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Recent developments and strategies in France
151
Recent Developments and Strategies in
France
N. M A L A G A R D I S BN I, Domaine de Voluceau, Rocquencourt, F-78150 Le Chesnay, France
A new political trend has modified the relationships within the standards making infrastructure in France. A review of new relationships between organisations involved in OSI standards is given with new responsibilities. Progress in national projects is quoted, future national strategies are sketched in view of OSI implementation issues.
Keywords: Government, OSI, Standards, Strategy, National
Report.
1.
Introduction
S i n c e the last e l e c t i o n s in M a r c h 1986, the n e w F r e n c h g o v e r n m e n t has i n t r o d u c e d n e w p o l i c i e s in the i n d u s t r i a l field a n d e s p e c i a l l y in i n f o r m a t i c s and telematics. T h e m a i n c h a r a c t e r i z a t i o n of the n e w p o l i c i e s is less i n t e r v e n t i o n in p r o c u r e m e n t policies, less b u d g e t i s a t i o n of i n d u s t r i a l p u b l i c aids a n d m o r e o p e n a t t i t u d e to p r i v a t e initiative. O n e o t h e r c h a r acteristic o f i n t e r e s t h e r e is the a n n o u n c e m e n t of reinforcement of standardization taking into a c c o u n t of the n e w e u r o p e a n a n d w o r l d events.
2. General
Director of the Bureau d'orientation de la Normalisation en Informatique since 1977, N. Malagardis was chairman of the European Workshop for Industrial Computer Systems (19751980). He is now chairman of IFIP TC 5/W.G. 5.4, vice-chairman of IFAC Committee Terminology and Standards, vice-chairman of EWICS. He has been representative in various committees at the European Communities. In the last 5 years he was leader of the following projects: - ADA definition of I / O Modules. - SCEPTRE, a real-time operating system. - Contribution to High Level Protocol Standards. - Comparison studies, contribution in Session, etc. Nicolas E. Malagardis received his diploma in electrical engineering from the Tecnical University of Stuttgart, FRG. Planning engineer at the Public Power Corp. in Greece 19611968. Studied Computer Science at the Institut Blaise Pascal in Paris 1962. Served as Scientific Programmer at the PPC until 1968. Systems Engineer at the computing center of IRIA until 1969. Vice-Manager of the Computing Center 1970-1971. Director of the Computing Center 1971-1973. Coordinator for standards development in ADP for the French Ministry of Industry 1973-1977. - Study on validation for the European Communities. - Tools for certification and validation in programming languages. - Tools for certification and validation for high level protocols. Mr. Malagardis is author of more than 40 scientific papers and has served as chairman at many symposia and workshops.
Standardization
Considerations
D u r i n g the last years s t a n d a r d i z a t i o n d e v e l o p m e n t in F r a n c e was b a s e d o n the s c h e m a for i n f o r m a t i c s a n d t e l e m a t i c s g i v e n in Fig. 1. I n the m e a n time, since 3 years, we h a d a c o n s i d e r a b l e e v o l u t i o n in the d e v e l o p m e n t of standards and especially OSI standards. A E u r o p e a n P r o g r a m m e to h a r m o n i s e the use o f I T S t a n d a r d s has b e e n e s t a b l i s h e d a n d this p r o g r a m m e is c o n s i d e r e d as a j o i n t a c t i v i t y o f CEN, CENELEC and CEPT. The French involvem e n t in this c o o p e r a t i v e e n d e a v o u r has b e e n g r e a t e r a n d a d m i n i s t r a t i v e s u p p o r t was m o r e a n d
•2iR]
I MinistrLes of industries & telecom
--contributions
[nterilational S~andards
North-Holland Computer Standards & Interfaces 7 (1988) 151-153
Fig. 1. Standardization Schema for Informatics and Telematics in France for the Last Years.
152
N. Malagardis / Recent Developments and Strategies in France
more necessary to ensure the follow up of technical work. The main live of this support consisted in the definition of protocols and specially a consistent subclass of protocols called Architel. At the same time, a coordination committee called CIIBA was dealing with the implementation of the SCRIBE project which integrates office automation on a large Local Network and seeks compatibility with OSI standards. Both Architel and Scribe have been presented in the last OSI workshops in Ottawa and Cambridge. The scenario has changed since some decisions taken last October will be implemented by the end of March. The decision has been met to give A F N O R all the prerogatives to concentrate all activities of standardization those who were outside their own committees by contract to the private sector, such as keeping, specialists to work in committees dealing with OSI in France and internationally. The role of BNI in stimulating standardization through public expenditures will be ceased and the rest of its missions will be reintegrated to AFNOR. Since the process of standardization can be splitted in three parts: Preparation of topics expected to turn to standards, Actual standardization topics dealed in topics, Post standardization explanatory fascicles, information about the status of standards, their contents and evolution. The whole topic should be completed so to know who is doing what and if public money should spend and where. A report is due dealing with all these matters and concluding with a coherent proposal so that
[ =°='":.°= =2....
-USOGITS
CNET
]
-r,l ....... ZI]IL[L
_]II
....
TC 184
" ....
Fig. 3. National Configuration.
to day's challenges present on the international scene and especially to European harmonization scenario, be will understood and met according to the country's needs. Today we do not have the complete schema to present you but we give a rough sketch how it seems to appear in Fig. 2. The national configuration (Fig. 3) tries under the commissions assembled by A F N O R to coordinate better the standardization work done at different levels from different parties. At the same time it tries to apply ISO and C E N / C E N E L E C work programs and coordinate national activities in such manner that they correspond to international work. In the same spirit, we had the positions expressed in Geneva for OSITOP. At the same time, a wider lattitude of action will be given to private firms to deal with prestandardization and validation of conformity to standards. The administrative landscape has been defined and now industrial contributions have to be presented and put into action according. Notabely the Users Association C I G R E F starts playing a greater role in the definition of applications and to be more specific in the domain of Trade Data interchange.
3. OSI 3.1. Certification
SPAG > WAN-CTS
Fig. 2. Rough Sketch of New French Standardization Scene.
Up to now A F N O R holds the right for delivering certificates and a coordinating the process of organizing the certification labs. We can't show you a definite picture of how it will be set up since this is also port of the report that will he completed and presented to the minister by the end of January.
N. Malagardis / Recent Det,eloprnents and Strategies in France
Though the validation process is still going on and labs will have to be found for OSI, Programming Languages such as Pascal, Ada, G K S and in short time C and others. For OSI, the principal axis of activities is the definition and implementation of tools within the WANCTS project where C N E T collaborates in a european frame with other organizations such like British Telecoms, NCC, FT2, CSELT, etc. This is done with local subcontractors as Bull, CAP SOGETI, SEMA and others. The purpose of this work is to achieve at a European level to - Standardized Testing Methodology Standard test specifications - Full compatibility of certificates.
4. Conclusion
The new trends in France are the following: The will to strengthen the administrative ap-
153
paratus of standards making by reinforcement of the role of A F N O R . Less direct public financing to the contributors and responsabilisation of the industrial and user bodies. More flexibility to the prestandardization infrastructure. OSI remains a priority and the certification scenario which will accompany the implementation of standards are assessed while the test centers are prepared. More than that the future of all this construction is prepared in the functional standards proposal and the coherent standards brick-building so that the future systems architect can set up the pieces of the puzzle according to the needs of his application.
Recent Developments and Strategies in
France
N. M A L A G A R D I S BN I, Domaine de Voluceau, Rocquencourt, F-78150 Le Chesnay, France
A new political trend has modified the relationships within the standards making infrastructure in France. A review of new relationships between organisations involved in OSI standards is given with new responsibilities. Progress in national projects is quoted, future national strategies are sketched in view of OSI implementation issues.
Keywords: Government, OSI, Standards, Strategy, National
Report.
1.
Introduction
S i n c e the last e l e c t i o n s in M a r c h 1986, the n e w F r e n c h g o v e r n m e n t has i n t r o d u c e d n e w p o l i c i e s in the i n d u s t r i a l field a n d e s p e c i a l l y in i n f o r m a t i c s and telematics. T h e m a i n c h a r a c t e r i z a t i o n of the n e w p o l i c i e s is less i n t e r v e n t i o n in p r o c u r e m e n t policies, less b u d g e t i s a t i o n of i n d u s t r i a l p u b l i c aids a n d m o r e o p e n a t t i t u d e to p r i v a t e initiative. O n e o t h e r c h a r acteristic o f i n t e r e s t h e r e is the a n n o u n c e m e n t of reinforcement of standardization taking into a c c o u n t of the n e w e u r o p e a n a n d w o r l d events.
2. General
Director of the Bureau d'orientation de la Normalisation en Informatique since 1977, N. Malagardis was chairman of the European Workshop for Industrial Computer Systems (19751980). He is now chairman of IFIP TC 5/W.G. 5.4, vice-chairman of IFAC Committee Terminology and Standards, vice-chairman of EWICS. He has been representative in various committees at the European Communities. In the last 5 years he was leader of the following projects: - ADA definition of I / O Modules. - SCEPTRE, a real-time operating system. - Contribution to High Level Protocol Standards. - Comparison studies, contribution in Session, etc. Nicolas E. Malagardis received his diploma in electrical engineering from the Tecnical University of Stuttgart, FRG. Planning engineer at the Public Power Corp. in Greece 19611968. Studied Computer Science at the Institut Blaise Pascal in Paris 1962. Served as Scientific Programmer at the PPC until 1968. Systems Engineer at the computing center of IRIA until 1969. Vice-Manager of the Computing Center 1970-1971. Director of the Computing Center 1971-1973. Coordinator for standards development in ADP for the French Ministry of Industry 1973-1977. - Study on validation for the European Communities. - Tools for certification and validation in programming languages. - Tools for certification and validation for high level protocols. Mr. Malagardis is author of more than 40 scientific papers and has served as chairman at many symposia and workshops.
Standardization
Considerations
D u r i n g the last years s t a n d a r d i z a t i o n d e v e l o p m e n t in F r a n c e was b a s e d o n the s c h e m a for i n f o r m a t i c s a n d t e l e m a t i c s g i v e n in Fig. 1. I n the m e a n time, since 3 years, we h a d a c o n s i d e r a b l e e v o l u t i o n in the d e v e l o p m e n t of standards and especially OSI standards. A E u r o p e a n P r o g r a m m e to h a r m o n i s e the use o f I T S t a n d a r d s has b e e n e s t a b l i s h e d a n d this p r o g r a m m e is c o n s i d e r e d as a j o i n t a c t i v i t y o f CEN, CENELEC and CEPT. The French involvem e n t in this c o o p e r a t i v e e n d e a v o u r has b e e n g r e a t e r a n d a d m i n i s t r a t i v e s u p p o r t was m o r e a n d
•2iR]
I MinistrLes of industries & telecom
--contributions
[nterilational S~andards
North-Holland Computer Standards & Interfaces 7 (1988) 151-153
Fig. 1. Standardization Schema for Informatics and Telematics in France for the Last Years.
152
N. Malagardis / Recent Developments and Strategies in France
more necessary to ensure the follow up of technical work. The main live of this support consisted in the definition of protocols and specially a consistent subclass of protocols called Architel. At the same time, a coordination committee called CIIBA was dealing with the implementation of the SCRIBE project which integrates office automation on a large Local Network and seeks compatibility with OSI standards. Both Architel and Scribe have been presented in the last OSI workshops in Ottawa and Cambridge. The scenario has changed since some decisions taken last October will be implemented by the end of March. The decision has been met to give A F N O R all the prerogatives to concentrate all activities of standardization those who were outside their own committees by contract to the private sector, such as keeping, specialists to work in committees dealing with OSI in France and internationally. The role of BNI in stimulating standardization through public expenditures will be ceased and the rest of its missions will be reintegrated to AFNOR. Since the process of standardization can be splitted in three parts: Preparation of topics expected to turn to standards, Actual standardization topics dealed in topics, Post standardization explanatory fascicles, information about the status of standards, their contents and evolution. The whole topic should be completed so to know who is doing what and if public money should spend and where. A report is due dealing with all these matters and concluding with a coherent proposal so that
[ =°='":.°= =2....
-USOGITS
CNET
]
-r,l ....... ZI]IL[L
_]II
....
TC 184
" ....
Fig. 3. National Configuration.
to day's challenges present on the international scene and especially to European harmonization scenario, be will understood and met according to the country's needs. Today we do not have the complete schema to present you but we give a rough sketch how it seems to appear in Fig. 2. The national configuration (Fig. 3) tries under the commissions assembled by A F N O R to coordinate better the standardization work done at different levels from different parties. At the same time it tries to apply ISO and C E N / C E N E L E C work programs and coordinate national activities in such manner that they correspond to international work. In the same spirit, we had the positions expressed in Geneva for OSITOP. At the same time, a wider lattitude of action will be given to private firms to deal with prestandardization and validation of conformity to standards. The administrative landscape has been defined and now industrial contributions have to be presented and put into action according. Notabely the Users Association C I G R E F starts playing a greater role in the definition of applications and to be more specific in the domain of Trade Data interchange.
3. OSI 3.1. Certification
SPAG > WAN-CTS
Fig. 2. Rough Sketch of New French Standardization Scene.
Up to now A F N O R holds the right for delivering certificates and a coordinating the process of organizing the certification labs. We can't show you a definite picture of how it will be set up since this is also port of the report that will he completed and presented to the minister by the end of January.
N. Malagardis / Recent Det,eloprnents and Strategies in France
Though the validation process is still going on and labs will have to be found for OSI, Programming Languages such as Pascal, Ada, G K S and in short time C and others. For OSI, the principal axis of activities is the definition and implementation of tools within the WANCTS project where C N E T collaborates in a european frame with other organizations such like British Telecoms, NCC, FT2, CSELT, etc. This is done with local subcontractors as Bull, CAP SOGETI, SEMA and others. The purpose of this work is to achieve at a European level to - Standardized Testing Methodology Standard test specifications - Full compatibility of certificates.
4. Conclusion
The new trends in France are the following: The will to strengthen the administrative ap-
153
paratus of standards making by reinforcement of the role of A F N O R . Less direct public financing to the contributors and responsabilisation of the industrial and user bodies. More flexibility to the prestandardization infrastructure. OSI remains a priority and the certification scenario which will accompany the implementation of standards are assessed while the test centers are prepared. More than that the future of all this construction is prepared in the functional standards proposal and the coherent standards brick-building so that the future systems architect can set up the pieces of the puzzle according to the needs of his application.