Establishment of Networks of Information Technology Centres or ITCs in the Non-EU Mediterranean Countries.

Dear Information Technology Professional,

DG III, the Directorate General for Industry of the European Commission, is leading an initiative for the establishment of networks of Information Technology Centres or ITCs in the non-EU Mediterranean countries. These will focus on important areas of application of Information Technologies.

It is intended that these Centres will act as regional foci for the dissemination of information regarding European and Mediterranean activities in these domains.

Such Centres have the potential to act as nodes of regional networks which focus on regional concerns while maintaining contact with similar networks in Europe.

Furthermore, it is intended that they will support the creation and maintenance of local IT skills while boosting regional awareness of the role of IT inindustry and commerce.

To help establish such networks the European Commission published a call for tenders in December 1996, and contracts have recently been awarded to consortiums of organisations to provide services related to the setting up of such centres.

Throughout the month of June consultants will travel to non-EU Mediterranean countries to identify organisations willing and able to act as ITCs in a particular domain. In July 1997 these consultants will provide lists of such organisations and their training requirements, if any, to the European Commission.

When this work is completed, suitable organisations will be chosen to act as ITCs and a second call for tender for the provision of training for these centres will be launched. It is intended that training could start by the end of this year.

INTRACOM S.A., the leading Greek information technology company, is responsible for identifying in your country suitable organisations, as described above

(candidates for ITC selection) and especially in 2 domains:

For this purpose, we seek assistance in performing our task in the limited time available.

In case you are interested to be considered for becoming an ITC as described above,we need urgently from you an e-mail confirming your interest, including your full contactdetails (name, address, telephone, fax). In case you are interested, we are going to send you more information on the initiative, a questionnaire to be filled and an invitation to a workshop in your country next week.

Vassilios Sylaidis Software Quality Assurance Manager Building A, Software Design Centre INTRACOM S.A. P.O. Box 68 19002, Peania, Attika GREECE ph: +30 1 6860876 fax: +30 1 6860887 e-mail: vsyl@intranet.gr

A meeting was held regarding this, the following are the slide presentations

EURO-MEDITERRANEAN COOPERATIONH

 

The Mediterranean region is a priority area for the European union.

 

European Councils

Lisbon - Corfu - Essen

 

New dimensions to the EU relations with the MED Countries

 

 

European Council

Cannes - June 1995

 

INSTRUMENTS OF THE COOPERATION

 

MEDA Programme

Replaces the bilateral protocols

3,500 MECU for 1995-1999

ق Technical Assistance (free)

ق Loans with subsidised interest rates

 

Promotes coordination coherence and complementarily of actions

 

Integrates the intervention in the general development planning of the countries

 

 

THE FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME FOR RTD

 

 

The 4th Framework Programme introduced a separate activity for the cooperation with third counties and international organizations

INCO-DC covers the MED Countries

Specific call of INCO-CD for IT

 

INCO-DC CALL FOR IT

 

 

3 ACTIONS

ق Keep in touch actions - in all domains

ق Networks for training and dissemination of results

in the areas of TBP-EC/Internet - WWW-MMT/HPCN

ق MED participation in coordinated global activities.

Global Marketplace for SMEs

Maritime Information Society

 

 

 

THE OBJECTIVES OF MED IT CENTRES

 

To private support and information for:

 

 

 

What is our responsibility ?

 

PLANET as coordinator of a consortium is responsible for providing the European Commission with information on organizations interested in playing the role of MED IT Center in the areas of:

 

ق SOFTWARE QUALITY AUDIT & CERTIFICATION

ق TECHNOLOGIES FOR BUSINESS PROCESSES

 

 

SOFTWARE QUALITY AUDIT & CERTIFICATION

 

Particularities of software industry

The need for quality assurance practices

E.U. efforts such as:

 

ESPRIT (Software Best Practices)

ESSI (ESPITI Project)

INCO (SQUARE - SNAPSHOT)

 

 

MAIN OBJECTIVES

 

 

To promote best practice to improve the software development process in industry as to achieve greater efficiency, higher quality and greater economy

The full impact through multiplier effect by the dissemination of results across national borders and industrial sectors

 

 

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE MED IT CENTRE?

 

 

How ?

By establishing close links with the existing networks of users and providers, the European Centers of Software Best Practices and ITQS members

 

 

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE MED IT CENTRE?

 

To transfer and disseminate the best business practices and results

To promote awareness on the E.U. actions on TBP

 

HOW?

By establishing close links with the existing E.U. networks which were created following ESPRIT activates

 

 

 

 

QUESTIONANNIRE

 

 

General information concerning the organization

Specific information on related relevant activities

Expression of interest

 

 

ITC Meeting Agenda

 

(submission of questionnaires)

Introduction

The ITC concept

SQA/Audi/Certification

Techn. For Business Processes (TBP)

Discussion/Questions Session

Individual Meeting Planning

General Meeting closure

Individual meetings

 

 

Presenter’s profile

 

name: Vassilios Sylaidis

position: S/W Qual. Assurance manager in INTRACOM S.A. (Green)

Previously: S/W engineer and S/W project leader in the Naval R&D office of the Hellenic MoD.

Higher education: Electrical & Machine. Engineering (Diploma), Computer Science (M.Sc.).

Involved currently in 3 other CEU funded projects related to S/W quality (ESPRIT, ESSI)

Member of the Hellenic Quality Forum and the SIG for Reliability & Quality of S/W of the Hellenic Computer Society.

 

 

Workshop Overview

 

EU-DGIII initiative to establish network network of Med. ITCS

Regional focus on info. Dissemination of EU and Mediterranean activities in SQA & TBP domains

Support the creation and maintenance of local IT skills, and provide awareness of the IT role in Industry and Commerce

List of organizations willing and able to act as ITCs in each domain, including their training requirements

Final selection by DGIII and training initiation by the end of 1997

 

 

 

ITC role

 

 

 

ITC functions (e.g. ESBNET)

 

 

 

S/W QA, SPI

 

Background on S/W - IT industry

Software Crisis

Importance of QA for S/W development

International Standards

ISO 9001, 9000-3, AQAP-110/150, MIL-STD-498, DOD-STD-21168 for QS, quality planning

ISO 9126 for products

ISO 12207, ANSI/IEEE Std 1074 for processes

SEI/CMM; Trillium, Bootstrap, SPICE (draft ISO 15504) for process capability and improvement frameworks

 

S/W Quality Audit & Certification

 

Standard for Quality Audits & Auditors

ISO 10011 (Parts 1-3)

 

(Adcceditation) Standards for Certification bodies

 

EN45011 (for products)

EN45012 (for quality system)

EN45013 (for personnel)

TickIT in UK-similar elsewhere

ITQS (Assessment & Certification of QS in the IT Sector)under EOTIC/ECITC.

 

Questions on S/W certification in TMC

 

Are there certification bodies in your country? Accreditation body?

Are there special/accredited training for auditors?

Is there specific IT-sector certification framework (like TickIT)?

How extensive is certification in IT industry?

Other extensive assessment types (CMM etc.)

Product certification?

IT-S/W product certification?

Is there organized SPI-best practice dissemination?

International cooperations in SW certif. -SPI?

 

 

 

 

Questionaire