http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/csi-sig-foss Publications http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/publications SIG-Software Engineering http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/csi-sig-se CSI Communications* http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/info-center/communications SIG-DATA http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/csi-sigdata Adhyayan* http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/adhyayan SIG-Distributed Systems http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/csi-sig-ds R & D Projects http://csi-india.org/web/csi/1204 SIG-Humane Computing http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/csi-sig-humane Technical Papers http://csi-india.org/web/csi/technical-papers SIG-Information Security http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/csi-sig-is Tutorials http://csi-india.org/web/csi/tutorials SIG-Web 2.0 and SNS http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/sig-web-2.0 Course Curriculum http://csi-india.org/web/csi/course-curriculum SIG-BVIT http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/sig-bvit Training Program http://csi-india.org/web/csi/training-programs SIG-WNs http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/sig-fwns (CSI Education Products) SIG-Green IT http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/sig-green-it Travel support for International http://csi-india.org/web/csi/travel-support SIG-HPC http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/sig-hpc Conference SIG-TSSR http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/sig-tssr eNewsletter* http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/enewsletter Other Links - Current Issue http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/current-issue Forums http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/discuss-share/forums Archives http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/archives Blogs http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/discuss-share/blogs Policy Guidelines http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/helpdesk Communities* http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/discuss-share/communities Events http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/events1 CSI Chapters http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/chapters President’s Desk http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/infocenter/president-s-desk Calendar of Events http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/csi-eventcalendar * Access is for CSI members only. Important Contact Details » For queries, announcements, correspondence regarding Membership, contact [email protected] For any other queries, contact [email protected]
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 2 www.csi-india.org M. D. Agrawal President’s Message From : [email protected] Subject : President’s Desk Date : 1st March, 2012 Dear Colleagues, On the eve of CSI’s 47th Foundation day on 6th March, 2012, I activities. Prof. Rajeev Sangal, extend my hearty good wishes to all members and associates. I Director, IIIT Hyderabad, have always admired the passion and commitment of our members connected us with a group of towards building CSI as a vibrant professional body, and wondered conference organizers, who are what drives them to do this noble work for society, many a times committed for research focused at the cost of their personal comforts and priorities. The pleasure conferences. Our connection of working for societal transformation through use of Science with Joint Secretary in DIT and Technology is no doubt a source of motivation. Our visionary opened up new opportunities founders realized early the potential of ICT in transforming the life for participating in Government of citizens and in making the Globe a better place to live in, and education programs. Mr Anil set up a long term mission and sound objectives for society, which Srivastava, IAS, before he became continue to motivate our members. ExecCom member, set new There is no dearth of committed individuals in our country, benchmarks of CSI Excellence who are passionate about working for societal and professional Awards. Prof Kannan from IIIT improvements. It is a welcome development that Government Mumbai volunteers to off er free tutorials to student community. is inviting successful entrepreneurs to take lead and leverage Our Special Interest Group platform can easily provide opportunity their experience of using ICT for societal cause in helping the to such type of individuals to lead CSI technical activities. There Government in bringing in far-reaching improvements in the life shall be constant endeavor and search for inviting such seniors to of citizens and solving national problems through use of ICT. help society. The recent invitation to IT wizards viz. Shri. Nandan Nilkani, Our plans of setting up few Centres of excellence (COE) may former CEO of Infosys & CSI Fellow and Padma Vibhushan, Shri. also attract many talented individuals to use CSI platform, where S Ramadorai, Former CEO of TCS & also CSI Fellow by the rank of industry, educational institutions and government agencies work Cabinet Ministers is but a starting step. There is a strong need to cohesively to develop new education services to industry and invite many more successful entrepreneurs to help Central, State design industry focused education programs. I am hopeful that and many other government organizations and the bodies that are the new committee shall explore these possibilities actively. involved both in policy formation and providing guidance on full Association with Corporate Bodies: During last couple of time basis for eff ective usage of ICT. years, we started losing membership of corporate bodies. Though, Good political support and entrusting the leadership for in most of our technical workshops, conferences, majority of these changes in the hands of successful entrepreneurs and participants are from corporate organizations, there seems to be thought leaders has the power to help bottom of Pyramid in less interest towards CSI membership. I am sure, our new model areas of literacy, health, education, employment, productivity, of off ering complimentary membership to the attendees of CSI micro-fi nance etc . CSI will have good opportunity to participate programs shall help in this direction. Newly appointed committee- and take active part in these kind of initiatives being led by IT KYC will examine and try to suggest new schemes and services Entrepreneurs. DIT and DSCI have started seeking help from for this segment. Some corporate organizations would like to CSI on competency development exercise. I am sure, our good use knowledge base of CSI and would like to take expert help of contacts with seniors and with government offi cials and ministers CSI seniors for training and seeking guidance on their projects. both State and Central Government will start off ering new As Dr. Ramani rightly advised, CSI shall build a strong database opportunities. Collaboration, Networking with entrepreneurs and of around 1000 experts, whose knowledge can be a great help development partnership with leading education institutions shall to our corporate members. Some guest lectures, mentoring be our priority to seek leading role for CSI. I am hopeful that in sessions, publishing of their best practices and successful case future the new committee will put more eff orts to build strong studies, inviting CIOs and their senior managers at CSI forums relationships on these fronts. Some of our chapters located in state and at Student branches may off er a good reason to corporate capitals shall also leverage these kinds of opportunities. Extending organizations to get associated with CSI. Our local Chapters shall help in developing competencies, standardization, modernization put conscious eff orts to start relationship and engagements with of education systems as per growing industry requirements and CIOs and senior staff and shall communicate advantages of CSI motivating youngsters for research and entrepreneurship may be Membership. a good agenda for our plans and programs. Association with Government Organizations: Major IT Association with Institutions and Experts: Powerful ideas, Investment is happening in government and semi-government association with committed and resourceful personalities are sector. There is a good scope for skill development, training always a great source of growth and help to building strong and empowerment of staff with IT knowledge and systems. committees. During the last two decades, CSI’s bondage with this Our director education shall put additional eff orts in studying category has weakened. It will require a conscious approach to such requirements and identify opportunities. We shall actively strengthen it. Recently, the CEO of a large IT company approached approach concerned departments in Government. Recently, I was me, expressing his desire to take a lead role in CSI. Considering contacted by DOEACC offi cials, who want CSI to off er training his passion for IT and relationship, I requested him to help our programs to employees of health and agricultural service sector. e-Governance Centre of excellence. We had seen during last 2-3 Association with Youngsters and Professionals: World- years, advantages of association with such senior academicians, wide professional societies are off ering counseling, mentoring industry people, Government offi cials in spearheading new and helping professionals to augment their knowledge with
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 3 new subjects of IT through certifi cation programs and attending with ExecCom members shall deliberate and try to draw an action workshops. Under leadership of Prof. NL Sarda, attempts are being plan to implement such ideas. I request, our chapters and student made to develop CSI certifi cation programs, both with our own branches to add in their activity list, promotion of research as an resources and under PPP model. We need to further strengthen important agenda. Organizing R & D workshops shall be helpful. this initiative and develop astructure to take on these activities. Considering long term benefits, we decided to publish In our membership base, students count more than 80%. A CSI communications through a professional agency; M/s majority of working ICT professionals have strong need of these CyberMedia. This may help us to reach new members and empowerments. This may be enabled through partnership with to use big network of M/s CyberMedia. Our sincere thanks to quality education institutions, group of experts and academicians. Mr. Pradeep Gupta, MD and his team to take up this responsibility. Currently, Mumbai Chapter is leveraging their resources to On 6th March, 2012, the auspicious occasion of 47th CSI kickstart development of few certifi cation programs. Based on foundation day, facility of Open Access Computing Research their experience, other chapters especially Bangalore and Chennai Journal – www.csijournal.org would be launched. My sincere can follow suit. Director education shall extend help. thanks to our research committee for enunciating this project and Focus on Research and Innovations: Friends, along with to Prof. Shyamsundar, who championed this cause. Members will adopting practice of good governance in services, there is be highly benefi ted. great need to start new programs to promote research and Ranchi Chapter hosted an International Conference in development. History cites many examples where zeal of groups partnership with local Industry. It is healthy development where of individuals has brought desired change. Unless India develops CSI platform is being used by Industry to share latest trends. Our a strong research ecosystem in ICT and telecom related fi elds, as CSI veteran and fellow, Dr D D Sarma successfully organized an per studies, sustainability may become a challenge. We shall take International Conference in Hyderabad. Our all India Student conscious decision to defi ne road map of new activities on this Co-ordinator started a new initiative of organizing an Student front. We shall leverage our relationship with various academic Computer Quiz under partnership with Microsoft. My sincere institutions and provide a network and connect with industry. thanks to them for all these grand eff orts. Prof. NL Sarda, our Divisional Chairman - Education & Research Recently national elections were concluded with active came up with a suggestion of starting 4-5 research bins in the support of our Nomination Committee led by Prof A K Nayak, form of business incubation facility to help entrepreneurship in Mr Rangaswami and Mr Mohanty with the help of HQ Staff . They specifi c areas such as education and mobile-based solutions, are also putting hard eff orts to complete chapter elections. Few which may also be a good utilization of CSI Mumbai Chapter’s old defunct chapters got revived with support of our Regional VPs, premises. Some initial limited-time in-house incubation help can Hon. Secretary and Dr Bhatia. Eff orts shall continue. Sincere be provided to make entrepreneurs to start off with their work. appreciations to all team members. Few mentors and experienced entrepreneurs may be invited to I convey hearty congratulations to all newly elected members setup this facility. With this, both purposes will be served: using both at National and at Chapter level and wish all round success premises for a noble cause and promoting entrepreneurs under to our new committees. CSI platform. I am sure this investment will pay off in the long run Activities during last two years may be considered as the and increase credibility of CSI in the Industry. start of a turnaround in CSI. We have witnessed fourfold increase Innovations and research in IT can indeed integrate in CSI activities. Many good quality conferences and technical computing specialists, scientists in diff erent disciplines and programs were organized. There is a long list of activities and engineers by bringing them together on one platform. Prof. contributions, which you can refer in my President’s Message Shyamsundar rightly presented in CSI National Convention at dated 1st Oct, 2011. I would like to convey my sincere thanks to Ahmedabad, some research opportunities for CSI, few of which I fellow ExecCom members, members and conveners of special am mentioning below - committees, members of editorial board and individuals, who 1. Be an enabler for the Indian computing research community came forward to initiate, develop and deploy new services for the to identify major research opportunities for the fi eld and benefi t of members. My sincere thanks to Industry partners, who create avenues/platforms for community participation in the extended their fi nancial help to CSI events & programs. process for academia, industry, entrepreneurs, and business. Friends, I enjoyed this journey of strengthening CSI 2. Conduct some surveys and share futuristic projections like - organization, and starting quite a few new initiatives and services i. What are the next big computing ideas? and teaming up with some of you. I am sure, considering benefi ts ii. What are the considerations for inclusive growth? of these new initiatives, progress on the implementation of these iii. What attracts the best and brightest minds of a new will continue in the hands of new committee under able leadership generation? of incoming President , Shri Satish Babu and President Elect, Prof. iv. Provide a regular CS/IT/ICT R & D Status and make SV Raghavan and with support of all ExecCom members, Chapter future predictions. Committees, Special Committees and CSI offi cials. v. Provide regularly white papers on ICT areas I will cherish my association with all of you with gratitude. I vi. Extend help to evaluate education standards in various convey once again sincere thanks for providing me this honor of institutions serving society as President. vii. Develop a mentor pool for students with educational With Love institutions, professionals, innovators etc Jai Hind. There may be many good ideas and thoughts in promotion of research agenda under CSI. Our research committee along M D Agrawal
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 4 www.csi-india.org Rajendra M Sonar, Achuthsankar S Nair, Debasish Jana and Jayshree Dhere Editorial Editors
Dear Fellow CSI Members: The word Information Technology hides behind it a strange Research Front section has an article by Dr. A P James from contradiction. As Technology marches forward, Information the Machine Intelligence Research Group at IIITMK. He gives grows and the unprecedented growth in information makes insights about ‘Memory-based Machine Intelligence Techniques the march not so great. This competition between technology in VLSI Hardware’. and information is the context of data compression - the focus Practitioner Workbench column has two sections – one of this month’s issue of CSI Communications. Words like on Programming.Freedom() which features an article titled Zip, MP3, OGG, JPEG, MPEG are all acronyms that mark the ‘Towards Freedom of Software: Pragmatics and Wisdom’ achievement of data compression technologies. and the other on Programming.Learn(“Python”) section goes ahead to introduce NumPy package. CIO Perspective column covers an interview with … As Technology marches forward, Mr. S. Padmanabhan, who is currently Executive Director of Information grows and the Operations at The Tata Power Company Ltd. Having had a long unprecedented growth in information career with TCS, Mr. Padmanabhan is well equipped with lot of practical tips for CIOs as well as for IT professionals who makes the march not so great … aspire to assume a role of CIO in times to come. Information Security column has an article on Our cover story article titled ‘Through the History and ‘Personnel Security – Defence in Depth’ by Mr. Avinash Mystery of Data Compression written by Praveen V. gives an Kadam. In this article Mr. Kadam, writes about the last and overview of the historical perspective of data compression the most important layer in the defence in depth model and provides an insight into this puzzle. The article by Ragesh i.e. personnel security and with this article, his series of N K on ‘Data Traffi c in New Generation Vehicles’ looks at articles is concluded. HR section has a short article written data compression application specifi c to a sector - that of by Dr. Mahesh Deshmukh and Dr. Manish Godse on ‘Behavior requirements for modern automobiles. and Technology’ where they write about the importance of Yet another article titled ‘Compression and Pattern soft skills for IT professionals. Recognition by Transform and Conquer Strategy’ is also Our ICT@Society features a write-up on ‘Will a an insightful article on the topic of data compression and is Yottabyte Quench Our Thirst?’ which provides some written by Sajilal D. In this article, he argues his case for the interesting information about our ever growing appetite for transform and conquer strategy for data compression and also more memory. As usual there are other regular features such for pattern recognition. as Brain Teaser, Ask an Expert, Happenings@ICT and Book The Article section is also enriched with an article titled Review (On the Shelf!). CSI News is about various chapter ‘Computational Intelligence in Software Cost Estimation: A and student branch events. perspective’. The article h been co-authored by Tirimula Rao Benala from Dept. of Computer Science and Engineering, Computational Intelligence is an ANITS, Visakhapatnam, Satchindana Dehuri from Department of Information & Communication Technology, Fakir Mohan adaptive mechanism for enabling University, Balasoreand Rajib Mall from Dept. of Computer intelligent behaviour in complicated, Science and Engineering, IIT, Kharagpur. Computational uncertain and changing environments Intelligence is an adaptive mechanism for enabling intelligent behaviour in complicated, uncertain and changing and in this article, authors provide environments and in this article, authors provide guidance guidance for applying the technique to for applying the technique to software cost estimation, which is aff ected by number of factors based on how a particular software cost estimation. software solution is achieved. There is one more article in the article section titled Please note that we welcome your feedback, contributions ‘Towards Improving the Quality of Education by Integrating and suggestions at [email protected]. ICT in Teacher Education’ written by Dr Raju Narayana Swamy, where the author tries to bring out the facts of the impact of With warm regards, ICT on educational trainers. This article discusses the factors Rajendra M Sonar, Achuthsankar S Nair, which stimulate or limit the innovative use of ICT by teacher educators in Kerala and conclusions and suggestions are based Debasish Jana and Jayshree Dhere on the survey analysis which is used for the study. Editors
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 5 Cover Praveen V Story Through the History and Mystery of Data Compression
While technology keeps growing, reduce the physical capacity of data. the late 1970s, software programs started the world keeps shrinking. Data compression techniques deploying Huff man encoding. In 1977, Everything seems to be can be broadly classifi ed into Abraham Lempel and Jacob Ziv introduced nearer and smaller to you. two ways: lossless and lossy the idea of pointer-based encoding. Our world has changed a compression. As the name During mid-1980s, the pioneering work lot from an era where a implies, the encoded data done by Terry Welch led to innovation computer used to occupy while restored will be identical of Lempel–Ziv–Welch (LZW) algorithm a room to the present to original data in the case of which later became the most popular where supercomputers lossless compression. But in algorithm for many general purpose can be conveniently carried the case of lossy compression, compression systems. This has been used in your hand. It would be an there are many trade-off s for implementation in programs like PKZIP understatement to merely whereby some degradation in the and also used in hardware devices like term this transformation as a quality of data will occur as part modems. During the late 1980s, digital technological growth; rather, Claude Shannon of compression. This degradation images became so popular that standards it should be termed a technological may be termed as noise. Noise is also for image compression started evolving. In explosion. This transformation has considered as the error which is incurred 1990s, lossless compression evolved. certainly occurred as part of wonderful during the reconstruction of original Most of you will be familiar with contributions by many eminent data from encoded data. The various the term ‘mp3’ associated with audio personalities the world over. In this lossless compression techniques include fi les. Basically, ‘mp3’ is a standard for context, the period in history which run length encoding, Huff man encoding, audio compression. ‘Mp3’ is a part of marked the advent of data compression delta encoding, LZW encoding, and so on. Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG). In has got a remarkable role to play in Similarly, Coarser sampling/quantization, January 1988, MPEG was established as this aspect. It is truly fascinating to JPEG, and MPEG are some of the popular a subcommittee of International Stand- fi gure out how data compression and lossy compression techniques. ards Organization (ISO)/International its wide techniques have facilitated this Retracing history, it can be Electro-technical Organization. It transformation. As we know the massive observed that the fi rst form might be interesting to know how world of Internet is extensively using data of data compression was the ‘mp3’ standard for audio compression techniques in innumerable introduced in 1838 in Morse fi les has evolved. Karlheinz ways, without which the dreams of web code for telegraphy. Here, Brandenburg is often known as technology booms would never have shorter code words were father of ‘mp3’. In April 1989, been possible. used for letters like ‘e’ and Fraunhofer received a German Data Compression is the process of ‘t’, which are more common patent for ‘mp3’. In 1992, encoding the data, so that fewer bits will in English language. The Fraunhofer and Dieter Seitzer’s be needed to represent the original data development of Information audio coding algorithm was whereby the size of the data is reduced. theory in 1940s ignited the implemented in MPEG-1. This is done by means of specifi c encoding drastic evolution of numerous MPEG-1 was published in 1993. In schemes. The primary intention is to techniques in data compression 1994, MPEG-2 was developed and fi eld. In 1949, Claude Shannon Robert Fano published a year later. US patent for and Robert Fano devised a technique ‘mp3’ was issued on 26th November, 1996. for compression by assigning code Have you ever known that the fi rst music words based on probabilities of blocks records in ‘mp3’ format were distributed in the data to be compressed. These by a music company named SubPop? compressions were confi ned to hardware As usual there should be some implementations. mechanism to measure the effi ciency of During mid-1970s, the technique of compression without which an eff ective dynamic updation of code words based on rating of the compression techniques accurate data was put forward by Huff man. may not be possible. The compression In fact, Huff man is informally known as effi ciency is measured in bits per byte unit Israel’s father of data compression taking (bpp). Bpp is calculated as (compressed into account his outstanding contributions length/original length) × 8. For instance, to R&D infrastructure of the country. In consider the original length as 1000 bytes
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 6 www.csi-india.org Evolution of Data Compression 1838 Morse code introduced in telegraphy During 1940s Introduction of Information theory 1949 Compression technique introduced by Claude Shannon and Robert Fano During mid-1970s Huff man introduced dynamic updation of code words Late 1970s Software programs started developing using Huff man encoding 1977 Pointer-based encoding introduced by Lempel and Ziv During mid-1980s LZW algorithm was introduced 1990s Evolution of lossless compression and encoded length as 250 JPEG or GIF format to optimize the data the download of an uncompress TIFF bytes. So the compression transfer during Internet access. Can (~ 600 KB) image via a 33.6 kbps modem. quality is (250/1000) × you imagine what would happen if If compressed with lossless compression, 8, which is 2, i.e. 2 bits no such compression techniques i.e. GIF, the size would get down to 300 are required in encoded were applied? The entire size of KB (performance boost of 100%) and data to represent one data managed in web would have if quality can be compromised with a byte in original data. been so huge that to maintain lossy option (i.e. JPEG) the size would be In certain cases, the the same quality of service reduced by a factor 10 (30 KB) off ering compression ratio (QOS) in communication, the substantial performances in speed. is also mentioned infrastructure needed would Working out the time consumed for in bits per character have been substantially higher. downloading, the uncompressed TIFF (bpc). This notation is In turn, the size of the data servers image would cost us around 150 seconds, widely used in the case and web farms also would have been while the lossless technique will take of text fi les. It needs to be enormously big. The modems that we around 70 seconds and a lossy technique specifi cally noted that bpc typically use to connect to the web also would only take around 12 seconds. This notation cannot be used for Abraham Lempel use data compression for data transfer example easily illustrates the phenomenal binary data. Using lossless compression, and communication. HDTV uses MPEG-2 gains achieved by images present in web if typical compression ratio achieved for test compression with which the movies can be compressed. Most the websites that you fi les were 3:1. For photographic images, eff ectively transmitted with the available access contain numerous such images lossless compression could achieve a bandwidth. In most of the storage and you can think about the time taken compression ratio of 2:1 and that for lossy, systems, the size of the hard for downloading those sites! 20:1. disk got substantially reduced The amount of human genomic As I already mentioned, data with the introduction data available in public database compression has played an outstanding of many compressing is increasing exponentially day signifi cant role in many relevant schemes. The backup by day. As a result, manipulation technological areas. To mention all the utilities also utilize the of genomic data also becomes applicable areas is a cumbersome task. advantage of compression more diffi cult. Have you heard However, I shall mention some crucial techniques. Spread of 1000 genomes project areas where it has become so handy. sheet applications and where 1000 genomic data Most of us are already aware about the database management was planned to be recorded immensity of Internet technology, and I can systems could also get (http://www.1000genomes.org). swear that more than 90% of individuals the advantage. It was estimated to generate 8.2 who read this article have accessed For instance, let us billion nucleotide bases per day. Internet at least once a day. During your consider a typical example It makes you wonder when you hear access, you probably downloaded fi les which can easily capture the David Huff man the uncompressed size of a human or images from Internet. Almost all the magical advantages off ered by data phenotype which comes around 139 images in web are compressed using compression techniques. Consider exabyte (1 exabyte is almost equivalent to 1010 gigabyte). So could you just imagine “Can you imagine what would happen if no such compression how much it would come around if you record the information of 1000 such techniques were applied? The entire size of data managed in web genomes? But the most mesmerizing would have been so huge that to maintain the same quality of service fact is that with the effi cient use of (QOS) in communication, the infrastructure needed would have been compression techniques, 1000 human substantially higher.” genomes with its 6 trillion bases could be eff ectively stored in 4−5 GB.
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 7 It would be unfair not to algorithm. On performing this discuss some of the latest transformation, each input “The future of data compression techniques involved in data symbol will be replaced by is very promising as the compression. Have you ever a code which denotes the dependency on compression is heard the term “Entropy position of the symbol encoding” related to data in symbol table. The getting increased. For example, compression? It is nothing symbol table consists the WebTV, HDTV, and many but a lossless compression of entire symbol used gaming applications may get technique which can be to represent input data. applied irrespective of Both the encoder and benefi tted in future.” the characteristics of the decoder should have the medium. Huff man encoding same symbol table with implemented in their database and arithmetic encoding symbols in same position. By applications. Nowadays, there are a lot are two common examples of applying this transformation, of data compression softwares available entropy encoding. In simple words, entropy encoding becomes more Jacob Ziv in web. Some of them are 7Zip, Zlib, entropy encoding is the process of effi cient without any performance compression data whereby fewer bits are degradation. GZip, P7Zip etc. Now even the technology master, “... entropy encoding is the process of compression data whereby fewer IBM, has entered into data compression research by acquiring the data bits are used to represent frequently appearing patterns and many bits compression company Storwize. In for rarely appearing patterns.” addition, IBM is poised to play a major role in the fi eld of real-time data compression. used to represent frequently appearing The major advancements in data The future of data compression is patterns and many bits for rarely appearing compression techniques achieved by very promising as the dependency on patterns. The term entropy means the stalwarts such as Huff man, Lempel, compression is getting increased. For smallest number of bits required to Ziv, and many other great scientists represent a symbol. As per Shannon’s has led the world to the summit example, the WebTV, HDTV, and many theory, the minimum length of technological advancements. gaming applications may get benefi tted required to represent a symbol It has gone a long way in in future. Also more advanced modems is given by -logbP where b is making us feel that the size with effi cient compression algorithms can the number of symbols used of world has in fact shrunk. lead to smarter exchange of data through to make the output code and The immense growth web. In addition, NASA, Canadian, P is the probability of the of web technology has European, and Japanese space agencies input symbol. been made viable by data are together planning for a program to In certain cases, input compression techniques monitor the global change that generates data transformations are and algorithms. Even 0.5 TB data per day. So it is crystal clear performed as an additional Oracle Corporation step during data compression has presented a white that it is surely going to get the benefi ts process. In entropy encoding, paper discussing how of data compression. We shall hope for move-to-front transformation the company’s overall disk many new innovations in the fi eld of data is done to reduce the redundancy consumption has been reduced compression in future which will surely Brandenburg and to increase the effi ciency of by the compression techniques take technology to greater heights. n
About the Author
Praveen V is working as a Lead Engineer with NeST Technologies Pvt. Ltd. He has been working as an employee in Health Care Business Unit of NeST for the past fi ve years. He has done his graduation from SCT College of Engineering in Information Technology. He has also worked as Junior Research Fellow in CDAC, Trivandrum. Algorithm analysis and design is his main fi eld of interest. He has also participated in many technological seminars and presentations.
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 8 www.csi-india.org Ragesh N K Technical Network Systems & Technologies (P) Ltd., Technopark, Trivandrum Trends Data Traffi c in New Generation Vehicles A discussion on the data compression requirements
Introduction control mechanisms with high computing audio systems, and monitors and displays New generation vehicles are becoming complexity and requires a fairly high data are the functions of multimedia and smarter by incorporation of higher bandwidth for real-time data exchanges infotainment domain. Services such as computing power, connectivity solutions, between chassis and body domain with hands-free phones, connection with laptop advances in computer vision etc. along strict timing requirements. computers and GPS units, and car access with the new generation automotive 2. The chassis domain: It covers systems rely on wireless communication. design. All vehicles are equipped with functions of driving dynamics and Wireless technology in vehicles presents entertainment systems providing audio assistance. Chassis domain, including additional functions and services like and video playback. However, newer the future x-by-wire (electronic control) navigation and traffi c information generation vehicles use multimedia far applications, requires high dependability, systems, advanced driver assistance, fl eet beyond entertainment purposes. It helps high bandwidth, and fl exibility to some management systems, safety and security the driver to drive safe with alerts as well as extent. systems, diagnostics and maintenance automatically take over as necessary. With 3. The body domain: It contains the services, voice recognition, and wireless the help of mobile internet connectivity, largest number of Electronic Control internet connection. Telematics domain a vehicle is no longer isolated from the Units (ECUs), which mainly implements requires a huge amount of data exchanged external world. In addition to the Internet body/comfort functions. Air-conditioning between systems both inside the vehicle connectivity, specifi c communication and climate control, dashboard, wipers, and with the external world. Unlike the standards are under process for car- lights, doors, seats, windows, mirrors, in-vehicle domains previously discussed, to-car (C2C) and car-to-infrastructure locks, cruise control (CC), and park Telematics domain has Quality of (C2I) communication so as to allow the distance control are the main elements Service (QoS), security, and a higher vehicle to communicate with neighboring that form the body domain. Body domain degree of composability and extensibility vehicles and the systems installed on the applications are not safety-critical and requirements along with the high network pathways. This could help vehicles sync not all nodes require high bandwidth. The bandwidth and fl exibility requirements. with traffi c rules (speed limit zones etc.) communication in this domain is generally 6. Advanced Driver Assistance as well as avoid collisions by getting prior implemented by low-cost networks. Systems: It was originally classifi ed under information on breaking of vehicle moving 4. The safety domain: It covers active and Telematics domain. But in new generation ahead. As the vehicles become smarter, passive safety functions. The active safety in-vehicle systems, ADAS has more and the data traffi c inside the in-vehicle features include systems such as antilock more new features because of which it networks also increases dynamically. This braking system (ABS), electronic stability is considerered as a separate domain. article provides an overview of the new program (ESP), automatic stability control However, there is some information sharing generation in-vehicle systems with a focus (ASC), adaptive cruise control (ACC), between Telematics and ADAS. Moreover, on the data traffi c and the compression antislip regulation (ASR), electronic power ADAS systems may need to communicate requirements involved. steering (EPS), four-wheel drive (4WD), with safety systems wherever some electronic damper control (EDC), and active automatic takeover is required. Data Traffi c in In-vehicle Network suspensions. On the other hand, the passive Typical bandwidth requirements in In-vehicle communication is implemented safety features include systems such as using multiple networks handling impact and rollover sensors and airbags in-vehicle communication communication of data, varying and belt pretensioners. While serving Table 1 provides typical data usage in criticality as well as bandwidth safety-related functions, the networks in in diff erent domains of in-vehicle [1],[7] requirement. These in-vehicle networks safety domain require high dependability networks . can be broadly classifi ed to the following and predictability in addition to high-speed ADAS include multiple cameras streaming six domains[1],[7]: data transmission. The safety domain is also live videos, which need to be analyzed 1. The powertrain domain: It deals tightly coupled with the chassis domain. using various computer vision algorithms. with generation of power in the engine 5. The in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) The quality of the video should be (engine control) and transmission of domain: It consists of multimedia, suffi cient for the proper functioning of the it through the gear box to the driving infotainment, and wireless subdomains. image-processing algorithms. This makes axis and wheels (transmission and gear GPS and in-vehicle navigation systems, ADAS perhaps the most bandwidth control). It possesses several complex CD/DVD players, rear-seat entertainment, demanding and safety-critical component. The other most bandwidth- demanding system is IVI because of the As the vehicles become smarter, the data traffi c inside the in-vehicle requirement to transfer multiple and networks also increases dynamically. simultaneous hi-defi nition video channels. Fig. 1 shows ADAS and IVI networks.
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 9 Powertrain Chassis Body Safety Telematics & IVI ADAS Bandwidth 500 Kb/s 500 Kb/s 100 Kb/s 10 Mb/s >10 Mb/s >20 Mb/s Cycle time 10 ms–10 s 10 ms–10 s 50 ms–2 s 50 ms 50 ms–5 s 20 ms–5 s Safety requirements high high low very high low medium/high Bus topology bus bus bus star multiple multiple
Table 1: Data traffi c in in-vehicle networks
These two are separately discussed later body domain. Local Interconnect Network Class D networks in this document. (LIN) and Time-Triggered Light Weight Class D networks are up to or higher than Protocol (TTP/A) are examples of such Types of In-vehicle Networks 1 Mb/s, and they are mainly used for IVI, networks. Diff erent network architectures are used ADAS, and x-by-wire applications. Media- to address diff erent types of connectivity Class B networks Oriented System Transport (MOST), requirement in in-vehicle systems[1-5]. Class B networks, operating at data rates Digital Data Bus (DDB), and Bluetooth In 1994, a classifi cation of in-vehicle between 10 and 125 Kb/s, are used for wireless communication are prime networks was published by the Society of general information exchange (i.e. vehicle examples of Class D networks for IVI Automotive Engineers (SAE). According speed, instrument cluster) and body data transmission. In addition to these, to which, networks are classifi ed domain networks that require higher there are networks that can provide high exclusively based on bandwidth (data speed. J1850 and low-speed Controller data rates (more than 1 Mb/s) like Time rate) and functions of networks into four Area Network (CAN-B) are the main Triggered Protocol (TTP/C) and FlexRay classes. Fig. 2 provides an overall picture examples of this class. and bytefl ight protocols that are mainly of the diff erent data communication in applied to in-vehicle safety (active and Class C networks in-vehicle networks and diff erent network passive) and x-by-wire applications. The The data rates of Class C networks range architectures involved. latest additions are IEEE 1394 (800MHz from 125 Kb/s to 1 Mb/s and are used for version of FlexRay) and Automotive Class A networks a wide range of applications, especially in Ethernet. New generation ADAS systems Class A denotes low-speed/low-cost powertrain and chassis (except x-by-wire typically revolve around these two networks with data rates of less than 10 applications) domains. High-speed CAN because of the fl exibility and availability of Kb/s, and they are mostly dedicated to the (CAN-C) is an example of Class C network. higher data bandwidth. Front camera wide angle In-vehicle Infotainment (IVI) IVI is the general term used to address all the entertainment and information Vehicleehicle management systems present inside a ECUECU controlntrol vehicle. It covers the typical entertainment IVI ADAADAS features like playing music and videos DDriverriver view inside the car to the advanced Navigation L camera camera R cameracamera systems and mobile connectivity. ssideide sidsidede view Speaker Speaker DasDash-mounthh-mount DisplayDispllay Display The features of an IVI system can be Control summarized[6] as follows: ControlC l • Rear-seat entertainment Frontront view L camera Speaker Speaker • Navigation systems cameracamera R camera ControlCoo olo wiwidede angleangle wwideide ananglegle • Location-based systems Display Display • Connectivity to mobile devices
Speaker Speaker Rear-seat entertainment Entertainment system in a new generation car is nothing less than a full-function entertainment system at home. It provides
Speaker surround sound eff ects with multiple speakers placed judiciously inside the car and providing central display or personalized display units mounted Rear cameraera RRearear view wide anglegle camera behind the front seats. It provides great AADASDAS IVI system multimedia experience allowing you to Fig. 1: In-vehicle systems demanding higher bandwidths play contents from any source - all sort of internal or external storage media and
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 10 www.csi-india.org could be mounted on the external rear view mirrors and the video can be shown to the Engine control, ABS, transmission 400 M In-vehicle control, break control, suspension driver for better and accurate side view. 1394 bus control etc. 100 M Ethernet In a more complex system, a 22 M Automotive MOST Information Car navigation system, 360-degree surround view (top view) Optical ring (ADAS & IVI) entertainment system, will be generated from feeds of wide FlexRay ADAS etc. 10 M angle cameras mounted at four sides of Byteflight Time-triggered Engine control, ABS, transmission two channel 4.2 M Master-slave control, break control, suspension the vehicle and shown to the driver for Chassis optical, star control etc. 1 M Safety accurate parking as well as travelling CAN-C Electronic indicators, driving CSMA/CD information, automatic air through narrow roads. Two-wire bus conditioner, failure diagnosis etc. Bandwidth (bit-rate) 125 K Another application of cameras is CAN-B night vision. Infrared cameras can be used Body CSMA/CD One/two-wire bus Lamps, lights, power, wipers, to provide a better front view to the driver 20 K doors locks, power seats etc. LIN during the night. Master-slave 10 K one-wire bus Video feeds from these cameras are also used for complex analytics for Network technologies and application area providing additional inputs to the driver. Fig. 3 shows a typical ADAS system. Fig. 2: In-vehicle data traffi c, bandwidth usage, and network architectures Video analytics Internet. You will also able to stream deals with collecting data from diff erent Video streams from diff erent cameras are media from your phone or PC to the in-car sensors including cameras, analyzing them further analyzed using advanced image entertainment system. and presenting the useful information to the processing techniques for extracting driver in a least intrusive way, so as to help additional information to help safe driving. Navigation systems him to drive the vehicle safely[7]. The front camera video is analyzed Navigation systems read current vehicle The typical ADAS features in new for detecting lanes and lane departures, location though the GPS module and generation vehicles include the following: detecting and recognizing traffi c signs, overlays this on a Route-map. The map • Camera-based driver assistance pedestrians, or other obstacles on the could be offl ine or online. By setting up the Rear view/side view display road etc. destination point, the system can guide 360-degree surround view Another camera observing the the driver to fi nd the routes. Advanced Parking assistance driver can be used to detect if the driver navigation systems also provide dynamic Night vision is drowsy due to long and tedious driving, road and traffi c information available online. • Video analytics especially during the night. Location-based services Blind spot detection Next level of ADAS operations is Location-based services collect the Lane departure warning (LDW)/ taking control of the vehicle in necessary particular information related to the lane change assistance situations. This could be done manually current vehicle location from Internet and Driver drowsiness detection as instructed by the driver (ACC, overlays them on the map. This includes (DDD) Hill Descending assistance etc.) or details like live traffi c information, nearby Pedestrian detection (PD) automatically when a hazardous situation gas stations, restaurants, shopping Traffi c sign recognition (TSR) is detected (ISA, Collision avoidance malls, parking areas, and other custom • Automated vehicle control systems etc.). Collision avoidance system information. Adaptive light control (ALC) detects any life-critical situation and Adaptive cruise control (ACC) automatically controls the vehicle in the Connectivity to mobile devices Automatic parking (AP) best possible way to avoid a collision. New generation IVI systems provide Hill descent control (HDC) Another example of autonomous seamless integration to mobile devices. Collision avoidance system vehicle control is AP (garage or sideways), We can make or take calls or messages (precrash system) wherein the car will automatically park through the IVI, even by using the easily Intelligent speed adaptation or without driver assistance. accessible buttons on the steering wheel. Intelligent speed advice (ISA) Live streaming of media content in the Video Streaming and Processing mobile device to the IVI is also supported. Camera-based driver assistance in ADAS The IVI can also use the mobile device to In camera-based driver assistance, the ADAS system works on streaming video connect to Internet. video feed from diff erent camera sources from diff erent cameras - visible spectrum are shown to the driver after some or infrared, normal or wide angle - to the Advanced Driver Assistance preprocessing. The simplest application is central system and applying diff erent image Systems in parking assistance. The video from the processing on these videos to generate Even though the most obvious use of camera mounted at the rear of the vehicle required information to assist the user. multimedia in vehicle is the IVI, it’s most will be shown to the driver for easy reversing. The hardware inside the car will be important and promising use is ADAS. ADAS In addition to the rear camera, cameras providing reasonable processing power but
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 11 video compression techniques used at the Media BW Channels SD HD cameras degrade the images too much, (Mbps) (DVD) (BR) the video analytics becomes inaccurate Navigation 415 1 415 415 or too complex, which the hardware may Video (DVD) 166 4 664 not be able to handle. Moreover, since the (Blue Ray) 885 4 3540 encoding is done at the camera itself, the video encoding should be less complex for Camera 147 9 1323 1323 reducing the cost of the IP camera. Total bandwidth required (Mbps) 2402 5278 Typical bandwidth consumed by raw Table 2: Typical bandwidth for raw video media can be computed as follows[7]: • Navigation - 415 Mbps video compression techniques with [800x480 @60 fps, RGB 18 bit] high-compression rates keeping the • Video - 166 Mbps (DVD) OR 885 User interface quality suffi cient for viewing experience. Mbps (BR) Presenting ADAS images, message and However, ADAS may require compression warning to user DVD - [720x480 @30 fps, YUV techniques providing higher video quality. (Multi-touch LCD panels) 16 bit] One codec specifi cally aimed for BR - [1280x720 @60 fps, YUV in-vehicle system is SmartCodec from 16 bit] Fujitsu[8], which is a lossless coding Video analytics • Camera – 147 Mbps Preprocessing technique, providing a compression ratio [640x480 @30 fps,YUV 16 bit] of ¼th of the raw video bandwidth. Road detection The total data traffi c will be huge by adding Lane detection Another option is a low-latency Live- up multiple displays and multiple cameras. Obstacle detection CoDec[9] ULD by ITAVA Systems, which is A typical use case is shown in Table 2, which Obstscale classfication particularly suited for wireless in-vehicle Threat analysis will add up to 2.4 Gbps for DVD video and networks. ADAS decision making 5.2 Gbps for HD Blue-Ray video, which any In addition to the codec specifi c (e.g. ARM cortex-based board of the automotive networks cannot handle Freescale IMx board) to automotive domain, generic video clearly. Moreover, this is only for the video compression standards like JPEG, MPEG, traffi c. Typical bandwidth available will be and H.264 etc. can also be used in less than 1 Gbps for the common latest automotive networks with some specifi c Camera interface network architectures. limitation to the feature sets. (Ethernet) However, the compression technique e.g. Freescale SALSA board JPEG - specifi cally Motion JPEG or used in the video analytics system should MJPEG - is a preferred codec due to its be lossless as to maintain high accuracy of Fig. 3: Typical ADAS system low complexity and availability of cheap ADAS decisions. hardware solutions. Other standards like MPEG (MPEG-2 not to the extent of a high-end personal Specifi c requirements for in-vehicle computer. The hardware cost has to be or MPEG-4) and H.264 can also be used by data compression limiting to only Intra-frame compression, kept at a minimum to reach the mass users. There are some specifi c requirements[7],[10] The preferred connectivity for in- i.e. coded as a stream of Intra (I) frames on in-vehicle data compression vehicle media streaming is Ethernet or only. This is required to keep the minimum techniques. They are as follows: IEEE 1394. However, streaming raw video encoding latency as well as capability to • Low latency communication – to from all these devices and to the display fast recovery from transmission loss. meet safety critical requirements [10] unit may not be possible due to the In a study by Tankred Hase et al. , • Fast- and low-complex coding and bandwidth constraints. a comparison of the results of MJPEG decoding – to reduce hardware cost To overcome the bandwidth as well as H.264 compression in night • High quality at lower bit rates – to constraints, the video streams are required vision systems by taking pedestrian improve complex video analytics for to be compressed at the source itself. detection as an example is presented. The ADAS authors prove that H.264 with only Intra- Data Compression in In-vehicle frame coding provides four times better Systems Compression techniques used in compression against MJPEG keeping As we discussed, IVI and ADAS are in-vehicle networks the same quality level. Also they prove the two systems which require high Multiple video compression techniques that H.264 Intra-coded video at 0.25 bandwidth. In IVI, we are not considering are used in in-vehicle networks. They Mbps provides suffi cient quality for the audio traffi c because they are through could be specifi c to automotive domain pedestrian detection algorithm to function dedicated wires. The display devices will or generic. IVI systems could use generic similar to a raw video stream. also function as touch-based interface to the whole system. The total data traffi c will be huge by adding up multiple displays and The ADAS has more stringent multiple cameras. requirements as compared to IVI. If the Continued on Page 14
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 12 www.csi-india.org Sajilal D Article FTMS School of Engineering & Computing Sciences, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Compression and Pattern Recognition by Transform and Conquer Strategy
Compression is very often considered as fi nding patterns in raw data that There are many transforms that can be applied to convert this data are amenable to more economical to other domain. Like divide and conquer, it can be considered as a representation. However, it is not very problem-solving strategy - transform and conquer. often recognized that the problem of data compression can take diff erent hues if (1768–1830) was a French mathematician that every periodic function can be we transform the raw data into another and physicist, born as son of a tailor. He represented as sum of sines and cosines domain and look for an economical became an orphan at the age of 8. After of diff erent frequencies (cosines being representation in that domain. Perhaps a stint of service under Napoleon, he understood as face shifted sine wave this process is already known and in became a professor in mathematical themselves). Sine waves can be fully use but not so explicitly recognized and analysis. On 21st December, 1807, he described by recording their amplitude talked about. Consider the case of the announced the Fourier theory. However, and frequency, the latter being implied popular Joint Photographic Experts Group the greats of his time, including Laplace in the order in which the amplitudes are (JPEG) or Moving Picture Experts Group and Lagrange, criticized it for the lack of recorded. Thus, the spatial or temporal (MPEG) compression formats for images mathematical rigor and generality and data can be transformed to Fourier and videos. In both of these formats, raw coeffi cients data, which are reversible in a data are in spatial domain; however, in did not accept it for publication! Fourier, therefore, had to resort to writing it up in lossy way. We can drop some coeffi cients case of videos, it is strictly in spatio-time to achieve compression, which is exactly domain. There are many transforms that a book titled Théorie analytique de lachaleur in 1822. what JPEG images do. The compression can be applied to convert this data to ratio achieved can be varied according to other domain. Like divide and conquer, it the quality degradation that is acceptable. can be considered as a problem-solving The image shown below (Courtesy: strategy - transform and conquer. Every Wikipedia) is a plot of the pixels that domain transformation is well-known to are diff erent between a noncompressed have such unique possibilities; a simplest image and the same image that is JPEG example is the good old logarithms of our compressed (with a quality setting of 50). high school days. By transforming numbers This clearly indicates the eff ect of the to logarithms, we achieve a conversion compression on edges. of multiplication to addition and division to subtraction that are welcomed by the mathematically challenged!
The crux of the Fourier theorem is that any signal can be represented as a sum of sinusoidal signals of diff erent frequencies. Every signal is a representation of change of sum of quantity that we wish to study. Fourier theorem basically addresses the question as to what is the basis of signals, or more basically the basis of change itself. And his answer is elegant and simple - it is The most popular of such transforms the sine wave. He proved mathematically is of course the Fourier transforms, which converts data from time or spatial domain Sajilal D. holds MSc (Computer Science) and MPhil (Futures to frequency domain. There are a number Studies) and has been in IT education fi eld and research for the past of alternative transforms like Wavelets, 10 years. He currently heads the FTMS School of Engineering & Hilbert, Hough, and so on. However, Computing Sciences in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. His areas of research Fourier transforms stands apart in its wide interests are image processing, image retrieval, character recognition, popularity and well-recognized physical and approximate/fuzzy string matching in lingusitic computing. signifi cance. Jean Baptiste Joseph Fourier
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 13 The advantage that one gains by the transformation is that whereas in the “...transform and conquer strategy is equally applicable in feature spatial domain ignoring any of the data extraction and character recognition.” points would result in a loss of complete information at a particular point or region, The problem of compression of the dropping of the Fourier spectrum the text now becomes a problem of rowsum values will not result in sharp localized compression of an image! One must 40 eff ects. It would only gently degrade the hasten to add that in this particular case, whole reconstruction of original image, the no compression algorithm has been 30 quality of degradation being proportional reported; however, eff orts are on with the 20 to the number of data points we choose transform and conquer strategy by some to discard. researchers. Another example that I shall 10 quote is that of character recognition 0 to show that transform and conquer 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 strategy is equally applicable in feature extraction and character recognition. columnsum 20 In character recognition, the stumbling block is often close-matching characters. 5 Extracting unique features out of the character image may fail in the case 10 of close-matching characters. A ray of 5 hope comes from transform and conquer
strategy. For instance, histograms of pixel 0 distribution in horizontal and vertical 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 directions, often described as projection Compression as well as pattern recognition There are a number of ways to histograms, transform the problem to can be attempted in many new ways with transform data or make data amenable analyzing two signals of completely this approach. to transformation and then compression. diff erent behavior. A set of projection I shall cite a couple of examples. The histograms for a Hindi language character Bibliography compression of text data originating from is shown alongside. [1] Pennebaker, W B and Mitchell, J L Bioinformatics, the DNA sequence for A number of new possibilities (1993). JPEG Still Image Data Compression example, is cleverly converted to an image for feature extraction, including Standard, New York: Springer. using the chaos game representation. The Fourier analysis, emerge from such [2] Jeff rey (1990). “Chaos game sequence data that runs in a boring fashion transformations. Indeed, a transformation representation of gene structure”, like ATGTTCTAGCTTAAGAGTC... suddenly can also complicate the problem. But then Nucleic Acids Research, 18: 2163-2170. springs up to life as a fractal image. there is no dearth of transformations. n
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In addition to the compression, security of References [6] In-Vehicle Infotainment, reference data exchanged through these in-vehicle [1] In-Vehicle Communication Networks: Designs, Intel corporation. networks is also very important. However, A Literature Survey, Ugur Keskin, [7] Notes on Advanced Driver this is outside the scope of this discussion. Technische Universiteit Eindhoven Assistance Systems, iCar, Technology (TU/e), Den Dolech 2, 5600 AZ & Innovation Labs, NeST. Summary Eindhoven, The Netherlands. The data handled by in-vehicle systems are [8] 1394 Automotive Solution, Rick [2] In-Vehicle Network Architecture Tewell, Fujitsu Microelectronics increasing as the systems are becoming for the Next-Generation Vehicles, more user-friendly as well as smart. America, Inc., 1394 Automotive Tech Syed Masud Mahmud, Wayne State Seminat, April 30, 2009.Live Proper communication mechanisms University, USA. [9] How the Live-CoDec ULD by ITAVA and proper compression techniques [3] Next Generation Car Network - Systems improves unmanned vehicle should be used in in-vehicle systems to FlexRay, Fujitsu Microelectronics control, Whitepaper, ITAVA Systems effi ciently use the network bandwidth. (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Jun 2006. The hardware cost should be minimized [4] Proven 1394 Technology Trumps GmbH. without aff ecting the performance of the Ethernet AVB Potential, Whitepaper, [10] Infl uence of Image/Video Com- complex image processing operations of http://www.1394ta.org pression on Night Vision based the ADAS. Camera-based ADAS systems [5] IEEE 1394 Ideal for Long-Haul Pedestrian Detection in an are becoming more and more popular, Automotive, Consumer, Industrial, Automotive Application, Tankred and MJPEG or Intra-coded H.264 are Security and PC Applications, Hase, et al. Vehicular Technology widely used as the video compression Les Baxter, Baxter Enterprises, Conference (VTC Spring), 2011 IEEE. technique. Whitepaper, http://www.1394ta.org n
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 14 www.csi-india.org Tirimula Rao Benala*, Satchidananda Dehuri**, and Rajib Mall*** Article * Department of Computer Science and Engineering, ANITS, Visakhapatnam, Email: [email protected] **Department of Information & Communication Technology, Fakir Mohan University, Balasore - 756019, Email:[email protected] ***Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT, Kharagpur, Email:[email protected] Computational Intelligence in Software Cost Estimation: A Perspective
Abstract: Estimating the cost of software Therefore, the domain of SCE plays Software Life Cycle Management (SLIM) can be a challenging and signifi cant an important role involving software and Software Evaluation and Estimation activity in the software development eff ort prediction, choosing appropriate of Resources–Software Estimating Model process. Underestimating a project leads software sizing techniques, ascertaining (SEER-SEM); (3) expert judgment, including to allocation of lesser staff , design of short productivity fi gures for the project, and Delphi technique and work breakdown schedules, and production of low-quality calculating the impact of project execution structure-based methods; (4) learning- deliverables. In contrast, overestimating on SCE. During the last few decades, the oriented techniques, including machine- a project leads to allocation of more main cost driver attracting the research learning methods and analogy-based resources to the project than needed, interest has been development eff ort estimation; (5) regression-based methods, which leads to cost overruns and (typically measured in person-months or including ordinary least square regression; underproductivity. Therefore, software PMs). The basic software project eff ort and (6) robust regression dynamics-based models composite methods. All estimation CI is a study of adaptive mechanisms to enable or facilitate intelligent methods are based on fi ve core metrics, namely: (1) quality, (2) quantity, (3) time, behaviors in complicated, uncertain, and changing environments. (4) cost, and (5) productivity[7]. This has been depicted in Fig. 2[6], in which four cost estimation (SCE) techniques have and schedule estimation procedure have factors are in an antagonistic relationship. been evolved that attracted many been described in Methods and Tools[4] and The values for each factor are given by a researchers especially over the past shown in Fig. 1. square, with the area of the square (or, few decades. In the sequel, SCE can be Software cost estimation models for better illustration, the circumference) regarded as a complex optimization SCE techniques fall into the following six being the productivity of the developing problem more often treated as an categories: (1) parametric models, including organization. The productivity is considered intractable problem. Constructive Cost Model (COCOMO); (2) invariant over the project duration. Computational intelligence (CI) is a conglomeration of optimization methodologies - neural networks, Collect evolutionary computation (EC), fuzzy requirements systems (FS), and swarm theory used synergistically to circumvent the nonlinearity, high complexity, and Estimate project Historical project unpredictability pertaining to SCE. This size data paper highlights some commonly used CI techniques and analyzes their application Estimate project in SCE to provide closer insight for further effort research in the fi eld of SCE. Introduction Produce the Last two decades have witnessed a Resource available paradigm shift in the fi eld of software schedule engineering in terms of the way the software projects are handled across the Re-estimation Estimate project Current cost globe due to competitive open market. cost According to the Standish Group’s report “CHAOS Summary 2009”, only 32% of the projects are succeeding; that is, they Approve the Approved are delivered on time, on budget, with estimate required features and functionality. In Analyzing the recent times, the software projects are Compute size, effort, estimation process growing in size and complexity, making Develop the and schedule the life of delivery manager very tough software project as the client always looks for high- [4] quality software with competitive price. Fig. 1: Basic soft ware project esti mati on procedure
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 15 + Quality Size + expansion, agile software development capitalize on the respective strengths of projects, and web projects. Each factor the components of the hybrid CI system, has its own characteristics, which makes and eliminate weaknesses of individual the whole cost estimation system a more components[1]. complex nonlinear stochastic system and There are several reasons why CI poses many problems and challenges for methodologies can be an attractive tool in researchers and engineers. Even though SCE systems. First, as mentioned earlier, traditional estimation theories have SCE systems are large, complex nonlinear been applied for decades, they are still stochastic systems. Therefore, it is hard to not satisfactory. Apart from this fact, fi nd optimal feature weighting and project __Time Costs it involves human behavior. Therefore, selection in any cost estimation model. CI Fig. 2: Sneed’s devil’s square[3] human reactions to the software systems provides a feasible way to obtain optimal and feelings of the systems should also be or suboptimal solutions. Second, most taken into account. SCE systems should projects selection optimal methods are Determining the right time for behave in an “intelligent” way. Where based on expert judgments. Most CI estimation plays an important role in does this intelligence come from? One methodologies do not require precise reducing the eff ort in execution of an major attempt is introduction of CI. models. Sometimes, no model is even IT project. Fig. 3 depicts an overview Since CI emerged several decades needed. Third, as a broader defi nition[1], of possible estimation milestones, ago, it has become a hot cake in many CI is a study of adaptive mechanisms to where milestones 1-7 have the following areas of research. It is claimed as the enable or facilitate intelligent behaviors meaning: (1) End of feasibility study, (2) successor of artifi cial intelligence in complicated, uncertain, and changing project start, (3) end of requirement and a way for future computing[8]. CI environments. CI methodologies can be analysis, (4-6) end of IT design until end methodologies facilitate problem solving adapted to dynamic changes in project of project, and (7) project postmortem[3]. parameters. SCE actions can be taken The testing eff ort should reduce with time that was previously diffi cult or impossible. based on real-time datasets and historical otherwise requirement analysis milestone The common idea of CI is to simulate reasoning. Researchers have conducted has to be revisited. the intelligence of nature to some extent by the usage of certain computational a lot of work for applications of CI in the Why computational intelligence methods, which include artifi cial neural fi eld of SCE. In this paper, some of the in SCE? networks (ANNs), EC algorithms, swarm commonly used CI paradigms in SCE SCE is aff ected by the following factors intelligence, and FS. Taxonomical views of systems for study of optimal feature based on how software solution the CI techniques are illustrated in Fig. 4. weighting and project selection have been is achieved: fresh development of While individual techniques from these CI highlighted. entire project from scratch, software paradigms have been applied successfully Computational Intelligence for SCE implementation and customization of to solve nonlinear, time varying, correlated Recent trend shows that CI techniques a commercially off -the-shelf product, discontinuous complex probabilistic are emerging as robust optimization porting of software, migration of real-world problems - and since no one techniques to solve highly nonlinear, software, conversion projects, software paradigm is superior to the others in all discontinuous, correlated, and complex maintenance projects, defect fi xing, situations - the current trend is to evolve problems. There are varieties of CI operational support, fi xing odd behavior, hybrids of paradigms incorporating techniques as mentioned in the earlier software modifi cation, functional probabilistic techniques. In doing so, we section, namely: neural networks, EC, and fuzzy logic, etc. that are proven to Study Project Start Project Implementation be powerful tools to meet the aforesaid preparation objectives in SCE. Although numerous classical approaches have been proposed, 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 certain diffi culties are still needed to be addressed such as the non-normal Analysis Design Programming Test Release characteristics (which includes skewness, heteroscedasticity, and excessive outliers) Raw estimate of the software engineering datasets and the increasing sizes of the datasets. The large non-normal characteristics always Oblinging estimation lead to low prediction accuracy and high (project success will be Document estimation computational expense. To alleviate measured by this) experiences, project postmortem these drawbacks, CI techniques can be Tracking of estimation employed for selection of promising data points. This article is an attempt to Fig. 3: Milestones of esti mati on in IT projects[3] explore quite popular but less explored CI techniques in the fi eld of SCE.
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 16 www.csi-india.org ANNs for eff ort prediction Computational Intelligence ANNs are massively parallel and distributed information processing systems. These are composed by simple processing units Fuzzy system (neurons) that have the intrinsic property of storing knowledge by experience and Neural system then making it available to be used. ANN simulates brain’s information processing Supervised neural system capacity. ANN is one of the most signifi cant optimization methodologies Unsupervised of CI technology. The feed forward multi- neural system layer network with back propagation Swarm system learning is the most commonly used Evolutionary system Ant system structure in the fi eld of SCE. The network contains neurons arranged in layers with Genetic algorithms each neuron connected to every neuron PSO system of the following layer forming a complete Genetic programming graph. The cost drivers or project attributes ABC system are fed as inputs at the input layer, which Evolution strategies propagates across subsequent layers of Wasp system processing elements known as neurons Evolutionary programming and generates eff ort in terms of PM at the output layer. Each neuron computes Differential evolution an activation function and passes the resultant value across the output. The Fig. 4: Computati onal Intelligence Taxonomy activation function is designed to meet two desired functionalities. First, it activates for Performance metrics programming, evolutionary programming, right input and deactivates when wrong Performance criteria are essential to evolutionary strategies, diff erential input is given. Second, it extends the measure the accuracies of cost estimation evolution, cultural evolution, and so on. property of nonlinearity so that complex models. In the literature, several quality They imitate natural processes, such as nonlinear problems can be solved. There metrics have been proposed to assess natural evolution under the principle of are several activation functions, such as: the performances of estimation methods. survival of the fi ttest. Here, our attempt sigmoid function, threshold function, and More specifi cally, Mean Magnitude of is to throw light on these techniques logistics function. As sigmoid functions Relative Error (MMRE), PRED (0.25), for solving the problem of selection of are diff erentiable – which is an essential and Median Magnitude of Relative Error promising data points by simultaneous feature of weight learning process – it is (MdMRE) are the three popular metrics optimization of feature weights and project widely used in eff ort prediction in the fi eld commonly used. The PRED (0.25) iden- selection. Diff erent EC algorithms have of SCE. The ANN system follows a two-step tifi es cost estimations that are generally similar framework in implementation and process. In step 1, three-fold validation is accurate, whereas MMRE is biased and algorithmic characteristics. The general employed for the training of the nonlinear is not always reliable as a performance framework contains three fundamental adjustment (ANN). Predicting stage is metric. However, MMRE has been a de operations and two optional operations followed in step 2. At this stage, a new facto standard in the SCE literature. In for most ECs. In an EC algorithm, the fi rst project p is presented to the trained hybrid addition to the metrics mentioned above, step is the initialization step. Then the system (EC-ANN or SI-ANN). The optimal algorithm enters evolutionary iterations there are several metrics available in the class and its corresponding projects with with two operational steps, namely, fi tness literature, such as Adjusted Mean Square optimal feature weights are presented to evaluation and selection and population Error (AMSE), Standard Deviation (SD), ANN network for fi nal prediction. reproduction and variation. The new Relative Standard Deviation (RSD), and population is then evaluated again, and FS for software eff ort prediction Logarithmic Standard Deviation (LSD). the iteration continues until a termination An FS is one of the optimization EC for feature weighting and project criterion is satisfi ed. The developments methodologies of CI technology. Fuzzy selection and applications of EC algorithms have describes imprecision or uncertainty. In ECs are inspired by nature. EC algorithms been one of the fastest-growing fi elds in contrast with “crisp logic” in which there mainly include genetic algorithms, genetic computing science[10]. are only two possible values, i.e. true or false, “fuzzy logic” reasons approximately or in a certain degree of true or false. Fuzzy The feed forward multi-layer network with back propagation learning is theory emerged from the development the most commonly used structure in the fi eld of SCE. of fuzzy sets and was fi rst proposed by Zadeh[9]. Measurement in software
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 17 engineering is challenging due to two eff ort and all the attributes for which data [3] Bundschuh, M and Dekkers, C (2008). main reasons. First, software engineering in the studied environment are available. The IT Measurement Compendium: is more inclined toward mathematics and Incorporating fuzzy-learning procedure in Estimating and Benchmarking Success then engineering. Therefore, software CI techniques is a good procedure to solve with Functional Size Measurement, 1st engineering is still to mature in providing the attribute-selection problem. ed., Berlin: Springer,. precise and predictable attributes. Second, Discussion and Future Works [4] Peters, K (2000). Software project many of the software attributes are still In this article, we have discussed various estimation, Methods and Tools, vol. 8, qualitative rather than quantitative, such CI techniques that are useful to solve the no. 2. as portability, maintainability, reliability, paradox of SCE. However, the researchers [5] Stevens, S S (1946). On the Theory migration of software, conversion projects, should focus on adoption of proper defect fi xing, software modifi cation, fi xing of scales and Measurement, Science, statistical techniques to justify that their odd behavior, functional expansion, etc. 103, pp. 677-680. approach is better than the existing ones. Currently their evaluation depends on [6] Sneed, H M (1987). Software More than statistical analysis, what plays expert judgment. The qualitative issue Management. Cologne: Müller GmbH. important role in SCE is validation of is related to the scale type on which the [7] Putnam, Larry Sr., and Myers, W datasets for a specifi c CI technique. This attributes are measured. In measurement, (2003). Five Core Metrics: The is because spurious attributes or missing the scale types of a measure have been Intelligence Behind Successful Software attributes may lead to erroneous conclusion defi ned by Stevens[5] namely: Nominal, for certain CI techniques. While claiming Management. 1st ed., New York: Ordinal, Interval, Ratio, or Absolute. The their method as superior to contemporary Dorset House Publishing Company, goal of this step is the characterization of ones, the researcher should clearly specify Incorporated. all software projects by a set of attributes. the testing and validation methodology [8] Venayagamoorthy, G K (2009). A Selecting attributes describing accurately followed for particular datasets. Therefore, successful interdisciplinary course software projects is a complex task. The many CI techniques are still to be explored on computational intelligence. EEE selection of attributes depends on the in the fi eld of SCE. Computational Intelligence Magazine, objective function (i.e. software eff ort vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 14-23. prediction) of the particular CI technique. References The problem is to identify the attributes [1] Engelbrecht, A P (2007). Com- [9] Zadeh, L A (1965). Fuzzy sets. Inf. incorporating a signifi cant relationship putational Intelligence: An Introduction, Control, vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 338-353. with the eff ort in a given environment. The 2nd ed., New York: Wiley. [10] Zhang, J, et al. (2011). Evolutionary general methodology followed by cost [2] http://www.buchhandel.de/ computation meets machine estimation researchers and practitioners WebApi1/GetMmo.asp? learning: A survey. IEEE Computational is to test the correlation between the MmoId=1008608&mmoType=PDF Intelligence Magazine, pp. 68-74. n
About the Authors
Tirimula Rao Benala has Masters of Technology in Computer Science and Technology from Andhra University. He is currently working as Associate Professor in Computer Science and Engineering Department at Anil Neerukonda Institute of Technology and Sciences, Visakhpatnam, India. He received Young Engineer of the Year Award from Government of Andhra Pradesh and Institute of Engineers (India) in the Year 2011. His main interests lie in Software Cost Estimation and Computational Intelligence. He is a life member of CSI.
Satchidananda Dehuri is a Reader and Head in Department of Information and Communication Technology, Fakir Mohan University, Vyasa Vihar, Balasore, Orissa. He received his M.Sc. degree in Mathematics from Sambalpur University, Orissa in 1998, and the M.Tech. and Ph.D. degrees in Computer Science from Utkal University, Vani Vihar, Odisha in 2001 and 2006, respectively. He completed his Post Doctoral Research in Soft Computing Laboratory, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea under the BOYSCAST Fellowship Program of DST, Govt. of India. In 2010 he received Young Scientist Award in Engineering and Technology for the year 2008 from Odisha Vigyan Academy, Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of Odisha. He was at the Center for Theoretical Studies, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur as a Visiting Scholar in 2002. During May-June 2006 he was a Visiting Scientist at the Center for Soft Computing Research, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata. His research interests include Evolutionary Computation and Data Mining. He has already published about 100 research papers in reputed journals and referred conferences, has published three text books for undergraduate and Post graduate students and edited fi ve books, and is acting as an editorial member of various journals. He has already guided 2 Ph. D. scholars in the area of Computer Science.
Rajib Mall obtained his professional degrees Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Ph.D, all from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He is working as a faculty in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at IIT, Kharagpur for the last 19 years. He has published about 150 refereed journal and conference papers.
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 18 www.csi-india.org Raju Narayana Swamy I.A.S. Article Secretary to Government of Kerala
Towards Improving the Quality of Education by Integrating ICT in Teacher Education
Abstract: Information and Communication technology to perform learning skills. It of eff ective practice. If the necessary Technology (ICT) has become one of the must encompass the use of ICT to manage changes in education are to be realized, basic building blocks of modern society. complexity and solve problems by thinking they need strong leadership and support Many countries now regard understanding critically, creatively, and systematically along with a school development plan for ICT and mastering the basic skills and towards the goal of acquiring thinking and the integration of technology. They also concepts of ICT as part of the core of problem-solving skills[10]. need technical support so that they feel education, alongside reading, writing, and For the students, this can be used comfortable in using the technology and numeracy. There is a widespread belief for making assignments, collecting data, are more willing to experiment. that ICTs have an important role to play documentation, and conducting research. The Futurelab study shows many in changing and modernizing educational It can be a medium for teaching and affi rmative results from review of a number systems and ways of learning. Inventive learning. This can act as the medium of UK case studies on teacher training. use of ICT is defi ned as the use of ICT through which teacher and learners can Although they are not representative, applications that hold up the learning learn. Here in order to introduce and most of these studies highlight positive objectives based on the requirements of understand the need of ICT in educational impacts of teacher training with ICT, such the modern information society. Hence, institutions, teachers or students as increasing teacher self-assurance and there is a need to bring out the facts on undergoing teacher education must fi rst aptitude in the use of IT resources by the impact of ICT on educational trainers. comprehend and be at ease with ICT. They providing them fully equipped multimedia This article discusses the factors which must be given opportunities for acquisition portable computers (MPTP) or by stimulate or limit the innovative use of of new knowledge. This can be made supporting online teacher communities. ICT by teacher educators in Kerala. Survey possible by promoting ICT-based training The “Talking Heads Online Community” analysis was used to study the prospective programs introduced in their curriculum. pilot study showed that informal online infl uencing factors. The study indicated a The next section discusses in detail about communities can help to reduce head limited involvement of the teacher training learning of ICT in higher educational teacher isolation, enable head teachers to institutions towards the use of ICT within institutions, especially teacher education generate and exchange insights regarding the curriculum. institutions. practices for school improvement, and provide an eff ective way for gaining quick ICT and its Role in Education ICTs in Teacher Education access to a spectrum of perspectives on In development literature, ICT has been The need for teacher training is widely key topical issues. Another UK (2002) characterized as having the potential to acknowledged. Professional development pilot study reviewed by Futurelab on enable national development. However, to incorporate ICTs into teaching and learning to use ICT for science teaching ICT has been conceptualized mostly as learning is an ongoing process. Teacher showed that for the 40 schools that a monolithic and homogeneous entity[5]. education curriculum needs to update participated, the impact of equipped To a great extent, the ambiguous fi ndings this knowledge and skills as the school computers reached far beyond individual and diverse opinions on the role of ICT in curriculum change. The teachers need to teachers. It prompted department-wide national development can be attributed learn to teach with digital technologies, exploration of new teaching strategies to this limited focus. From activities to even though many of them have not and reviewed enthusiasm for sharing and operations, from research to development, been taught to do so. The aim of teacher collaboration[3],[10]. from health services to amusement, from training in this regard can be either teacher education to governance, ICT has become education in ICTs or teacher education Four Theme Framework for Teacher an essential component of basic life. through ICTs. A teacher’s professional Education In many countries, ICT has helped development is central to the overall UNESCO[9] has projected a holistic in improving the quality of education. It change process in education. They are framework taking into consideration has the ability to address illiteracy and unsure of how to make most eff ective use of four supportive themes viz. context and improve the quality of education in all ICT as a powerful and diverse resource and culture, leadership and vision, lifelong sectors through multimedia capabilities one which can potentially alter traditional learning, and planning and management of such as simulations and models. ICT can teacher–student relationships. If they are change. The framework of competencies give learners access to concepts that to invest time and energy in embracing the is encircled by the four supportive themes. they previously could not grasp[6]. The technology, teachers need to understand The curriculum framework also suggests acquisition of ICT skills in educational and experience the potential benefi ts of that each teacher is allowed to interpret institutions helps knowledge sharing, using ICT. Moreover, they need to have the framework within his or her context thereby multiplying educational access to the evidence that supports the and personal approach to pedagogy, opportunities. Integrating ICT literacy improvements in teaching and learning, which is always related to the subject will be crucial as it means harnessing including case studies and examples discipline or content area, rather than to
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 19 there are 9 universities, 186 colleges for uses of ICT and the effi ciency of using Leadership & vision general education, and 65 colleges the ICT. The study is based on the survey for professional education, of 100 students from 5 selected colleges including 19 colleges for from natural science and social science Content & pedagogy teacher education[7]. In branches. ICT in teaching social studies Kerala, education sector is not merely developing ICT skills and Planning & has been identifi ed by the competencies[2]. It involves developing management Collaboration Teacher Technical Lifelong government as a priority in the students and teachers the ability of change & networking education issues learning area. It presents a good to continuously update themselves, to example of a developing ascertain the kind of ICT suitable for the state in which the use learning experience to be provided, and Social issues of ICTs in education has to use ICT to optimize the process of central support. education. To achieve these objectives, Context & culture With the view to promoting students and teachers should not and motivating quality research only have a working knowledge of ICT in teacher education, resources, but also (where innovations Fig.1: A framework for ICTs in teacher educati on[4] the National Council are concerned) be exposed to ICT- for Teacher Education supported learning environments during the technology itself[4]. Fig. 1 illustrates the (NCTE)i constituted a Research and training. The respondents were students framework. Programme Advisory Committee in June of BEd course. Random sampling method Context and culture identifi es the 2004. The NCTE’s concern is to enable was adopted for the survey. It assessed culture and other contextual factors that teacher education institutions to prepare a the pace of incorporating ICT in these must be considered in infusing technology workforce of trained teachers who are fully institutions. Information regarding need of into the teacher education curriculum. It conversant with the technology. It signed ICT, its advantage, computer availability, includes the use of technology in culturally an MoU with INTEL Technology India Pvt. number of computer literates, use of ICT appropriate ways and the development of Ltd., Bangalore, on 20th December, 2006, as teaching tool etc. were collected from respect for multiple cultures and contexts, with a view to achieve the objectives the respondents. which need to be taught and modelled of imparting sustained professional The survey of institutions showed that by teachers. Leadership and vision are development of all teacher educators from only 2 colleges had ICT infrastructure to essential for the successful planning and all recognized institutions and making ICT support teaching and learning. All of them implementation of technology into teacher a part of teacher education curriculum[1]. had electricity and telephone accesses. education and require both leadership The Study, Results, and Discussions However, the surveyed institutions and support from the administration of The objective of the study is to fi nd out the had computing resources to support the teacher institutions. Lifelong learning status of ICT use in the teacher education administrative purposes, but computers acknowledges that learning does not stop institutions. Specifi cally, it identifi ed to conduct in-service training to develop after school. Planning and management of how the institutions are using ICT for ICT skills in students were insuffi cient. change signifi es the importance of careful the students to increase their effi ciency Results based on a questionnaire feedback planning and eff ective management of the to build the digital society, which helps from students in the fi ve training colleges [4] change process . in producing ICT expert teachers. In are given below. Teacher Education in India this research, questionnaire survey was Graph 1 describes the extent of the In India, there are nearly 3.5 million conducted in 2011 to identify the status of use of ICT by BEd students for various teachers in the formal school system. use of ICT in the educational institutions facets of teaching and learning. The results Primary school teachers are required to from Thiruvananthapuram district in show that more than 50% of the students have 10–12 years of general schooling Kerala. Structured questionnaire were explore the web for learning. But the survey and 2 years of professional education. formulated in order to identify diff erent shows the absence of online assessments. Secondary teachers must have a graduate 120 degree from a university along with one 100 100 96 90 year of professional education. There are 100 82 80 several institutions and systems for in- Yes 60 service education of teachers, ranging No from school complexes at decentralized 40 18 levels to programs designed and executed 20 10 0 0 4 at the central level, but coordination among 0 [8] various agencies is yet to be obtained . Online self- Online Web Email LCD/PPT In comparison with other states, Kerala’s learning assessment browsing share with respect to the growth of Graph 1: Nature and purpose of ICT use higher education is low. Currently, iNCTE was established in India on 17th August, 1995 by an Act of Parliament, namely, the NCTE Act, 1993 (No. 73 of 1993).
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 20 www.csi-india.org 120 Kerala University Library. Browsing for their 100 100 92 92 studies is done by utilizing the lab facility 85 of the university, which is not free of cost. 80 70 Access and use of computers at home/ 56 Internet café is shaped by socioeconomic 60 Yes 44 diff erences. Thus, the socioeconomic 40 30 No environment of students continues to play a signifi cant role in their educational 20 8 8 5 0 achievements as well. The study perceived 0 that students have developed ICT skills ICT staf f Lab facility Maintenance Sizable lab Audiovisual 1 Computer/ which they use in learning such as word student Graph 2: ICT faciliti es available in the insti tuti ons processing, presentation, and mediated communication etc. The outcomes of Most of the respondents collected data The experience from the study their competencies to manage ICT skills for studying from the Internet. But there strengthens the opinion that there is a need are given in Table 1. is no facility in their institution for online for chalking out a curriculum including The study showed that the assessment. Web browsing was found ICT. Laboratory helps in developing respondents have gained only minimum common among all the respondents. All scientifi c temper. Virtual laboratory can ICT skills from institutions. There are no the respondents depend on web pages for be developed using ICT. Out of all the programs to build up the capacity of the updating their knowledge. facilities available in their institutes, students as visualized by NCTE. Eff orts The study did not fi nd any internal students responded that only audiovisual for this track are ad hoc. The use of ICT interaction among teachers, students, facility was suffi cient. Charts and posters tools in seminars and teaching aids is or among teachers and students using - which are used as teaching aids in power restricted to the use of LCD/PPT and email. The respondents said that they point presentations during their courses - slide presentations. Their knowledge communicate with their teachers through are prepared by the students outside the for learning is gained from outside mobile phones. Seminars are conducted institutions. Various skills of using new the institution. The colleges provided using LCD/PPT by 82% of students. Most technology - such as presentation of the neither training in ICT nor provisions for of the social science students commented content of seminars using power point or Internet browsing. For the pedagogical that they take seminars with or without demonstrating content through fl ash or purposes, students are developing ICT LCD. They also said that they feel highly sending assignment papers to moderators skills by themselves. Students need more confi dent when they use LCD. The - still need to be introduced and practised structured support of ICT development inferences drawn from the feedback shows during the sessions. from their educational institutions. Web browsing is usually done that web browsing ranks fi rst among all Conclusion and Suggestions the respondents using Internet facility. On outside the campus. Most of the respondents are found browsing from The use of ICT has the potential to allocate the whole, the study fi nds that more than opportunities for learning broadly across the 90% of the students have eff ectively used their home and Internet cafés. Only 14% of the respondents said that they utilize teaching force. The study found that teacher ICT for acquisition of knowledge in their education institutions are no longer strictly teacher education course. Internet facility from their institutions. All the respondents complained about lack utilizing ICT. Measures are to be taken to Integrating ICT as a Core Course of PCs and restrictions from the authority improve the quality and support to students, Recognizing the importance of ICT in to use Internet face. Some students said opening up new avenues for professional education, we raised questions on the that they had taken membership from the development of our future teachers. integration of ICT in teacher education curriculum. The fi ndings of the study Nature of skill Yes No show that ICT has not been included Knowledge in basic word-processing tasks 90 10 as a core course at the BEd level in the colleges. However, fundamentals of Can create power point presentations 87 13 computer knowledge were included in Design presentations with multimedia 22 78 the curriculum. All the respondents said that ICT is not included as a compulsory Edit and design graphics 14 86 core course. For understanding the Internal communication using email 4 96 success of ICT program in an institution, Published research activities using ICT tools 0 100 we raised questions regarding the ICT staff availability, laboratory facilities, ICT presentation tools used as teaching aid 82 18 maintenance of computers, sizable ICT presentation tools used in seminars 83 17 class/lab, availability of audiovisual and Source: Survey data electronic support facilities etc. Please Table 1: Nature of ICT skills among respondents refer Graph 2 for the study fi ndings. Continued on Page 26
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 21 Research Dr. A P James Machine Intelligence Research Group, IIITM, Kerala Front Email: [email protected] Memory-based Machine Intelligence Techniques in VLSI Hardware
Abstract: We briefl y introduce the Even with the challenges of researchers. In so-called intelligent memory-based approaches to emulate complexity, since the early 1950s, machines that we know today, the machine intelligence in VLSI hardware, researchers have tried to model concept of memory is essential to describing the challenges and advantages. the neuron and the cortex through the idea of implementing intelligent Implementation of artifi cial intelligence mathematical, biological, algorithmic, and computing, without which modeling techniques in VLSI hardware is a practical biomimetic and neuromorphic circuits. any event or simulating any learning and diffi cult problem. Deep architectures, Computational, cognitive, and memory mechanism becomes almost impossible. hierarchical temporal memories, and capability of human brain has inspired Although it becomes very trivial that memory networks are some of the researchers to emulate brain function memory is essential, the idea of memory contemporary approaches in this area or capability in artifi cial intelligent being the basis of intelligence is less of research. The techniques attempt to systems[1-6]. The artifi cial intelligent understood and investigated. Most emulate low-level intelligence tasks and systems are implemented in software modern computational intelligence aim at providing scalable solutions to or hardware and often derived from tries to emulate the intelligence using high-level intelligence problems such as mathematical or logical modeling of brain memory in one way or the other. Rather sparse coding and contextual processing. capability, examples of which are artifi cial than following an algorithmic approach neural networks, fuzzy logic, evolutionary to computational intelligence, it becomes Neocortex in human brain that accounts computation, Bayesian networks, expert more apparent by looking at hierarchical for 76% of the brain’s volume can be systems, case-based reasoning, and nature of human brain and network of seen as a control unit that is involved in behavior-based artifi cial intelligence. neurons. Moreover, human memories the processing of intelligence functions They fi nd application in knowledge- and cognitive mechanisms - which are such as sensory perception, generation based problems, pattern recognition organized in a hierarchical manner - form of motor commands, spatial reasoning, problems, optimization problems, and network of neurons and can be modeled conscious thought, and language. The adaptive control problems. Dedicated and emulated to form new techniques for realization of neocortex-like functions artifi cial intelligent hardware chips computational intelligence. through algorithms and hardware have many advantages over software Perhaps one of the fi rst approaches implementation has been the inspiration implementations, but the existing in network research is the so-called to majority of the state-of-the-art artifi cial hardware implementations are limited artifi cial neural networks, which focused intelligence systems and theory. to low functional complexity and small on solving pattern recognition and Intelligent functions are often number of inputs. As an example, the optimization problems by training the required to be performed in environments architecture of artifi cial neural networks network weights through supervised or having high levels of natural variability, needs many neural nodes and weights semi-supervised approach. Multistage which makes individual functions of the that require many amplifi ers and memory Hubel-Wiesel Architectures (MHWA) brain highly complex. On the other hand, elements. Large area is needed to place is a deep architecture that consists of the huge number of neurons in neocortex these components, and with an increase in alternating layers of feature detectors and their interconnections with each other the number of neural nodes, the number and local pooling of features. Some of makes the brain structurally very complex. of interconnections between the neural the implementations of MHWA are As a result, the mimicking of neocortex is nodes in diff erent layers becomes high. neocognitron, convolution networks, exceptionally challenging and diffi cult. This results in impossible cell routing and HMAX and its variants. However, Human brain is highly modular and in a limited chip area, while large area the practical implementation of the hierarchical in structure and functionality. requirement of the amplifi ers and memory artifi cial neural networks in hardware is Each module in a human brain has evolved elements limit the size of the network. not an easy task and in many cases is an in structure and is trained to deal with very Similarly, fuzzy logic chip implementation impossible task. specifi c tasks. The interaction between with large number of inputs is also not With increase in number of artifi cial the modules results in the ability of human possible due to hardware complexity. cells (or nodes) the number of crossover brain to understand and respond to The idea of human intelligence wiring required to implement the artifi cial complex cognitive tasks. The interaction cannot exist without understanding the neural network increases exponentially, of the module follows a hierarchical concept of memory. Human memory which means increased design complexity organization, where sensory processes has continuously gained attention of and reduced fault tolerance with the form the bottom part of hierarchy and neuroscientists over the last 50 years; individual network cells. Smaller the decision-making processes form the however, only very recently has captured semiconductor devices, bigger the topmost part of the hierarchy. the interest of machine intelligence problems associated with crossover
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 22 www.csi-india.org wiring and designing trainable weights. Memory networks[5] overcome individual cells, making the network fault The weights are often implemented as such implementation issues that occur tolerant and robust to changes in natural controlled memory devices, where they with crossover wiring and introduce variability. Further, scaling such a network are accessed and set through conventional a high level of hierarchical modularity to the extent that a typical human memory addressing logic. Although this approach which is unseen in conventional artifi cial would like to go becomes almost a trivial makes it easy to train, it is perhaps not neural networks. Recent results show task, which is typically not possible with the most optimal way to implement that hierarchical networks such as that conventional artifi cial neural network type the hardware weights. A more realistic inspired from cortical learning algorithms implementations. These properties of the implementation that matches closely (e.g. HTM) perform well against changes memory networks make it a promising with neural network model in hardware in untrained natural variability. Some alternative to understand and emulate would require an integrated approach of the small-scale and generalized intelligence in machines. In addition, the to hardware implementation, where the hardware implementations have produced hierarchical nature of the network can be individual cells are self-contained with promising results and insights into the explored to implement image processing its own dedicated weights. However, area of HTM. and data compression application, such this is not a trivial task especially when The cognitive memory networks on as done with autocorrelation neural implementing large-scale artifi cial neural the other hand use a far simplistic approach networks. networks. This is because of the fact that in implementation and learning[5]. An The potential long-term implication addressing memories within each cell and extended version of the memory network[5] of memory network architectures is collaborating with the network cells while is shown in Fig. 2, where it is applied to a that it can perform sensory detection, learning require addition control circuits practical face recognition problem in real- perception, cognition, memory, and increasing the complexity of design and time environments. It follows a supervised attention functions. However, maximum implementation. learning approach using various stages of information storage time of the network A recent extension to the deep genetic learning for fi xing the cell weights. depends on the maximum retention time architecture approach is the hierarchical The weights in a cognitive memory of memory used. In terms of hardware temporal networks (HTM) shown in network are equivalent resistors of 2 or implementation, this needs memories Fig. 1 that use the deep architectures in 3 terminal resistive memory devices. that can do large number of cycles, less a hierarchical manner. A high level of Since equivalent resistors of the memory area, and long data retention time which modularity and hierarchy in function and elements are used for training the network, may be made possible with QsRAM. structure is a key feature of neocortex. the actual use of memory elements The modularity of the network can HTM uses several of the existing concepts as storage become implicative than be put to use to create large structures in in pattern recognition to form a networks formal. The network as a whole through hardware, which increases the ability of the approach to prediction of objects and its various layers memorizes an event, network to handle more complex functions sequences across time. which means it allows for redundancy of and a way to create digital intelligence. The ability of the network to handle Level 3 complex tasks depends on the physical (output) 1 node complexity of the fi nal architecture, and eff ectively indicates to the arrangement of memory elements, layers, and number of cell inputs, which can bring about Level 2 (intermediate) various network structures. The hardware 2×2 nodes memory network can have structures that can be better or worse for a problem it can handle. Moreover, the selection of the network structure depends on the Level 1 (intermediate) functional complexity and nature of task. 4×4 nodes In the examples we have provided what a simple cell type can do when we replicate it throughout the network. The number of inputs that can be connected to a cell Level 0 is restricted to a maximum of 6 due to (input) 16×16 nodes the hardware issues associated with the inverter. Further, the nonlinear inverter function in the cell can introduce errors Image in its output, which can accumulate from 16×16 pixels a layer to next layer. But by simulation experiments it can be shown that these Fig. 1: The hierarchical nature of the hierarchical temporal memory networks errors are marginal and it does not aff ect the overall working of the network. The
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 23 build large memory network chips, which can match the cognitive capability of human brain and can be the starting point to a fully functional autonomous artifi cial intelligence. References [1] Dias, F M, Antunes, A, and Mota, A M, ‘Artifi cial Neural Networks: A Review of Commercial Hardware’, Engineering Applications of Artifi cial Intelligence, 2004, 17 (8), pp. 945– 952. [2] Draghici, S, ‘Neural networks in analog hardware design and implementation issues’, Int. J. of Neural Systems, 2000, 10 (1), pp. 19–42. [3] George, D, Hawkins, J, ‘Towards a Mathematical Theory of Cortical Fig. 2: The block level illustrati on of the memory network in a multi class Micro-circuits’, PLoS Comput Biol, [5] high-dimensional patt ern recogniti on problem . 2009, 5 (10). [4] Hawkins, J, George, D, and Niemasik, network is stable to the tolerance or any other complex issues related with J, ‘Sequence memory for prediction, sensitivity of resistance variations, which the examples addressed. The memory inference and behavior’, Philosophical 6 implies that small deviations on the network chip with 10 gigabits could Transactions of the Royal Society B, trained values do not aff ect the network perform most of the tasks that a human 2009, 364, pp. 1203–1209. functionality. brain does, while a working memory of 1 [5] James, A P and Dimitrijev, S, ‘A Memory network implementation for or 2 gigabits should be enough to compete Cognitive Memory Network’, IET a 1296 inputs and 12-bit output network in with most cognitive abilities of brain. The Electronics Letters, 2010, 10, pp. hardware needs 1812 bits of memory and current technologies provide memory 677–678. 264 inverters, with a input resolution of area that can compete with the biological [6] Zurada, J M, ‘Analog Implementation [5] 1/1296 with 3 layers of cells . Therefore, memories and is underutilized due to of Neural Networks’, IEEE Circuits if we extend the memory to 1 gigabit with technological constraints. With more and Devices Magazine, 1992, 8 (5), 12-bit output, it implies an input resolution technologies under development, large pp. 36–41. n of 1/766958445 with 10 layers of cells. semiconductor memories will be made Moreover, this network will be able to solve possible in coming years. This will help
About the Author
Dr. A P James is currently a faculty member at the Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management (IIITM), Kerala. He is the Chief Investigator of machine intelligence research group at IIITM. He is an alumnus of Griffi th University, Australia, completing a PhD in the area of hardware-friendly image recognition algorithm. He has research and industry experience in the area of signal integrity, VLSI circuits and systems for image processing, memory-based networks, and pattern recognition algorithms. He has been a reviewer and author to high-quality journals such as IEEE SPL, Pattern Recognition, Electronics Letters, IEEE TIP, IEEE TSCM:B, The Computer Journal, IEEE TEC etc. He is currently serving as Editorial board member of Information Fusion Journal, Elsevier, Netherlands. He is the Editor-in-Chief of International Journal of Machine Intelligence and Sensory Signal Processing, Inderscience, Sweden. He is a member of IEEE Computer, Circuits and Systems and Computational Intelligence societies. His current research interest include Pattern recognition, Medical Informatics, Object tracking, Memory Networks, Information Fusion systems, Clustering, Classifi cation, Feature Selection, Re-confi gurable circuits, HTM, and switches and memory arrays.
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 24 www.csi-india.org Practitioner Dr. Debasish Jana Workbench Editor, CSI Communications
Programming.Freedom() » Towards Freedom of Software: Pragmatics and Wisdom We are living in a free digital society. Freedom is an innate philosophy in this. If you get it free, you have to give it free. This is human desire. In the words of the great legendary polymath a positive impetus for the software developer community that has Rabindranath Tagore, we look for a free world, “Where the mind to earn to live but at the same time also learn to spread freedom in is without fear and the head is held high; Where knowledge is the world of idealism. To let it grow, in true sense of freedom, the free; Where the world has not been broken up into fragments knowledge workers have to contribute and cooperate to spread by narrow domestic walls...”. According to Wikipedia, freedom and snowball knowledge. expects to be free from being owned by other people, companies, Talking about free and open-source software, more in terms corporations, or government. In the world of software, free and of freedom to copy, freedom to use, reuse, modify, and distribute, open-source software (FOSS) or free/libre/open-source software an organization grew to advocate free software model. It’s The (FLOSS) stand for software that is open source as well as free. Free Software Foundation (FSF), website being http://www.fsf. Liberal licensing allows people to use, edit, and distribute. Being org/. The website of the Indian Free Software Foundation is http:// an intangible item, it is diffi cult to compare software ownership fsf.org.in/. And the distinguished person of wisdom of freedom of as compared to any other tangible items we possess. There is software is Dr. Richard Stallman, President and Founder of the FSF. a very commonly used term called GPL, but many of us are not Among many places, he recently visited India and mesmerized aware of how much freedom we get from this tag? GPL means the audience by his vision of freedom. We share with you a report General Public License. More precisely, we use GNU General on a recent CSI event on freedom of software and glimpses of his Public License, or GNU GPL, in short or even just GPL. There are other variants of licenses as well, GNU provides a list: http://www. enchanting speech. In addition, we stand up in harmony to feel free gnu.org/licenses/license-list.html. Moreover, you may be aware to install free software, in the free world to mumble the heart-deep of what GNU is. GNU is a Unix-like operating system available as words of FSF, and to join hands where we are free from restriction free software (http://www.gnu.org). Questions and debate arise to share and copy, free to learn and adapt, free to work with others, from the word free again, how much of it is free? What is free? and of course feel free to acknowledge the contributors always. Cost? Usage license? In addition, we have heard about the term Benjamin Mako Hill, writer, technologist, and FSF board member copyright, the right to copy that has its legal binding. Infringement says, “A strong free software movement focused on the principled of this is deemed to be plagiarism and considered a no-no. But, issues of software freedom — and a strong FSF in particular — will what is copyleft? Copyleft allows a program to be marked as free determine what freedoms the next generation of computer users and this requires that any modifi cation or extension/expansion enjoy. At stake is no less than the next generation’s autonomy”. carried on the free version should be free as well. There is pragmatic Together, we dream for a complete freedom of software.
Report on CSI Event on Freedom of Software by Sourav Sengupta and Dipti Prasad Mukherjee, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata
The Computer Society of India Listening to a genius like RMS, (CSI) Division III (Applications) the father of the Free Software and CSI Kolkata Chapter had Movement was an unforgettable recently organized a talk by the experience. He started his talk by GNU guru Richard Matthew redefi ning the term ‘free’ in the Stallman (popularly known as context of free software. In his own RMS), in association with the words - “think of free as in freedom, Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) on not as in free beer”. RMS detailed Thursday, 2nd February, 2012, at four levels of freedom in the the Platinum Jubilee Auditorium context of use and development of ISI Kolkata. The title of the talk of software - freedom 0 is the was “A Free Digital Society”. The session was chaired freedom to run the software; freedom 1 is the right to by Prof. Debesh K Das of the Department of Computer study and modify the source code of the software; Science, Jadavpur University. Prof. Das is also the Chairman freedom 2 is the liberty to distribute the exact copy of of Division III (Applications), CSI. the software; and freedom 3 is the freedom to improve
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 25 the software through modifi cation and redistribute the the GNU system was later integrated with the Linux modifi ed version of the software towards the betterment kernel developed by Linus Torvalds in 1991 to complete of the society. Each of these freedoms is necessary in the operating system that we popularly know as ‘Linux’. order to understand how the software actually works and RMS was critical of the ‘open source’ outlook of Linus also to ensure safeguard of Torvalds, and advised every individual application the audience to use the against potential threats name ‘GNU/Linux’ rather from any malicious than just Linux in every kernel embedded within reference to the operating the software they use. system. Since the Linux Restricting the free use kernel was added in of a software or imposing the already existing constraints in sharing a GNU infrastructure to software with friends is complete the operating an attack on personal system, it is only fair freedom, and in a free to give proper credit to world, one ought not the GNU project, and to tolerate such enforced promote the free source subordination. In reply to a question on whether such philosophy associated with the GNU project. Even though unlimited freedom and absence of any control from the most of the popularly available distributions of the GNU/ user perspective eventually harms a software application, Linux system are free to a certain extent, it still contains RMS said that his experience has taught him that these some amount of proprietary code that frustrates RMS. As freedoms ensure “openness”, which in fact improves the a whole the session was very lively and interactive, and it quality of software and reduces bugs in practice. ended with an auction of a stuff ed GNU toy (the animal The GNU project, with a recursive acronym GNU’s Gnu or Wildebeest in this case), followed by a question– Not Unix, was initiated by RMS in the early 1980s, and answer session. n
Continued from Page 21 However, the conclusions are based on References [6] Selinger, M (year not mentioned) limited survey in selected fi ve colleges of [1] Annual Report 2006–07, Department ‘The Impact and role of ICT in the Thiruvananthapuram district in Kerala. The of School Education and Literacy & delivery of education and training suggestions based on the survey results are: Department of Higher Education, in Africa’, www.britishcouncil.org, • Teacher training should encompass Ministry of Human Resource accessed 15th December 2011. ICT skills along with a full Development, Government of India. [7] Tilak, J B (2001). ‘Higher Education understanding and complete mastery [2] Bhatia, M S, et al. (2011). ‘Role of ICT and Development in Kerala’, Working of ICTs as pedagogical tools. in Teaching of Social Studies’, Indian Paper No. 5, Centre for Socio- • Teacher education institutions should Streams Research Journal, 1(VI). economic and Environmental Studies. [3] Fisher, T, et al. (2006). ‘Teachers be ensured with fi nancial and human [8] UNESCO (1990). ‘Teacher Education Learning with Digital Technologies: resources with training for successful in Asia and the Pacifi c Region, Vol. 1: A Review of Research and Projects’, incorporation of ICTs. An Overview, APEID. Futurelab Report Series No. 14, • It is also necessary to extend [9] UNESCO (2002). Information Bristol: Futurelab. http://www. a stronger understanding of and Communication Technologies futurelab.org.uk/ in Education: A Curriculum for future learning needs and future [4] Ranjan, N and Naimur, R (year not Schools and Programme of Teacher environments for ICT skills. mentioned) ‘Role of Teacher in • A constructive atmosphere must Enhancing Learning Achievements Development, www.unesco.org, be there to provide an occasion for of Children and Emphasis on Teacher accessed 15th December 2011. all stakeholders to form a part of Skill Development Knowledge [10] Yves, P. et al. (2006). ‘A Review of the the information society. Instead of Building and ICT’, www.dhsekerala. Impact of ICT on Learning’, Working focussing on cost, eff orts should gov.in, accessed 15th December 2011. Paper for DGEAC, www.futurelab. be taken to promote broadband, [5] Sein, M K and Harindranath, G org.uk, accessed 15th December computers, and Internet access. (2004). ‘Conceptualizing the ICT 2011. n • Progress and planning is still needed Artifact: Towards Understanding the in providing attractive learning Role of ICT in National Development’, content and learning technologies. The Information Society, 20(1).
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 26 www.csi-india.org Practitioner Umesh P Workbench Department of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, University of Kerala
Programming.Learn (“Python”) » Engineer’s Python
African rock python, Ball python, Burmese python, Jungle carpet python, and genus Antaresia (the smallest python, often called children’s python) are some of the diff erent kinds of pythons that have been identifi ed. In case of the programming language, Python, we can see much more variety in extension packages which clearly indicates the popularity of python in the programming community. We will familiarize with three packages of Python - Numpy, Scipy, and Pylab, which are the packages that help in scientifi c computation. NumPy and SciPy packages were born to solve the performance-related issues in Python, to handle multidimensional arrays and matrices, and to reduce the computational time and labor of programming. In this issue let us focus on Numpy. First of all, we need to install these packages. Installing the packages in Windows is very easy, where it can be done with the help of EasyInstall package. Download EasyInstall from Python. org and install it into your PC. Go to the fi le folder of EasyInstall (usually this will be in Python folder/Script) and type the name of the chosen package. [Path of easy installer.exe] [Space] [Required package] >>>x.reshape((4,5,5)) C:\Python27\Scripts\easy_install.exe numpy Also try x.reshape((5,4,5)) and have a look at x. For Linux (ubuntu/debian) users, you can directly install any To defi ne matrices consisting only of zeroes or ones, or an package by typing the following command on terminal: sudo apt-get install python- [package] identity matrix, try the following: sudo apt-get install python-numpy >>>zeros((2,4)) Numpy can be imported in Python interface by typing the >>>ones((2,4)) command from numpy import *. Once you import the package in >>>identity(3) to the Python environment, it is ready to use. Ready, Steady, Go!!! If you wish to create a matrix with a dimension same as that Main objective of Numpy package is to handle multidimensional of another matrix, but containing elements as only zeroes, or only arrays. It can also be used to handle Fourier Transforms, linear ones, it is very easy in Python! Try the following: algebra, and random number generation. After installing the >>>ones_like(A) Numpy package, an array/matrix can be defi ned by: >>>from numpy import * >>>zeros_like(A) >>>A= array ([[78, 41, 53], [65, 86, 49], [94, 49, 56]]) To split an array with elements 0 to 19 into three, try the Like most modern programming languages, indexing starts following command: from 0. The element 78 is referred to as A[0,0]. Type the following: >>>x=array(range(20)) >>>A[0] # fi rst row >>>split=array_split(x, 3) >>>A[-1] # last row >>>split[0] >>>A[0,0] # fi rst row, fi rst column To concatenate two arrays in a desired manner, try the >>>A[0,1] # fi rst row, second column >>>A[:2] # fi rst two rows following codes: >>>A[:,1] # second column >>>a=array([[1, 2], [3, 4]]) >>>A.T # transpose of A >>>b=array([[5, 6]]) >>>A.shape # order of the matrix >>>z=concatenate((a, b), axis=0) >>>B=random.ranf ((3, 2)) # create a random matrix of order 3x2 >>>z1=concatenate((a, b.T), axis=1) To create an array with elements in the range 0–99, the We have explored some features of the Numpy package. following code can be used. There are few more that readers can try out. In the next issue, we >>>x=array(range(100)) Here is another Python magic, if you would like to convert the will explore Scipy which is another extension to Python, which array created just now into three 4x2 matrices, you can simply use helps in advanced mathematical operations including signal the following command: processing, optimization, and statistics. n
CSI CoCommunicationsmmunications | MarchMarch 20122012 | 27 Dr. R M Sonar* and Mrs. Jayshree A Dhere** CIO Perspective * Chief Editor, CSI Communications ** Resident Editor, CSI Communications
Interview with Mr. S. Padmanabhan, Executive Director – Operations, Tata Power
Being Executive Director (Operations) of The Tata Power Company Ltd., and being a Director on the Boards of companies like Chemical Terminal Trombay Ltd., Industrial Energy Ltd., Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd., Powerlinks Transmission Ltd., Tata Power Trading Co. Ltd. and Trust Energy Resources Pte. Ltd. (Singapore) and Maithon Power Limited is certainly not an easy job. With an illustrious career of 26 years in TCS, where he held responsible roles such as Director-HR, Head of Software Delivery Centre, Country Head of Switzerland and CEO of JV with Singapore Airlines, Mr. S. Padmanabhan was Executive Director of TCS, prior to joining Tata Power Company. He was a key member of the team responsible for the IPO of TCS, has wide international experience, has worked in global assignments over two decades and has represented TCS in several external fora. At The Tata Power Co. Ltd., Mr. S. Padmanabhan is responsible for the profi table and sustainable operations of all Tata Power’s Thermal and Hydro generation plants across India and Transmission and Distribution systems in Mumbai. During a talk with him in his offi ce, he provided a perspective on IT management especially in the power sector.
Q.1: How is IT function organized – centralized available power is say 100 Mwatts and make use of latest technology, as business or distributed – what are sub-functions in the during certain peak time say between has to adapt to latest technologies and IT function? 3.30 pm to 4.00 pm, demand becomes adt them and employees need to be Ans: IT function in the company is basically 110 Mwatts, the extra power is sought empowered to use them, as employee self a centralized function, which means that from sources at higher rates. The higher service is ultimately useful for business. bulk of systems is centralized. However, cost results in increasing the averaged Q.4: Which information technology change activities related to infrastructure, out rate for the customer. If the customer has been of greatest concern for your industry deployment and support are typically decides to shut down certain equipments and how? distributed. LAN/WAN maintenance, during this time, the need for procuring Ans: There are no specifi c issues as such desktop support, data centre, data backup power at higher rate can be minimized related to any of the new technology are the activities, which are outsourced. thus keeping the averaged out rate less. changes. We are constantly tracking So far as application development is In the absence of ‘dynamic rescheduling’ technology changes in the sector. concerned, those applications that require systems, such advice given to chosen Q.5: Do you think IT utilization for maximizing intense domain specifi c knowledge are customers for smoothing out their power business benefi ts needs to be assessed on done in house, whereas other non-domain utilization requires an IT application that continuous basis? How do you ensure that it specifi c applications are outsourced. can provide the necessary analytical and is happening? Q.2: Is changing technology enhancing the decision support systems. Ans: Yes, very much so. Value of IT to utilization of IT in power sector? Can you Currently, there is more stress on business should be assessed. There are chart out the evolution of IT usage in power automating the entire process, although obvious benefi ts of using IT but IT is still sector over last few decades? What activities the last mile infrastructure is not really not used enough and there is scope for are outsourced? good enough. Globally, the power enhancing its use. For example,when Ans: IT usage has signifi cantly increased distribution processes are far better entire billing process is automated, there during the last 3 to 4 years time. Earlier automated. Also, on generation side, there is defi nite enhancement in the overall it was more like capturing the data after is a lot of automation in the western world. revenue generation as revenue leakage the events have occurred. For example, For example, a hydro plant in Norway is can be prevented. We track critical using and implementing a standard ERP almost completely automated and there business drivers and focus on automating system SAP means entering information is hardly any human intervention so far as the business processes of these business into the system after transactions have power generation is concerned. However, drivers. already taken place. Here, information is this type of automation of generation Q.6: How often do you review and update IT not being captured while power is being process may not suit our country, where strategy plan? What is your advice for other generated. Now-a-days, the focus is we have ample manpower available. Thus, CIOs? more on automating when power is being our specifi c cultural and other social Ans: To ensure business benefi ts of IT generated, transmitted and distributed. factors do have an impact on how we utilization, ideal picture where you want One example that can be sited is that of an utilize IT in our processes. to reach, say, after 5 years down the application for demand side management. Q.3: How are latest technology trends such line is prepared, which is a kind of vision Here, a few high industrial customers as cloud computing, mobile computing, social statement. Next, you assess the position are chosen and their usage of electrical networking etc infl uencing the IT utilization in where you are today and then chalk out a power is analysed. Based on the analysis, power sector? plan in phased manner, which will take you they are provided advise on how they can Ans: So far as usage of these new IT trends to your envisioned position. This is typically optimise their power usage and hence is concerned, the power sector is like any done by preparing yearly business plans to reduce their power bill. Suppose that the other sector. Employees are encouraged to achieve growth. Periodically, your journey
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 28 www.csi-india.org is reviewed to decide how far you have regulatory systems, tariff policy, today’s identifi ed, who are from user departments come and then do the course correction of competition and emerging competition. and project managers are mostly the the future steps to be taken. It is possible This understanding enables CIO to have respective project owners. Project that when this review is happening, the meaningful conversation with business manager has the responsibility towards picture envisioned earlier might change unit heads. Our organization facilitates budget, schedule and quality of the to some extent due to variety of factors this business understanding through project. – both technical as well as non-technical. formal and informal training programs. Q.11: What are your major concerns in What are your hiring strategies? How This change in goal state would also Q.9: managing IT infrastructure (e.g. buying, do you inculcate soft skills in IT professionals, impact the future plan. For continuous licensing, outsourcing etc.)? manage synergies between functional and IT assessment, automation scorecard, which Ans: In case of managing IT infrastructure, professionals? How do you manage attrition? shows the level of automation in plant, licensing costs and annual maintenance Ans: As a part of hiring strategy, we hire in customer facing systems etc, is used costs keep on rising and there are lock persons having computer science and/ and it depicts the progress achieved on in issues. Perhaps, cloud computing in or IT background and later train them in various fronts such as plant, distribution future may provide some respite for these house and also through external agencies. etc. on a dashboard. In line with business aspects. As already informed, desktop Many programs are organized for scorecard, there is a separate scorecard maintenance, data centre, backup, inculcating soft skills including branded network maintenance, typical non-core for IT plans. ones facilitated through HR consultants. How important is IT security function for applications etc are the activities, which Q.7: Talent development is a leadership your sector of industry? How do you handle are outsourced as per business strategy. function and CIOs have to be constantly it – through CISO and a separate IT Security Applications such as GIS application, in leadership development mode. Building function or as part of IT function itself? which is an active location system, are talent through job rotation and cross- important for the business. Technical help Ans: IT security function is important, functional training is essential to building required for such applications is taken however the physical security of the a strong team within the IT function. from outside. plant, where power is actually generated People, who invest time and eff ort in Q.12: According to you what % of total and which involves crores of rupees of developing talent within their groups and investment are far more important in the company revenue should be invested in IT in across groups in the company are clearly order to obtain optimal benefi ts? power sector. IT security function is an seen and perceived as leaders of the Ans: In power sector, as a thumb rule, 2 to integral part of IT function and it takes future. This is an important competency, care of multiple levels of security. 2.5% is the quantum of investment in IT. which needs to be built. Good leaders also Do you think IT audit can be adding Q.8: There is a lot of talk about changing role act as mentors to people in the company Q.13: value to IT function and thereby to the of CIOs in current age. What are your views and guide them in their careers. business? How should it be planned in order on this topic? So far as attrition is concerned, it to achieve the said purpose? Ans: CIOs role has changed over the years. is certainly a challenge to be addressed It is evolving into that of a strategic thinker because most of the IT professionals Ans: IT audit involves assessing functional and an agent of culture change. Earlier prefer to work for IT companies and not aspects, governance, utilization of IT business had to understand IT. Now, the the end-user companies. But general assets and also security audits. In power question asked is ‘Does CIO understand observation is that young professionals sector, process audits are very important, our business?’ So it is for the CIO now to in their early 4 to 5 years yearn more as process automation has to have zero be more business centric and be able to for working with IT companies, whereas error. The engineer in the power plant talk comfortably to business. This change those, who are having more than 10 to 12 has to manage the operations with high is happening all over the globe and there years of experience look forward to a more precision and the tolerance for error is is nothing diff erent in our country as stable career. almost zero. such. Our CIO/CTO and their teams are Q.10: Are the IT projects initiated by user Q.14: How often do you recommend the IT expected to have a good understanding of departments or IT department? Do you audit to be carried out to provide valuable the key drivers of our business viz. safety recommend a separate PMO (project/ inputs for furthering the value delivery from IT of the plant and the transmission systems; program management) offi ce in IT function to business? security of input fuel and fuel management, to manage projects or programs i.e. set of Ans: Generally speaking, IT audit is fuel logistics, plant effi ciencies and projects? recommended once a year, although performance which enhances the output, Ans: IT projects are initiated by both – by some systems need to be audited more emission management, reduction in user departments as well as sometimes frequently. Security audit is carried out transmission and distribution losses, by IT itself. Usually project owners are more often. Q.15: What is general advice to those, who are looking forward to becoming CIOs for their Mr.M Padmanabhan is a Gold Medalist from the IIM, Bangalore respective organizations? anda a Gold Medalist from PSG College of Technology. He has Ans: My single most important advice beenb presented the distinguished alumnus award at IIM and to all those aspiring to become CIOs is ata PSG College of Technology. He is life member of CSI and that – ‘Understand business, spend time in working with customers, empathize SeniorS Member of IEEE. He has completed the Advanced with their feelings and aspirations and last ManagementM Program at the Harvard Business School in 2011. but not the least understand costing and About the Author appreciation of accounting.’ n
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 29 Avinash W Kadam Security Corner Director, MIEL e-Security Pvt. Ltd.
Information Security » Personnel Security - Defense in Depth
Personnel security is the last and the resources. And if they are themselves not mistakes can prove extremely detrimental most important layer in the defense in aware of the risks, they may not provide to the working of the organization. Imagine depth model. You may design the best the required leadership and direction. an internal confi dential document being of the security measures for each of Secondly, any compromise of their own wrongly classifi ed as a public document the remaining six layers, but the fi nal computers probably will be much more and ending up on the company’s public implementation has to be done by trusted serious. Just imagine a Trojan installed website. The middle management should personnel. If the persons responsible for on the CEO’s machine, leaking out all the also be consulted for formulating various securely handling information are not top confi dential correspondence to a rival. policies pertaining to information security. trustworthy, no amount of technology will Another mandatory clause prescribed For example, a policy for acceptable use of be able to keep the information secure. by the ISO/IEC 27001:2005 standard resources cannot be meaningfully formed unless the department head identifi es what use of resources is appropriate to carry out “If the persons responsible for securely handling information are the departmental work. A good orientation not trustworthy, no amount of technology will be able to keep the on information security risks and best information secure.” practices will be important for the persons at this level. A recent targeted attack on the well-known security company RSA’s Personnel security has to be is clause no. 8: Management review of HR managers highlights the importance of implemented at three layers. First is at the the Information Security Management information security training at this level. top management layer, next at the middle System (ISMS) which requires the These employees received an email with an management layer, and fi nally at the layer management to review the inputs to attachment “2011 Recruitment plan.xls”. The where persons actually handle the day-to- the ISMS as well as output of the ISMS. spreadsheet contained a zero-day exploit day work. This involves understanding terms like that installed a backdoor and eventually Among these three layers, the top “vulnerabilities or threats not adequately compromised the security of RSA. Such management layer is the most critical. addressed” and “results from eff ectiveness ‘spear phishing’ attacks are usually targeted The top management of the company is measurements” and confi rming and at a group of employees whose computers ultimately accountable for the working of accepting the outputs from the ISMS like may have more privileged accesses; hence, the entire company. They may not always “regulatory or legal requirements” and adequate training to this level becomes all be aware of the risks that the organization “levels of risk and/or risk acceptance the more important. may be exposed to, if the information criteria”. If the senior management is not Finally, we have to ensure that every is not properly secured. The persons at well acquainted with these topics, they will person in the organization, who has any this level are extremely busy, and hence not be able to conduct a proper review and access to information, is well trained on may not be able to spend time to learn provide right direction to the organization. the basics of information security. Once about the information security risks and Failure to provide reasonable security again, in today’s digital world, there will the risk mitigation measures. On the one practices might also attract severe fi nancial be hardly anyone who does not use hand, like everyone else, they also use penalties including imprisonment. information for their day-to-day work. We technologies like Internet, email, social The next layer in the hierarchy is that have an entire category of persons named media, and mobile phones. Therefore, of the middle management. Managers as ‘end users’. They are given access to they are exposed to all the risks and in this layer carry out all the day-to- the information which is necessary to need to be aware of them. On the other day responsibilities and handle most carry out their day-to-day work. Access hand, they also have to provide adequate of the crucial information. The correct permission should only be given on ‘need- resources and demonstrate commitment classifi cation of the information assets can to-know’ basis and the ‘least privileges’ towards information security for the only be done by them as they know the should be assigned which are just enough organization. This aspect is so important importance of each and every item and to carry out the allocated work. Even with [1] that ISO/IEC 27001:2005 standard has most probably they will be the ‘owners’ these precautions, there is still a possibility made this as a mandatory clause no. 5: of these information assets. Ownership of someone either misusing the access or Management responsibility, which has does not mean the physical ownership, but being ignorant about the signifi cance of further two subclauses - 5.1: Management indicates the responsibility for these assets. access permissions. A proper information commitment and 5.2: Resource They will also be responsible for authorizing security training is a must so that management. The reasoning is very clear. logical as well as physical access to these everyone among the end users takes the It is the commitment of top management assets as all such approvals for addition, responsibility very seriously, does not that is crucial to ensure information deletion, and modifi cation will only be share passwords, and does not leave security for the organization. They are granted by them. In today’s digital world, computers unprotected. The training the ones who will allocate adequate these are very important roles and any should emphasize on the importance of
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 30 www.csi-india.org selecting the right password, securing it by one person, actual access rules will be going to hurt the customer as well as the so that no one can guess it, frequently implemented by another person and a log company. We may even create security changing it, and also not storing it in a place will be maintained for each action. This quizzes and give some rewards to the where it could be discovered by others. The creates traceability and accountability. customers who answer them correctly. training should also cover all the do’s and Mandatory annual vacation ensures that This will create sustained interest in the don’ts and highlight the acceptable use during an employee’s absence some security practices. policies. A good awareness training will other employee carries out the day-to- The biggest challenge that we face ensure that the law-abiding end users will day work and may be able to discover today is of ‘social engineering’, which follow the suggested practices. To deter any irregularities, including frauds. The is the modern name given to cheating, others, organizations should formulate employee on the mandatory vacation lying, and exploiting human weakness a policy of taking disciplinary action has no physical access to the premises or of being helpful or in other words, being against defaulters who do not follow the remote access to the network. gullible. People at each level could fall information security policy and procedures. Apart from a disgruntled insider, to the tricks of a confi dence trickster. The action could become gradually more we also face the problem of corporate All that is required is the right approach, stringent if the same person defaults on espionage where a person joins the right language, and creating the right multiple occasions, ultimately resulting in organization with explicit intention situation to convince someone to give termination of service. of pilfering information. A thorough away the required information. The social engineer could become a maintenance “ ... we have to ensure that every person in the organization, who has technician requiring access to the server room, or could pretend to be a journalist any access to information, is well trained on the basics of information and interview the CTO for a magazine, security.” or could become a new employee who does not know how to setup a password or needs help to enter the premises. The Insider threat is a great challenge for background check including police social engineer could even pretend to information security. Most of the frauds verifi cation is a must. This employee need be the CEO or some big shot, ordering and successful attacks happen with inside not join at a very high-tech position. Even something to be done against the policy help. An insider knows the system very well someone joining as a janitor could steal like resetting the password as he is in and is able to circumvent many controls. enough information, especially using great hurry and is very upset. Will the An insider (breaching the system) could any of the small compact mobile devices concerned person have the necessary be a disgruntled employee who has been with camera and large memory. The presence of mind to politely refuse to hurt because of being bypassed during background check should include not only bend the rules, even for the big boss? a promotion or for any other reason. It the employees but also contract workers, This is where the eff ectiveness of training becomes very diffi cult to monitor the temporaries, trainees, vendor staff and so will be proven. Such trainings should not actions of someone who is with the on. The list really becomes very large. If the be just power-point slides, but could be company for long and is fairly trusted. perceived risk is high, the risk mitigation more eff ectively conveyed through role Apart from monitoring the behavior measures for personnel security have to plays. The social engineering need not pattern, which only a very perceptive be stringent. be based on a face-to-face or telephonic boss or colleague can, other measures The last and fi nal category of persons interaction. It could be an email pretending that could be adopted are: job rotation, who should be trained on information to be from income tax department to give segregation of duties, and mandatory security is the customers. Customers you tax refund or from a bank informing vacation. Each measure has its own unique today have almost as much access to you that your account will be frozen if you advantage. By job rotation, a person is information as employees. It is customary do not provide the information asked in moved from one position to another to make the employees as well as the email. These are major attacks and and does not become indispensable customers sign nondisclosure agreements. technology cannot stop them. You have for a single type of job. Others also These are full of jargon and diffi cult to to train the personnel extremely well to acquire the experience of working in that understand. A simple-to-understand sense the attack and stop it. The attackers position. It also breaks any collusion that policy statement should be created to keep refi ning the methodology and so the may have been or could be created to convey the concern and the cooperation awareness training should be repeated at perpetuate a fraud. Segregation of duties that is solicited. Customers cannot be the discovery of every new type of attack. is a fundamental principle. This involves trained to the same level as employees. Remember, people are the fi rst designing work-fl ow in such a manner that Even then, sincere eff orts should be made and the last frontier to defend against each action needs someone other than to explain the security practices using attacks on information. One famous the performer to approve it. Combining easy-to-understand graphics, pictures, hacker had said, amateurs hack systems, execution and approval in one person, or animated cartoons, and anything else professionals hack people. So make the not providing for independent approval, is that can hold the attention. A phishing people hack proof. sure invitation for committing frauds. So email, which makes a customer share Reference if access permission has been approved confi dential information like password, is [1] ISO/IEC 27002:2005 n
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 31 Dr. Mahesh Deshmukh* and Dr. Manish Godse** HR * Ph.D. (IITB), CEO, Maruma Consultancy Pvt Ltd., Email: [email protected] ** Ph.D. (IITB), COO, iKen Solutions Pvt Ltd., Email: [email protected] Behavior and Technology
We began the article with title ‘Technology in a group right from family, school, society of understanding of your-self and creating behavior’ and when we shared it with few and work place. The essential notion of connects with your-self in order to live more technocrats, they went into a spin of how being a social animal seems to be impacted integrated and fully functional life. technology behaves over an execution due to the nature of new age, IT enabled, From organization perspective, cycle of system. This really excited us to dispersed and virtual work practices. little heed is paid to person’s job fi t from think about how people perceived behavior This is not intended to indicate that we a holistic perspective. The key factor within the IT/Technology industry. are marginalizing or de-emphasizing that seems to be currently contributing In IT industry, majority of the people phenomenal contributions made by IT and to success is her/his technical skills or are having technology background and Technology to the human development. domain knowledge. Organizations seldom are recruited as Software Engineers. Then, While we agree that technological strides focus on the individual diff erences that they ride the ladder as Project Lead, Project that we have experienced in last decade might contribute or come in the way of Manager, Delivery manager, and Vertical have grown exponentially compared to any being an eff ective leader, team player or head. At all levels, technical knowledge point of history in human development. a team member. The basic fact missed in is the basic requirement of job profi le. The social impacts of this have a similar this perspective is to be a human being, The notion of success at all these levels growth pattern. which ultimately contributes in making a is utilizing technology and the belief is The distributed nature of today’s successful organization. Hence, there is that one can be a leader across levels and working environment calls for a heightened a need to add extra skills, which provide functions, if she/he masters technology. sensitivity to human potential, personality, a human touch along with the technical/ But, this is only a half-truth. Unfortunately, values, need, etc. Fact is that technologist business skill requirement. such a leader who perceives herself/ views a project success by closing It has been proved that there is a himself as a successful person tends to technology loopholes. This refl ects his one- direct relation between behavioral skills underplay the fact that technology has to dimensional perspective of what success and business results. It is a known story of be handled by a human being. So every implies to her or him. While one might have a highly intelligent, highly skilled executive interface where humans are involved, an in- successfully completed a project, little heed who was promoted into a leadership depth understanding of their perceptions, is paid to how it is completed. At the end position but failed at the job. But a person motives, interests, values and personality of successful project, we often hear about who did not have extraordinary intellectual are critical for them to be fully functional. dissatisfi ed team members and free-riders. abilities and technical skills and who was National skill development corporation has The fact is that software professional’s promoted into a similar position, soared observed that major skill gap at all levels is needs and aspirations are beyond the work high. This story tells that behavioral skills soft/behavioral skills. and those are often un-attained. Software are equally or more important to make a It is imperative to ask a question, professional might have excellent technical successful professional. These skills may what makes a person successful other than knowledge but her/his individual preference be lacking in a professional but can be technology. The modern day distributed, may not fi t with the demand of work culture developed by identifying skill gaps through assessment and coaching/training by virtual working environment where people and strategy of the organization. These behavioral coach. seem to work endlessly in their silos individual elements are compromised in The question we would like to ask is kind of going against basic tenets of favor of technical knowledge for whatever readers to contemplate is - what is it that being human. The socio-analytic theory reasons. Situations of these kinds lead to we bargained for? of personality presents three essential a whole bunch of excellent technocrats/IT characters of a man as social being: (1) professionals who are largely dissatisfi ed, Reference getting along, (2) going ahead and, (3) have lots of money/wealth and have Daniel Goleman, “What Makes a Leader?”, growing ahead. All these three characters somehow somewhere forgotten to be a HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Leadeship, Harvard are fully supported and enriched by working little more human. Hence, there is necessity Business Review, Feb 2007, pg. 3-13 n
Mahesh Deshmukh: Mahesh is the Managing Director of Maruma Consultancy Pvt. Ltd. Mahesh has 19 years of HR experience in both industry and consultancy.. He is recognized as a change management, talent management & organization development professional with extensive experience in the design and implementation of Assessment Centers, Development Centers, Senior Level Executive Assessments, & Development, Job Analysis and Competency design projects, Leadership Development and Executive Coaching.
Manish Godse: Manish is currently working as COO in iKen Solutions Pvt. Ltd. iKen is an IIT Bombay research spin-off software product company. He has two decades of experience, which spans as Business Leader, Entrepreneur and Academician. His functional experience is focused on Strategic partnership development, Customer relationship management, Pre-sales, Product management, Product & services costing, Psychometric testing, Assessment and Coaching. About the Authors
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 32 www.csi-india.org Achuthsankar S Nair ICT@ Society Editor, CSI Communications
Will a Yottabyte Quench Our Thirst?
Image courtesy: Wikipedia
Bill Gates is often attributed with the And the biggest yet is yotta, one YB do point out that “…the majority of our quote “640K ought to be enough for being equal to 1024 bytes. What is technological memory has been in digital anybody”, though the attribution is surprising is that the list we gave above format since the early 2000s (94% digital not without doubt. That the world has of things to be digitized can be held in a in 2007)”. moved ahead in a spectacular way exabyte disk. What can fill the zeta and from the days of kilobytes and floppy yotta disks? Many believe that such data disk era of 1970s is well accepted. But would come from 3-D, molecular-level then we have also produced more and data recording of the entire human body. more data to make the achievements in In the yotta age, we might start dreaming memory technology insignificant! What of a movie that will continuously record memory would be enough for everyone? the molecular movie and get the disk to In addition to the digital content that we overflow! The younger readers may live go on creating through new documents, to watch and verify. camera as well as scanned images and What capacity does humanity audio/video recordings, we also have a already have in terms of our digital storage? backlog of things that we are trying to Martin Hilbert and Priscila López have digitize. An unconfirmed estimate runs published an interesting article titled “The as follows: 300+ lakhs of books, 75+ World’s Technological Capacity to Store, crores of articles, 200+ lakhs of songs, Communicate, and Compute Information”, 30+ lakhs of television programmes, in the prestigious Science Magazine on 5+ lakhs of cinema, and 50 crores of 1st April, 2011. They have estimated the images! That is what humanity has following: “In 2007, humankind was able produced so far. What kind of memory to store 2.9 × 1020 optimally compressed do we need in the future? The byte and bytes, communicate almost 2 × 1021 bytes, kilobyte we started with were soon and carry out 6.4 × 1018 instructions per overtaken by mega, giga, and tera, each second on general-purpose computers”. representing a thousandfold increase. This tells us that all our hard disks added Image courtesy: http://www.smartcracks. The next phase is peta, exa, and zeta. together are nearing a yottabyte. They com n
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 33 Dr. Debasish Jana Brain Teaser Editor, CSI Communications
Crossword » Test your Knowledge on Data Compression Solution to the crossword with name of fi rst all correct solution provider will appear in the next issue. Send your answers to CSI Communications at email address [email protected] with subject: Crossword Solution - CSIC March 2012
1 234 CLUES
ACROSS 5 67 1. A data compression algorithm that forms basis of Unix compression utility bzip2 (14) 5. Type of entropy encoding (7) 89 11. Unix utility to unzip (10) 13. Developed lossy data compression theory (7) 10 14. One of the fathers of LZ family of lossless data compression algorithms (6) 11 12 17. A compressor decompressor program (5) 18. A color image format that uses lossless data compression algorithm (3) 13 21. A color image format that uses RLE compression algorithm (3) 22. A color image format that uses lossy discrete cosine transform (4) 14 15 16 17 23. A fi le archiver with a high compression ratio (4) 24. A popular fi le compression tool (4) 18 25. A percent mean-square diff erence technique used to measure compression goodness (3) 19 20 21 26. A lossless data compression algorithm (7) 28. A command-line utility for optimizing PNG image fi les (8) 31. Reconstructs the original data (12) 22 23 33. Software utility to decompress (4) 34. An IBM data compression algorithm as variant of LZ (3) DOWN 2. Popular fi le compression utility on Windows platform (6) 24 25 3. Abbreviation of a universal lossless data compression algorithm (3) 4. Roshal archive format supporting data compression (3) 6. A set of cross-platform command line data compression tools (11) 26 27 28 29 7. A UNIX compression program based on variant of LZ method (8) 8. A variation of LZ algorithm (4) 30 9. Forms the core of essentially all lossy compression algorithms (12) 10. A high-performance data compressor based on the LZ algorithms (4) 31 32 12. Run length encoding technique (3) 15. File format for compressed video (4) 33 16. Sliding window compression algorithm (4) 19. A proprietary lossless audio data compression (9) 34 20. An Israeli computer scientist who developed LZ family of compression algorithms (3) 27. Unix utility that archives fi les without compression (3) 29. Software used to decompress (6) 30. Type of coding used as an early example of data compression (5) 32. An adaptive statistical data compression technique (3)
Solution to February 2012 crossword
1 2 3 4 L A R C EXPLORER Q I don’t think 5 6 B AG F GDC 7 8 9 A NNOTA TION K I 10 11 these youngsters SD RS G EO M A T ICS ES C LO 12 13 need any new MA Z INCO M M 14 15 AT N F L IDAR 16 17 data compression PFG G I IS 18 19 20 M G EORE F ERENC ING I algorithms, just see AV OOLAS D 21 P OSTG I S S D T O 22 23 their cryptic SMS ITEMANT U GARALOR TVPO P I and you will know 24 25 L IE G EOTOOL S 26 27 W I ASR G A what I mean! MC Y T 28C ADAS TR E 29 S HAP E F I L E A Congratulations to RC 30G ISCORPS SH P Deepa (Associate Professor, MCA Dept, Panimalar Engineering College, Chennai) 31 for getting all correct answers to February month’s crossword. G ISDAY
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 34 www.csi-india.org Dr. Debasish Jana Ask an Expert Editor, CSI Communications
Your Question, Our Answer
“Don’t limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in another time”. ~ Rabindranath Tagore
Subject: Extended ASCII character printing may try representing the character as unsigned char instead of signed How extended ASCII character can be printed on a console in C char. Because, for the non-ASCII and C++ ? characters 128 to 255, what you Vivek Gupta, Associate Professor, Department of Computer Sc. and Engineering, Chamelidevi School of Engineering, Indore (M.P.) need is some bigger storage to hold the character at least. An unsigned ASCII stands for American Standard Code for char can hold values in the range A Information Interchange. ASCII code helps representing of 0 to 255 that should cover the English characters as numbers in the range 0 to 127 that requires extended ASCII character set. 7 bits to represent. For example, the ASCII code for uppercase However, these extended character set, even if used,dll will vary A is 65. Any text editor is able to view or edit and any printer is from machine to machine and system to system. As such, these able to print ASCII characters. For English language, the size of programs are not at all portable across platforms. one character is stored as one byte. Unicode-based character set Here is the changed program snippet to support displaying or supporting languages, which has huge character set like Japanese printing extended ASCII character. and Chinese, uses double byte. ASCII code is represented as 7-bit, including one sign bit, a single byte (8 bits) is suffi cient to hold int main() { ASCII characters. As such, a single byte char in C/C++ is generally unsigned char ch = 200; //symbol code a signed char. It can hold values from -128 to 127. ASCII code printf(“char with ASCII code 200: %c \n”, fi ts well in the range 0 to 127, so single byte char is reasonable ch); return 0; to represent displayable or normal ASCII. However, when trying } to print extendible ASCII code beyond 127, the program prints or displays symbols that appear strange. For example, let’s see the Most of the computer systems support extended ASCII following code snippet: characters. However, since there are more than such extended int main() { sets available, which set will be supported by your machine and char ch = 200; //extended ASCII of a symbol platform, depends and varies. The C/C++ language guarantees printf(“char with ASCII code 200: %c \n”, that the basic characters which are in ASCII range, i.e. 0 to 127 ch); to work as expected in display as well as in print. Beyond 127, return 0; displaying a character code is entirely platform or implementation } dependent. In case your compiler does not like using unsigned Note that in the above program since ch is mentioned as char, you may use int instead. Trying to print Unicode requires char, this means signed char - which can represent -127 to =127 having your locale supporting double byte character set. Please go and 200 - is well beyond +127 and falls within the negative range through your compiler specifi cations on how to print a Unicode. n of values (as representation of 200 occupies the sign bit as 1), implying a negative number. However, if you are pretty sure that your machine or system Send your questions to CSI Communications with subject line ‘Ask an supports extended ASCII characters as special symbols, then you Expert’ at email address [email protected]
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 35 H R Mohan Happenings@ICT Chairman, Div IV CSI AVP (Systems), The Hindu, Chennai Email: [email protected] ICT News Briefs in February 2012
The following are the ICT news and • IT-BPO industry shrugs off Obama’s • ‘Aakash’, the world’s cheapest tablet, headlines of interest in Feb 2012. They have threat to tax outsourcers. will be fully indigenous soon (with the been compiled from various news & Internet • ‘Spending hours tweeting is unhealthy’ support of C-DAC and ITI), and its sources including the fi nancial dailies - The - Mr. Biz Stone, co-founder and creative improved version will be launched by Hindu, Business Line, Economic Times. director of Twitter. the govt. at USD 49. • Indian smartphone users are accessing • ‘Offi cial’ tablets, smartphones too may Voices & Views the Internet more than their counterparts be spared being taxed as perks. • Google’s plan to merge data across 60 in the US - Survey by Google. of its properties, which was announced IT Manpower, Staffi ng & Top Moves recently, will be detrimental to privacy - Telecom, Govt, Policy, Compliance • Wipro has cut down on the training experts on the Internet. • DoT has set in motion the process for time of its employees to improve • Cancellation of 122 2G licences could the next round of spectrum auction for productivity. cost India Inc. $8-10 billion annually - broadband services. • 2G ruling: Uninor not to cut jobs, salary. Mr. Prashant Singhal, Partner at Ernst & • 15 leading email providers to form • Nasscom estimates that the Indian Young Global. DMARC.org (Domain-based Message industry employs over 100,000 and • Apps to be the next gold rush - Mr. N Authentication, Reporting, and also supports 200,000 other jobs, Lakshmi Narayanan, Vice Chairman, Conformance) a working group to including indirect ones. Cognizant. develop standards for reducing the • MindTree to double hiring of fresh • Global ratings agency Fitch has affi rmed threat of deceptive emails. graduates. a stable outlook for the Indian IT services • DoT has chalked out a timetable for new • “Managing young workforce is a sector in 2012 on account of its strong telecom policy - NTP2011. Expected to challenge”. - Mr. Kumar Mangalam liquidity position. be cleared by end April. Birla. • Without a strong policy for electronic • The Supreme Court cancels 122 2G • CSC to recruit 2,600 more this year. systems design and manufacturing spectrum licenses. Rejects center’s plea • Azure Knowledge Corp., a KPO and (ESDM), the country would be forced to to stop monitoring the case. Auction BPO, plans to hire 1,500 this year. import $300 billion worth of electronics of 2G spectrum is likely to translate • Steria, IT business services fi rm to hire into substantially higher revenues for by 2020 - Kapil Sibal. 2,000 in India. the Government than what it got (Rs. • Social media more addictive than • More experts needed in military 9,000-cr). IT, telecom vendors may alcohol, cigarettes - fi ndings in a study. electronics - DRDO offi cial. lose deals worth millions. Pricing power • The market for video conferencing is • UAE-based Etisalat shuts down India to return to top telecom operators. 5% $70-90 million with 12-18% year-on- operations. of the subscriber base or 45 million year growth - Frost & Sullivan report. • Now, outsource research work to Indian people are likely to be aff ected by this • Indian IT-BPO sector revenue is set to scientists of top universities. cancellation. Special Court to take a cross the $100 billion mark in 2011-12 - • Vertex, BPO fi rm, plans to increase decision on a probe into the Home Nasscom. headcount to 12,000 from about 5,000. • Globally, companies spend around 62% Minister, Mr P Chidambaram’s alleged role in the 2G spectrum case. • Episource, KPO fi rm, to add 800 over of their IT budgets to run the business the next year. and 28% to grow the business, with • The proposed electronics product and the remaining 10% being used for component manufacturing cluster near Company News: Tie-ups, Joint transformational projects - Gartner. Delhi is expected to receive an initial investment of Rs. 500-cr. Ventures, New Initiatives • Indian handset market witnessed a • ‘Fedena’, the free and open-source based 14.1% growth in 2011 to achieve a • Aadhaar and the Aakash tablet could school management software to be total volume of 182 million handsets. be used together to fi ght corruption and made available in 50+ languages. Expected to reach 335 million units by eliminate middlemen - Kapil Sibal. • Facebook fi led off er documents for the 2017 - ABI Research. • No question of blocking, censoring IPO to raise $5 billion. • The IT Act has to be revised to websites - Govt. • Amazon.com launches junglee.com, incorporate issues of social media and • Google and Facebook have removed a site that allows customers to fi nd social media crime. Social networking content from some Indian domain sites are “duty-bound” to obey the laws websites following a court order. and shop for products in India through of the land they operate in - Mr. Pavan • The Ministry of Home Aff airs online and offl ine retail channels. Duggal. establishing SOPS for interception of • Tulip Telecom establishes 900-cr ‘Tulip • ‘Bring your own device’ concept phone calls in a bid to avoid leaks of Data City’ at Bangalore, the world’s gaining ground with corporates - Cisco recordings and prevent unauthorized third largest data center. Connected World Technology Report. tapping. • Google to launch hi-tech glasses with • IT adoption in SMB segment is growing • RIM, the maker of Blackberry devices, in-built computer displays. at 15% and expected to reach $15 billion has fi nally set up a server in India to • Infosys and Wipro have been named by 2015 - Study by Zinnov. enable security agencies snoop into its among the top seven vendors in the • India retains its leadership (dubious) in Blackberry Messenger services. world of smart-grid software - GTM the list of top spam originating countries • All future licences will be auctioned Research. in the world with a share of 11.5% - and licences will not be linked with • Microsoft has fi nally raised the curtains Report from Kaspersky. spectrum allocation - Mr. Kapil Sibal. on Windows 8. n
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 36 www.csi-india.org Mrs. Jayshree A Dhere On the Shelf! Resident Editor, CSI Communications
Book Review » “Widening e-Governance Canvas”
Book Title : “Widening e-Governance Canvas” Editors : Surendra Kapoor, Prabhu Gollamudi, Nityesh Bhatt ISBN : ISBN-978-81-314-2779-8 Publisher : The ICFAI University Press (IUP), Tripura (West) Special Note : Publication of CSI-SIGeGOV
For last few years, CSI Special Interest Group of e-Governance (CSI- initiatives include stories of Online Scholarship Management System SIGeGOV) has been publishing a book each year, coinciding with the (OSMS) of Tourism Project in AP, ePASS (Electronic Payment and annual CSI Nihilent e-Governance Awards ceremony. In this series, Application System of Scholarships), national portal of India - a latest addition is the book titled “Widening e-Governance Canvas”, gateway to Indian Government Cyber Space, VAHAN - ICT-based which covers selected e-Governance Initiatives in India. solution for vehicle registration of CM Narendra Modi’s website, The book not only includes six invited papers on the theme of Widening e-Governance Canvas but also narrates various Surendra Kapoor has four decades of experience in IT field and is e-Governance success stories, which are classifi ed into six categories currently a freelance IT consultant. Last few years he was engaged in setting up and mentoring India operations of a US based company namely state-level e-Governance initiatives, department level operating in Mobile tools and Applications. He had a long journey with CMC Ltd and held various positions including Head of R&D and as e-Governance initiatives, district-level e-Governance initiatives, Executive Director System Integration SBU. He also worked as Managing Director of State Informatics Ltd Mauritius for two years. He started his G2C e-Governance initiatives, G2G & G2B eGgovernance initiatives, career with IIT, Kanpur as Sr. Systems Programmer and later worked as and e-Governance success stories of sustainability. Operations Manager before moving on to CMC Ltd. He continues to be professionally active with academic Institutions, CSI, SIG EGov, and is Invited paper on ‘New Frontiers of Service Delivery’ by currently Convener of CSI-Nihilent e-Gov Awards 2011. Dr. Dhrupad Mathur proposes an empirical model of four stages for judging the maturity level of e-Governance focus. Paper by Prof. Rafi q Prabhu Gollamudi has extensive Business Development experience in the area of Systems Integration and Services. Worked with organizations Dossani about ‘Meeting the Demand of e-Governance Professionals like National Dairy Development Board, Anand, CMC Ltd now a subsidiary of Tata Consultancy Services, CMC Informatics UK mainly from Higher Education System’, lists some of the skills needed to focusing on Software and Services. As a freelance IT consultant he provide e-Governance services and argues that technical skills and engages in providing bid management services and Talent Screening / facilitation services for SW Organizations. quantity of workforce is adequate, but there are shortfalls in project He has been supporting Computer Society of India activities and is management, training, and creative applications on the cloud and actively associated with the SIG e-Governance group. suggests measures for the challenges involved. Paper on ‘Value based
Approach to e-Government’ suggests that there is need to focus Nityesh Bhatt is working as Sr. Associate Professor and Chairperson in the more on Value and Culture in e-Government projects rather than on Information Management Area at Institute of Management, Nirma University, Ahmedabad – India. Out of 13 years + experience, in his first the overpowering abilities of technology. nine years, he was associated with NIIT, first Computers and Pacific Institute of Management, Udaipur. He holds MBA, Ph.D degrees. He is credited There is a paper by Surendra Kapoor, which talks about how with more than 25 research papers and five co-edited books. Dr. Bhatt is also a research consultant with ISRO, Ahmedabad in ICT area. He was the evaluation framework used for assessment of various levels of awarded as ‘Best Teacher of Information Technology” in 17th Devang Mehta Awards for year 2009. Since 2007, he is a member of the National e-Governance projects has evolved over the last few years and how Executive Committee of SIGeGov set up by Computer Society of India. it uses a transparent process based on Results, Enabler, and Value. Paper by Prof. Namjae Cho and Jungin Choi on ‘Mobile Offi ce System Adoption in Seol Metropolitan Railway Transit (SMRT) of Korea’ details the mobile system project, which helped to economize on ISBN 978-81-314-2779-8 the use of smartphones and brought about radical changes in the 9HSSBNB*echhji+ business process to reduce nontask waste of employee time. Paper ` 750 on ‘m-Governance future in Indian Context’ by K S Vijaya Sekhar, R K Bagga, and Khairiyyah Binti Mohd Noor details current mGovernance project and services in India and talks about various challenges for of online teachers recruitment, of online voting system (OVS), mGovernance in India. of eservices for Ration Cards, of System for Attumanal Neutral State level e-Governance success stories section details Distribution (SAND), and of property tax management system using two nominations - one of Andhra Pradesh (AP) and the other of geospatial technology. Chhattisgarh. Department level initiatives include stories of AP Forest The success stories of G2G and G2B initiatives include census Department, e-Governance at Chief Minister’s Offi ce (CMO) in of India 2011, ePanjeeyan, which automates and manages workfl ow Gujarat, Gujarat State Watershed Management Agency, IT initiative of of sub registrar offi ce in Assam, integrated online junction on Net for VAT administration for improved transparency, fairness and tax payers decentralized district planning, e-Governance of Mineral Administration services in AP, services through ICT for Motor Vehicles Department in as well as government receipt accounting system (GRAS). Kerala, and Health Management Information System in Tamilnadu. The book thus provides a comprehensive overview of progress on District level success stories section details success of DC- the e-Governance front in India. It can be ordered from CSI SIGeGOV Suite system in South Goad Collectorate, e-Governance initiatives secretariat for reference. It is also available at http://www.csi-sigegov. in Singrauli, MP, Gadchiroli and Nanded in Maharashtra, Pali in org/publications.php. n Rajasthan, and Ramabai Nagar in UP. Success stories of G2C
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 37 CSI Communications www.csi-india.org| March 2012 | 37 S R Karode CSI Report Fellow, CSI
From Nashik » Bridging the Global Language Culture through Information Technology!
Try googling the term ‘khandbahale’ or with other people. He says, “I don’t know just right-click on any word and get it ‘khandbahale.com’ on Internet and you exactly how and when but now the whole translated in 10 major Indian languages, will fi nd millions of links talking about world took notice of my small eff orts. I feel ‘khandbahale’. Their software is being very good about it”. Now, his products and used extensively by companies listed services are used by millions worldwide in major stock exchanges, such as NSE at both individual and institutional levels. and NASDAQ; in addition to this it has Most of these products and services are a wide usage from local governments to free for everyone and can be accessed or foreign embassies, from a native speaker downloaded at http://www.khandbahale. to foreigners. Altogether, there are 40+ com/
such as Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Punjabi, Bengali, and Sanskrit along with English. These services are platform independent and are in Unicode. India is the 2nd largest country of mobile subscribers with 800+ million mobile phones widely spread to every million usership in more than 150 countries. In tune with the times and technology, corner of the country. Taking this as an A unique ‘Languages Networking’ this website off ers compatible software opportunity for the promotion of Indian project has been initiated by Sunil downloads for all windows versions, regional languages and technology, the Khandbahale, founder of KHANDBAHALE. plug-ins for web browsers, and apps for team at KHANDBAHALE.COM has been COM. This website has been rated as a mobile phones and handhelds. Once researching on development of mobile top-ranking website for Indian regional you download plug-ins for your browser, applications. Mobile development has languages on the Internet! The story of ‘making of KHANDBAHALE.COM’ is inspiring. Twelve years back, Sunil started this project as a remedy to his own problems. His schooling was in Marathi medium, because of which he faced a lot of trouble coping with English during higher studies. However, he took it as an opportunity to learn and invent methodologies to learn a new language. It worked for him! So he thought, why not for others? He went on exploring the possibilities and shared these
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 38 www.csi-india.org become quite challenging due to the @HIN word, @HIN tree etc.) and send to Nokia have given recognition to his presence of a number of operating 9243342000. Similarly for Gujarati, type work. At national level, KHANDBAHALE. systems for diff erent mobile make and keyword @GUJ, @TAM for Tamil, @TEL COM has been short listed for “India models. However, KHANDBAHALE.COM for Telugu, @KANN for Kannada, @BEN Digital Award” by IAMAI in the category has developed mobile applications for for Bengali, @PUN for Punjabi and so on. of ‘Best local language website’. a variety of mobile phones, and these One of their recent noticeable applications are becoming widely popular. projects has been when they distributed These apps are very small in size and can their language apps on the mobile phones be downloaded and installed in all Java- for school dropouts in some villages. enabled branded handsets. Files can be After one month of review, the results were amazing. Vocabulary of these village downloaded directly on mobile or on the President of India, Smt. Prati bha Devisingh computer fi rst and then can be transferred boys were considerably increased as they Pati l, seen launching soft ware ti tled to other mobile phones through data- were playing with words while farming or “Global Offi cial languages” made by Sunil cable, bluetooth, memory-card etc. doing their routine work. Sunil says, “This Khandbahale. Though the use of smartphones was our pilot project & we succeeded. I is increasing day-by-day, basic phones wish if we could run this type of project He strongly believes that “Education and non-branded phones are still in use in 6 lac & 38 thousand villages of India. I is Answer to ALL”. He says, “I was nothing. covering majority of Indian mobile market am ready to off er my entire research! I am Education has made me what I am today. share. “To deliver contents on basic & sure, good people will join us.” Obviously, it is a big task but anyone My father is 4th class dropout & mother non-branded phones is main focus of who wants to help this happen can get in was once completely illiterate. But they our research”, said Sunil Khandbahale. touch with him for a good cause. With wide decided to go education way for their kids Recently, they have launched the world’s reach, there are around 1 billion mobile & now they are proud parents of a Judicial fi rst ever SMS Dictionary service for all phones and 100 million Internet users Magistrate, a Professor & Engineer”. mobile phones in 10 Indian languages. in India. Looking at these fi gures, Sunil Sunil and his team are doing educational It is pretty simple to use. Type an sms @ seems very correct with his vision. Big projects like running a school in rural area HIN
CONGRATULATIONS:C ShriS P. N. Jain, (Life Member, CSI and Ex. Chairman, CSI Ahmedabad Chapter) Chief EngineerE (NH) & Addl. Secretary, R&B Department, Government of Gujarat was selected asa the President of Indian Road Congress (IRC) during 72nd Annual Session of IRC at LucknowL on Dt. 6/11/2011. The Indian Road Congress (IRC) is the premier technical body of Highway Engineers ini the country. IRC provides national forum for expression of collective opinion of its membersm on all matters relating to the design, construction, operation and maintenance ofo roads and bridges including technology, equipment, materials, research, planning, fi nance and taxation, etc. IRC recommends to MoRTH, New Delhi regarding standard specifis cations and suggests improved methods of administration, planning, operation, maintenance,m policy issues for roads and bridges.
CSI Communications | March 2012 | 39 CSI News
From CSI Chapters » Please check detailed news at: http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/chapternews-March2012
SPEAKER(S) TOPIC AND GIST DEHRADUN (REGION I) Mr. P K Bhowmik, ONGC, and Mr. S Raju, Govt of 12 November 2011: Annual Inter-School IT-Quiz “Doon IT Quest 2011” Uttarakhand
Eighty-one students from twenty-seven reputed schools in and around Dehradun eagerly participated in the competition. Four teams qualifi ed for the fi nal round after an online elimination round. The team from St Joseph’s Academy, Dehradun emerged as the winner and was awarded with the running trophy and a prize money of Rs. 12,000.
Prize Distributi on to Winners: (L to R) Mr. Vinay Avasthi, Mr. Vinod Kumar Taneja, Mr. P.K.Bhowmick, Mr. S. Raju ROURKELA (REGION II) Mr. Y K Prasad, M/s HP, India 16 December 2011: Seminar on “Overview of SAP Architecture” The speaker covered SAP system landscape, client server architecture, three- tier computer hierarchy, technology environment, resource management and distributed SAP R/3 processing, object migration, repository and clients, communication interfaces, web and ABAP application server, security aspects, and trends in SAP for future. BHOPAL (REGION III) Dr. J L Rana, Dr. Manoj Mathur, and others 18 January 2012: A technical session on “IT initiative – Cloud Computing: The CSI Way” Dr. J L Rana spoke about technology, while Dr. Mathur shared his experience about functioning of typical government organization vis-à-vis Cloud Computing. “Life Time Achievement Award” was presented to Dr. J L Rana.
Memento and citati on presentati on on the occasion VISAKHAPATNAM (REGION V) Vice-Admiral Anil Chopra, Mr. M D Agarwal, Mr. A P 5-7 January 2012: Mega International Conference on “INDIA-2012: Role of Choudhary, Vamsi Mudiam, Dr A Louise Perkins, and others India Inc in Global Scenario” Vice-Admiral Chopra spoke about growing use of Internet and dependence on online applications. Mr. Choudhary suggested that new strategies should be adopted to face competition in the wake of globalization of economy. Dr. Perkins gave a talk on “Software Engineering in American Style”. During CEO conclave, CEOs deliberated on the theme ‘ICT in enhancing the global competitiveness of India Inc’.
Grand Success Group photo of those who acti vely parti cipated in INDIA-2012
CSICSI CoCommunicationsmmuniccattionss | MarchMarch 20122012 | 40 wwwww.csi-india.orgw.csi-i indiaa.org SPEAKER(S) TOPIC AND GIST NASHIK (REGION VI) Mr. Nitin Kharde from IBM 20 January 2012: Seminar on “Next 5 in 5” The seminar was about “Next 5 innovations in next 5 years”. IBM Research team continuously evolves new technologies that have signifi cant impact on human lives. Each year this list is published. Mr. Nitin shared earlier years’ predictions with the audience. The catch line was “The World keeps changing, we have to anticipate”.
Session in progress Mr. Osden Demello and Mr. S R Karode 19 February 2012: Workshop on “Advanced MS Excel for Professionals” About 20 participants attended. Concessional fees were charged to CSI members. PUNE (REGION VI) Dr. Harold D’Costa 27 January 2012: Lecture on “Cyber Breaches and Collecting Digital Evidence” Dr. D’Costa said that Cybercrime is a big threat to India’s online population, who lose billions to Internet fraud every year. However when it comes to reporting such cases, very few seem to come forward. Internet crimes range from compromised machines to mass email lists for spamming and electronically-transferring funds out of bank accounts to phishing attacks.
Session in progress Mr. Makarand (Mak) Pandit 11-12 February 2012: Workshop on “Technical Writing” The objective of the workshop was to teach participants to make complex technical concepts understandable and memorable in written form. Participants acquired the skills to improve the quality, clarity, and structure of their writing communication.
Parti cipati ng team ANNAMALAINAGAR (REGION VII) Mr. J Prassana, Mr. K Adhivarahan, Mr. C Perkinian, and others 26-27 September 2011: 5th Tamilnadu and Pondicherry State Level CSI Student Convention Mr. J Prassana gave a lecture on Information Security. The convention activities consisted of technical paper presentation, coding contest, debugging contest, idea contest, web design contest, photoshop contest, poster presentation, and technical quiz. At the end, special lecture on “IT Applications in Business” was delivered by Mr. C Perkinian.
(L to R) Dr. V Ramalingam, Dr. P Sakthivel, CSI Tamilnadu and Pondicherry, Mr. S Ramasamy, Dr. M Ramanathan, Prof. B Palaniappan, and Dr. R M Chandrasekaran
CSICSI CoCommunicationsmmuniccata ionsn | MarchMarch 20122012 | 41 From Student Branches » http://www.csi-india.org/web/csi/chapternews-March2012 SPEAKER(S) TOPIC AND GIST ACROPOLIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND RESEARCH (AITR), INDORE (REGION-III) Prof. Vijay Ukani, Prof. H M Nimbark, and various others 14-15 October 2011: Technical Presentation Competition for the BE and MCA Students Competition was held for the BE and MCA students on the recent trends in IT. On day 1, a written test was held on C, C++, and general knowledge of IT. On day 2, students were given topics related to IT Field for presentation.
Day 1: Writt en Test, Day 2: Technical Presentati on AES ISTITUTE OF COMPUTER STUDIES (AESICS), AHMEDABAD (REGION-III) Mrs. Shefali Naik and Ms. Kunjal Gajjar 1-3 October 2011: Workshop on “Requirements Management and Model Specifi cation using Software Engineering Tools” Through this workshop, attendees understood the fundamentals of Requirements Engineering and Management. Besides, they had hands-on experience of Software Engineering tool - Rational Requisite Pro.
Workshop in progress Mr. Suril Shah and Mr. Bipin Mehta 6 January 2012: Lecture on “Innovation and Entrepreneurship” Mr. Shah shared his experience of starting a new IT venture, research and innovations at Stanford University, lessons he learned from top entrepreneurs like Steve Wozniak (co-founder of Apple), Mark Zuckerberg (co-founder of Facebook), and Peter Thiel (co-founder of PayPal).
Lecture by Mr. Suril Shah Ms. Tejal Andheria 19 January 2012: A seminar on “Internet Marketing” The seminar provided exposure on Internet marketing and role of search engine optimization in eff ective marketing of products and services. Ms. Andheria explained the popularity of Internet marketing techniques, and how to improve conversion ratio by website usability.
Speaker Ms. Tejal Andheria Mr. Saumil Shah, Mr. Pratik Munshi, and Mr Sujoy Pal 21 January 2012: Workshop on “Project Management with Hands-on Training on MS Project 2007” Mr. Shah gave introduction of Project Management. Mr. Munshi gave an overview and demonstration of various features of MS Project 2007. Mr. Pal explained Risk Management. The lectures were followed by a two-hour “Hands-on” session on MS Project 2007.
Workshop by Mr. Saumil Shah
CSICSI CoCommunicationsmmuniccattionss | MarchMarch 20122012 | 42 wwwww.csi-india.orgw.csi-i indiaa.org SPEAKER(S) TOPIC AND GIST CHAUDHARI TECHNICAL INSTITUTE, GANDHINAGAR (REGION-III) Mr. Mitesh Soni 28 January 2012: Seminar on Cloud computing A two-hour introductory and awareness talk was held on Cloud computing with an online demo of how to use the cloud.
(L to R) Prof. Jay Patel, Mr. Mitesh Soni, and Prof. Ashish Singh Bhati a BAPATLA ENGINEERING COLLEGE, GUNTUR (REGION-V) Dr. A Koteswara Rao, Dr. N Sudhakar, and Dr. Sushma 11-13 December 2011: Workshop on “Essentials of LATEX” Yalamanchili The workshop consisted of lecture sessions and hands-on lab sessions. Lab sessions in the form of tutorials and lab assignments were given to teach LATEX. This is the most fl exible, portable, and effi cient approach for typesetting the documents, reports, and books.
(L to R) Principal (Bec, Bapatla), Head of Dept IT, VR. Siddhartha Engg College, Head of Dept CSE, BEC, Bapatla GMR INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (GMRIT), RAJAM (REGION-V) Dr. Uma Mudenagudi 5 January 2012: Guest Lecture on “Computer Vision, Graphics & Applications” The speaker explained about Image processing, which includes image acquisition and quantization, spatial resolution, intensity quantization, image enhancement, image restoration, wavelets and multi resolution, image compression, and object recognition.
Prof. Sashikumar Totad, Dr. Uma Mudenagudi, and parti cipati ng students PVP SIDDHARTHA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (PVPSIT), VIJAYWADA (REGION-V) Mr. Sunil Mohan Adapa 16-17 December 2011: Workshop on “Programming with Python” The workshop was conducted for 2 days and encouraged students to utilize free software. Dr. K Nageswara Rao, HOD of CSE, emphasized use of open-source technology.
Dr. P Venkateswarlu invites Mr. Sunil Mohan to conduct Workshop on Python SHRI VISHNU ENGINEERING COLLEGE FOR WOMEN, BHIMAVARAM (REGION-V) Mr. D Sai Satish, Founder & CEO of Indian Servers & 3-4 January 2012: Workshop on “Cyber Security and Malware Analysis” Administrator of Andhrahackers.com Training Modules covered topics such as removing viruses manually, creating viruses, working of Antivirus and Spyware. Hacking session covered topics such as Backtrack, Buff er Overfl ow, Code Injection, Denial of Service, DNS poisoning, email protection tips, Keyloggers, Metasploit, Nessus, Online Frauds, Phishing, Rootkits, Google Hacks, Sniff ers, Social Engineering, Spoofi ng, SQL Injection and Trojans.
Mr. D Sai Sati sh giving a talk on Cyber Security & Malware Analysis
CSICSI CoCommunicationsmmunicata ioonsn | MarchMarch 20122012 | 43 SPEAKER(S) TOPIC AND GIST S. R. K. R. ENGINEERING COLLEGE, BHIMAVARAM (REGION-V) Mr. Satya Thopalli, Vice President, Human Resources 5-6 January 2012: National Conference on “Current Trends of Information Department, Mahindra Satyam, Hyderabad and others Technology – TECHFLEET’12” Mr. Satya spoke about various skills that are required by students to survive in the competitive software scenario. The conference covered various events such as - Innovation Centre idea implementation, workshop on Ethical Hacking, paper presentation, project presentation, poster presentation, movie making, web page designing, software contest, technical quiz, puzzle, logo designing etc.
TECHFLEET’12 in progress VASAVI COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, HYDERABAD (REGION-V) Mr. Pratap, CEO and his team from NeoApp Technologies. 21-23 December 2011: Three-days Workshop on “Web Technologies” The workshop gave demonstration as well as hands-on experience of diff erent web technologies like HTML, Javascript, Ajax, JDBC, Servlets, JSP, PHP, and Perl. It also provided basic knowledge of MYSQL and Tomcat and WAMP servers installations used in the development of server side applications.
Workshop in Progress K.K. WAGH INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION AND RESEARCH, NASHIK (REGION-VI) Prof. A V Kolapkar, Prof. D M Kanade, Prof. L A Patil, 17-19 January 2012: A three-day workshop on “IBM DB2” Prof. N G Sharma, and Prof. S G Bapat Topics such as Relational Data Model, Databases objects and Introduction to SQL, Concurrency control and Database Security in DB2, Database Backup and Recovery, PureXML, and DB2 Programming Fundamentals were covered in the workshop.
The Trainers and Parti cipant students of IBM DB2 Mr. Saurabh Phadke, Capgemini Mumbai 22 January 2012: One-day workshop on “C# and WCF” Introduction to C# and WCF was followed by a practical hands-on session.
Mr. Saurabh Phadke alongwith HOD, faculty, and student parti cipants INDSEARCH INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, PUNE (REGION-VI) Devdatta Kulkarni 21 January 2012: Lecture on “Openstack” OpenStack is a global collaboration of developers and cloud computing technologists producing ubiquitous open-source cloud computing platform for public and private clouds. Devdatta conveyed that code for OpenStack is freely available under the Apache 2.0 license.
Mr. Devdatt a Kulkarni in the lecture on Openstack
CSICSI CoCommunicationsmmuniccattionss | MarchMarch 20122012 | 44 wwwww.csi-india.orgw.csi-i indiaa.org SPEAKER(S) TOPIC AND GIST SARDAR PATEL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (SPIT), MUMBAI (REGION-VI) Aishwarya Venkatesh 4 February 2012: Workshop on “Openstack” In the fi rst session, basics of application development were taught and concepts related to Android OS were discussed. In the second session, a simple calculator and a gallery application were designed. These applications were then converted to mobile compatible fi le- format and were run on Android phones.
Session in progress DES COLLEGE, DHAMANGAON (REGION-VI) Mr. Amad Aansari, Mr. P P Thakur, and Mr. Chetan 2012: Workshop on “Mobile Application Development with Android Inamdar Platform” Following topics were covered - introduction to android, workbench setup, user interface designing, exploring API demos, SDLC from industry perspective, playing music, intents in android, creating a two screen application, implicit and explicit intents, using android applications using intents, packaging and deploying android applications, and creating apk fi les.
Mr. P P Thakur delivering a Speech on Android and Its development. RAJARAMBAPU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (RIT), RAJARAMNAGAR (REGION-VI) Dr. R S Bichkar, Dr. Milind Sohoni, Dr. P J Kulkarni, and 3-4 February 2012: First National Conference on “Algorithms and Intelligent Dr. Maheshkumar Kolekar, Systems - (NCAIS) 2012” Dr. Bichkar addressed the topic of “Genetic Algorithms and Applications”. Dr. Sohoni spoke about Linear Programming. Dr. P.J. Kulkarni spoke about Algorithm for Multiprocessing System, and Dr. Kolekar spoke about Algorithm for Intelligent Video Surveillance System.
During Inaugural Functi on: (L to R) Mr. A C Adamuthe, Dr. Milind Sohoni, Dr. R S Bichkar , Dr. (Mrs.) S S Kulkarni, Prof. R D Sawant, Dr. P J Kulkarni , Mr. S S Pati l, and Mr. S A Thorat G. PULLAIAH COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY, KURNOOL (REGION-VII) Mr Chandra Girish, Dr P Nageswar Rao, and 21 January 2012: One-Day Workshop on “Android” Dr. S Prem Kumar Mr. Chandra Girish explained various aspects of Android technology in an eff ective way.
Inaugurati on of Adroid workshop KONGU ENGINEERING COLLEGE (KEC), PERUNDURAI (REGION-VII) Students from various departments 21 January 2012: Technical Symposium “Naevus’12” The conference had mixture of both technical and non-technical events. Tech Storm event had presentation of about 10 technical papers. There were other events like knowledge buzz, the technical quiz, team zappers, marketing maestros and so on. Other non-technical events like photo shoot, picture perfect were also conducted.
Technical Symposium of CSI-KEC Student chapter
CSICSI CoCommunicationsmmunicata ioonsn | MarchMarch 20122012 | 45 SPEAKER(S) TOPIC AND GIST DR. MAHALINGAM COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (MCET), TAMILNADU (REGION-VII) Mr. Ravikumar Ramanathan 11 February 2012: Lecture on “Wireless Sensor Networks” Mr. Ramanathan explained about the wireless sensors used in variety of real-time scenarios. He said that the future will have wire-free networks in organizations. He also gave a lecture on Zigbee networks.
Speaker and organizers on the dias Mr. N Gobi and Mr. Balasamy 15-16 February 2012: Two-days workshop on “Open Source Software” Open-source tools like PHP, MySQL, and Phython were covered during the workshop.
Session in progress MEPCO SCHLENK ENGINEERING COLLEGE, SIVAKASI (REGION-VII) Mr. Murugeswaran and Mr. Praveen 11 February 2012: Workshop on “Animation” Mr. Murugeswaran conducted a session on Maya, while Mr. Praveen spoke about 3-D Max.
Mr. Murugeswaran engaging the session energeti cally on Maya animati on eff ects DR. M.G.R. EDUCATIONAL AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE, CHENNAI (REGION-VII) Mr. R Ravi, CTO, Meru Consultants and Technologies 10 February 2012: Seminar on “Global Telecom Services Market” Mr. Ravi spoke in detail about mobile Ecosystem, Telecom sector, and wireless ecosystem. He explained with a chart the advancement of GSM and CDMA technologies from 2004 to 2015. IMT 2000 Network structure was explained briefl y and he also detailed on 2G, 3G, 3.5G, and 4G technologies.
Dr. S Tamilarasi, CSI Coordinator, Dr. M.G.R. Educati onal & Research Insti tute NATIONAL ENGINEERING COLLEGE (NEC), KOVILPATTI (REGION-VII) Dr. D Manimegalai 25 January 2012: Motivational Talk on the topic “Correct Etiquette and Manners” Motivational talk was organized for IT students, and more than 60 students from 3rd year attended the talk.
Moti vati onal Talk on Dr. D Manimegalai Dr. D Manimegalai, Mrs. E Siva Sankari, and 30 January 2012: Technical Quiz Contest Mrs. Stella Inba Mary The Quiz was on basics of Operating systems, Data structures, OOPS, C and DBMS. After fi ve rounds of technical quests the fi rst and second prizes were bagged by T. Thanga vinothini & V. Vaishnavi,III IT and S. Selva parvathy & S. Subbulakshmi,III IT respectively.
Quiz conducted by Mr. P Sivaguru Srinivas of III yr IT and the parti cipants taking part in it.
CSICSI CoCommunicationsmmuniccattionss | MarchMarch 20122012 | 46 wwwww.csi-india.orgw.csi-i indiaa.org SPEAKER(S) TOPIC AND GIST DR. NAVALAR NEDUNCHEZHIYAN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, THOLUDUR (REGION-VII) Mr. S Jeyaprakash 20 February 2012: Lecture on “Network Security” and on “Basics of Security, Cryptography and its techniques” Mr. S. Jeyaprakash Network Security and later explained the basics of Security, Cryptography and its techniques. He also highlighted various types of symmetric and asymmetric techniques with real time example. Steganography and its methods with examples were also been described.
Speaker and organizers on the dias S.A. ENGINEERING COLLEGE, CHENNAI (REGION-VII) Mr. K Vimal Kumar and Dr. T V Geetha 21 January 2012: National Conference on “Emerging Drifts in Computer Applications and Technology” Mr. K. Vimal Kumar, Product Line Manager, Alcatel Lucent Chennai gave a special address.
Dr. T V Geetha addressing the delegates, Mr. P Venkatesh Raja, Mr. D Dasarathan, Mr. K Vimal Kumar, and Dr. S Suyambazhahan
Following new student branches were opened as detailed below – REGION IV . Silicon Institute of Technology, Bhubaneswar - 18th November, 2011 marked the inauguration of student branch by Prof. Gopal Krishna Nayak, who spoke on “Time Management and Importance of IT” in diff erent areas. It was followed by Prof. Ratchita Mishra’s talk on “Digital Image Processing Technique” describing increasing opportunities in computer fi eld and the skill set required to acquire them. REGION V . Bapatla Engineering College, Guntur - Inauguration of student branch was held on 18th August, 2011 under “NewGuntur” Chapter at the by Prof. P Thrimurthy, Ex-President of CSI. . Geethanjali Institute of Science & Technology (GIST), Nellore - Inauguration of student branch on 24th January, 2012 was followed by a two-day workshop on Cyber security & Malware Analysis held on 24th & 25th of January 2012. The resource person for this workshop was Mr. D Sai Satish. REGION VI . Gokhale Education Society’s College of Engineering (GESCOE), Nashik - Inauguration of student branch was organized on 18th January, 2012. Guests like Mr. S R Karode, Mr. Arvind Mahapatra, and Mr. Mangesh Pisolkar were present for the function. . P. E. S. College of Engineering, Aurangabad - The inauguration of student branch was done on 6th February, 2012 by Prof. U B Shinde, Dean, Engineering & Technology. Ms Medha Deshpande, Senior IT Professional, provided an insight on E- Business Development. REGION VII . P. S. R. Rengasamy College of Engineering for Women (PSRR), Sivakasi - Student branch was inaugurated on 2nd November, 2011 and the inauguration was presided over by chief guest, Dr. M A Maluk Mohamed in the presence of Mr. Sundar Ramadass and Dr. K Ramasamy.
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CSICSI CoCommunicationsmmuniccata ionsn | MarchMarch 20122012 | 47 Four good reasons to JOIN WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN Take part in various forums and discuss, Computer Society of India your favourite topics A professional body guiding Make a contribution on National level through Indian Information Technology our open exchange of ideas seminars Industry Share your specialized knowledge Join us with colleagues and Receive new information on developments in the fi eld via regular conferences, become a member seminars, workshops etc.
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CSI Communications | March 2012 | 48 www.csi-india.org Satish Babu CSI Calendar Vice President & Chair, Conference Committee, CSI 2012
Date Event Details & Organizers Contact Information
17-18 March 2012 Hands on Workshop on Oracle 11g R2 Database Administration Mr. Abraham Koshy CSI Mumbai Chapter [email protected]
22-25 March Project Management Program (PMP) Training Program Mr. Abraham Koshy 2012 CSI Mumbai Chapter [email protected]
24 March 2012 One day workshop on “Systems Engineering Essentials” Dr. TV Gopal CSI Bangalore Chapter and International Council On Systems Engineering [email protected]
24-25 March Hands on Workshop on Performance Tuning In Database Mr. Abraham Koshy 2012 CSI Mumbai Chapter [email protected]
April 2012 Events
18-21 April 2012 4th International Conference on Human Computer Interaction Prof. Anirudh Joshi IFIP TC-13, Pune [email protected]
25-27 April 2012 RACSS-2012: International Conference on Recent Advances in Computing and Software Dr. Chitra Babu Systems [email protected] Dept. of CSE, SSN College of Engineering, Chennai, CSI Chennai Chapter & Div IV, IEEE Madras http://www.racss2012.com Section, IEEE CS
May 2012 Events
26-27 May 2012 Two - Day Workshop on “Secure Computing Systems” Dr. TV Gopal CSI Division II [Software] and Military College of Telecommunication Engineering [MCTE], [email protected] Mhow.
July 2012 Events
26-28 July 2012 International Conference on Advances in Cloud Computing (ACC-2012) Dr. Anirban Basu CSI, Bangalore Chapter and CSI Division I [email protected] Dr. C. R. Chakravarthy [email protected]
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