• AAAI*
• ACM
• AAES
• AIAA
• AITP
• ANSI
• ARPA*
• ASQ
• ASQC (now ASQ)
• BCS
• CCTA
• DC-SPIN (see SEI)
• DARPA*
• DoD*
• DoC*
• DTIC*
• EIA*

• ESPI
• EWC (see AAES)
• EXIN (see BCS & Companies*)
• FAA*
• FIPS*
• IEC*
• IEEE
• INCOSE
• ISEB (see BCS)
• ISO
• ISSEA
• itSMF
• itSMFUSA
• ITU
• NASA (see SEL)
• NDIA
• NIST

• NSA*
• OGC
• OMG
• PMI
• QAAM (see QAI)
• SE DSIG (see OMG)
• SEI
• SEL
• SESC (see IEEE)
• SETC (see AIAA)
• SIAM*
• SPC (now called SSCI)
• SPIN (see SEI)
• SSCI
• SSQ
• STSC*
• vital

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

 www.ieee.org

IEEE is the largest professional engineering association in the world. Established for the professionalization, education, and career advancement of engineers in 1784, it also serves as an international standards body. IEEE has over 320,000 members in 147 countries and is headquartered in Piscataway, NJ. It publishes nearly 25% of the world's technical papers in electrical, electronic and computer engineering.

  IEEE parent organization

• IEEE Today's Engineer http://www.todaysengineer.org/ (paper magazine no longer published)
• IEEE Technical Committee on Fault Tolerant Computing http://www.dependability.org
• IEEE helped develop and administers the CSDP certification program
• www.theinstitute.ieee.org/

• http://standards.ieee.org/, see Standards page for additional information
• Software Engineering Standards Committee (SESC) standards.ieee.org/software/
• Balloting News standards.ieee.org/sa/ballotnews.html
• IEEE Standards Development Online development.standards.ieee.org/my-site

Computer Society (IEEE-CS) www.computer.org

• The IEEE Computer Society traces its origins to...
  • In 1946, he American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) formed the Subcommittee on Large-Scale Computing
  • Five years later, the Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE) formed its Professional Group on Electronic Computers. The principal volunteer officers of both these groups were designated chairs.
  • In 1963, the AIEE and the IRE merged to become the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). The respective subcommittee and group, of each predecessor organization, combined to form the...
  • The IEEE Computer Society, which celebrates its sixtieth anniversary year in 2006
• SE Online http://www.computer.org/portal/site/seportal
• IEEE Technical Committees http://www.computer.org/tab/tab.htm
  • Technical Council on Software Engineering (TCSE) www.tcse.org (including the Reuse Committee)
  • Computer Dictionary project (P610)
• 60th Anniversary, see History of Computer Society [see About the IEEE CS] http://www.computer.org/portal/site/ieeecs/

• Scope: This Council integrates IEEE activities regarding aspects of multiple disciplines and specialty areas associated with the engineering of systems. This Council covers, but is not limited to, the following Field of Interest [19-Feb-2005]:
  • Systems engineering, education, standards, processes and methodologies;
  • Modeling, simulation and integration related to design, testing, production and support;
  • Design aspects for robust design, human factors, safety, security and usability;
  • Transition of products from design to production, deployment and use;
  • Quality control and system management;
  • Program/product/project management interactions;
  • Risk management;
  • Systems architecture
• History:
  • Feb-2005 the IEEE Technical Activities Board (TAB) approved the formation, in principle, the IEEE Systems Council
  • Jun-2005 the IEEE Board of Directors approved the formation of the new Systems Council and added it to the TAB Operations Manual, section .49 IEEE Systems Council (SysC-45).
  • Sep-2005 the new council for 2005 is reported on the IEEE website
  • 2006 IEEE Membership Renewal Packages announce the new council
  • As of Aug-2006, the framework for the new website is established, including a logo. However, the website only contains: the Field of Interest description, Constitution, By-Laws, and Roster (of member societies and officers).
  • The Council President, Bob Rassa RCRassa@Raytheon.com, states in an email that the council is active, but the website unfortunately a little slow.
• Future: Systems Journal, Systems Conference are planned

• See related links:
  • vital website for local IEEE chapters
  • Certification webpage for CSDP
  • Standards webpage for: SE/SW Standards
  • Conference webpage for IEEE Conference List
  • Resume: CSDP, Senior Member, and IEEE-CS
  • Continuing Ed for related seminars and conferences, plus IEEE CSDP renewal requirements

International Council On Systems Engineering (INCOSE)

www.incose.org

INCOSE is a not-for-profit membership organization founded in 1990, as an international authoritative body promoting the application of an interdisciplinary approach and means to enable the realization of successful systems.

On their webpage, INCOSE defines Systems Engineering as

"an interdisciplinary approach and means to enable the realization of successful systems [by focusing] on defining customer needs and required functionality early in the development cycle, documenting requirements, then proceeding with design synthesis and system validation while considering the complete problem: Cost & Schedule, Performance, Manufacturing, Training & Support, Test, Operations, and Disposal. Systems Engineering integrates all the disciplines and specialty groups into a team effort forming a structured development process that proceeds from concept to production to operation. Systems Engineering considers both the business and the technical needs of all customers with the goal of providing a quality product that meets the user needs."

• Products:
  • Journal of Systems Engineering, quarterly publication
• See related links:
  • vital website for local chapters
  • Certification webpage for CSEP
  • Standards webpage for:
    • Systems Engineering Handbook (SEH) and
    • Guide to Systems Engineering Body of Knowledge (G2SEBoK)
  • Conference webpage for INCOSE International Symposium
  • Resume: INCOSE
  • Continuing Ed for INCOSE seminars and conferences attended

Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)

http://www.acm.org/

The first society in computing. ACM (founded 1947) is an international scientific and educational organization dedicated to advancing the art, science, engineering, and application of information technology, serving both professional and public interests by fostering the open interchange of information and by promoting the highest professional and ethical standards. With a world-wide membership of 80,000, ACM functions as a locus for computing professionals and students working in the various fields of Information Technology. It provides Special Interests Groups (SIGs) for computing specialties with corresponding journals and conferences. ACM membership also includes a reflector address with on-line updating of their directory.

• A few Special Interest Groups (SIGs):
  • SIGSOFT—Special Interest Group in Software Engineering www.acm.org/sigsoft/ or http://www.sigsoft.org/
  • SIGAda—Special Interest Group on Ada
  • SIGObject—an Object-Oriented Special Interest Group/Committee existed with a newsletter, for a while [see OO]
  • SIGPlan—Special Interest Group on Programming Languages sponsors the annual OOPSLA Conference on Object-Oriented Technology
  • SIGCHI—Special Interest Group in Computer-Human Interfaces
  • Also see SIGAda on OO page
• Related links:
  • ACM Portal: portal.acm.org
• See related links:
  • vital website for local chapters
  • Conference webpage for SIGAda Conference List and sponsored seminars and conferences
  • See Resume: ACM
    • After being an active ACM member for almost 20 years, I decided not to renew my membership in December of 2004, because I was getting too many journals to read (and store), and electronic-only was not an option.
    • ACM publications tend to be more focused on the academic community and research.
    • In contrast, IEEE publications are more directly supportive of "real" work.
  • Continuing Ed for ACM seminars and conferences attended

valley information technology alliance (vital)

is a non-profit organization of Information Technology professionals (systems and software engineers) who want to work in the Cumberland Valley area, rather than having long commutes to the suburbs of Baltimore, DC, Northern Virginia.

• See vital website for:
  • Technology companies in the Cumberland Valley
  • Traditional companies leveraging technology in he Cumberland Valley
  • Universities, Colleges, and Training opportunities in the Cumberland Valley
  • Organizations supporting the existing technology professionals and the growing number of technology companies in the Cumberland Valley
  • Details on how you can benefit from, or contribute to, vital technology goals!
• See Resume: vital
• See Courses for vital seminars given

Project Management Institute (PMI)

www.pmi.org
http://pmibookstore.org/
 

•  An organization of over 40,000 providing resources and tools to achieve excellence in project management -- "Building Professionalism in project management". 
  • Authored the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), which became IEEE Std 1490-1998
  • Publications: Project Management Journal (PMJ), PMNetwork and PMI Today
  • CareerLink - opportunity listing service
  • PM-related seminars and exam preparation courses
  • See also Project Management links
• See related links:
  • Certification webpage for PMP
  • Engineering Standards: PMBOK
  • Resume: PMI and PMBOK

American Society for Quality (ASQ)

www.asq.org

• Originally called the American Society for Quality Control (ASQC), the organization had its "roots" in manufacturing and on Deming-based quality control, total quality management, and improvement issues.
  • ASQ has established a long reputation for their quality programs
  • A number of examination-based certification programs, which include three common elements:
    1. A set of requirements for education, experience, and professionalism
    2. An examination based on a body of knowledge (BOK)
    3. A commitment to adhere to the Ethics Standard
• However, since its inception, the organization has evolved. Several important changes include:
  • Expanding of the Quality Control (QC) practices to include other "testing" domains and Quality Assurance (QA)
  • Widening the scope to include systems and software engineers, quality assurance analysts, systems and software testers, and other professionals in similar roles
  • Dropping the "C" from ASQC, to broaden the scope of the name to be:
    American Society for Quality (ASQ)
  • Creating several new offerings, to their existing examination-based certification programs
  • Added several Forums and (topical) Divisions www.asq.org/forums-divisions, including:
    • Software Division www.asq.org/softwareforum
    • Service Quality Division www.asq.org/service
• Certifications: (acronyms link to ASQ sites)
  • More Traditional (non-software):
    • Biomedical Auditor - CBA
    • Calibration Technician -  CCT
    • HACCP Auditor -  CHA (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point)
  • Junior Quality Certifications:
    • Quality Improvement Associate - CQIA (min 2 yrs)
      [basic knowledge of quality tools and their uses]
    • Quality Inspector - CQI (min 2 yrs)
      [under professional direction, can use the proven techniques to evaluate hardware documentation, perform laboratory procedures, inspect products, measure process performance, record data and prepare formal reports]
    • Quality Process Analyst - CQPA (AA or 2 yrs)
      [under professional direction, can analyze and solve quality problems]
    • Quality Technician -  CQT -  (4yrs or BS+1yr) [under professional direction, can analyze and solve quality problems, train inspectors, performs audits, and perform basic quality related tasks]
  • More Senior Quality Certifications:
    • Quality Engineer -  CQE (min 8 yrs)
      [principles of product and service quality evaluation and control]
    • Quality Auditor -  CQA (min 8 yrs)
      [the standards and principles of auditing, auditing techniques]
    • Reliability Engineer - CRE (min 8 yrs)
      [principles of performance evaluation and prediction to improve product/systems safety, reliability and maintainability.]
• Certified Software Quality Engineer - CSQE
• Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence - CMQ/OE
• Six Sigma^® Certification Programs - SSBB & SSGB Certifications

• See related links:
  • vital website for local sections (geographical chapters)
  • http://www.asq.org/conferences/
  • www.asq.org/products/educat.html

Society for Software Quality (SSQ)

• "Advancing the arts and technologies of quality software."
• See related links:
  • vital website for local chapter
  • Continuing Ed for SSQ seminars attended

Quality Assurance Institute (QAI) Worldwide

www.qaiworldwide.org new website

• The Quality Assurance Institute (QAI) claims to have the first certification program for information technology, and offers several certifications related to Quality Assurance and Quality Control.
• In some cases, their certifications seem to compete (overlap) with those offered through ASQ.
• Citibank/Citicorp and CSC are members

• See related links:
  • vital website for local chapter (QAAM)
  • See: certification page including CSQA (was Certified Quality Analyst - CGAn), CSTE, CSPM, CMST, CMQA
  • Conferences: ITQC and STC
  • Resume: QAAM
  • The 2006 Common Body of Knowledge (CBOK) for both the CSQA & CSTE Certifications are now available. Check out the Bookstore for more information...

American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics (AIAA)

www.aiaa.org

• AIAA's Mission: “To advance the arts, sciences, and technology of aeronautics and astronautics, and to promote the professionalism of those engaged in these pursuits.”
  • Systems Engineering Technical Committee (SETC)
  • National Capital Section
• In 1963, the two great aerospace societies of the day merged. The American Rocket Society (originally called American Interplanetary Society) and the Institute of Aerospace Science joined to become AIAA.
• The merger combined the imaginative, risk-taking, shoot-for-the-moon outlook of Project Mercury-era rocket, missile, and space professionals with the more established, well-recognized, industry-building achievers of the aviation community. The resulting synergy has benefited aerospace ever since.
• Today, with more than 31,000 members, AIAA is the world's largest professional society devoted to the progress of engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense.
• See Resume: Papers

Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP)

www.aitp.org

"AITP is the professional association comprised of career minded individuals who seek to expand their potential -- employers, employees, managers, programmers, and many others. The organization seeks to provide avenues for all their members to be teachers as well as students and to make contacts with other members in the IS field, all in an effort to become more marketable in rapidly changing, technological careers."

AITP begain as the National Machine Accountants Association (NMMA) in 1951. It was renamed in 1962 to be the Data Processing Management Association (DPMA). To keep with the changing times, it was renamed again in 1996 to be the Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP). This organization introduced the Certificate in Data Processing (CDP) in 1962 and the Registered Business Programmer (RBP) examination in 1970. It also help establish the Institute for the Certification of Computer Professionals (ICCP) to stimulate more widespread interest and industry acceptance of the examinations.

• See related links:
  • vital website for local chapters
  • Certification webpage for: CDP, RBP

American National Standards Organization (ANSI)

• The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is the major standards organization in the United States
• ANSI is the sole U.S. representative and dues-paying member of the two major non-treaty international standards organizations*:
  • International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the
  • International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)
• ANSI has served in its capacity as administrator and coordinator of the United States private sector voluntary standardization system since 1918.  The Institute represents the interests of its nearly 1,400 company, organization, government agency, institutional and international members (including IEEE and ACM).
• See Engineering Standards

* The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is a treaty organization
* Other Standards Bodies include: Regional or National Bodies, ANSI serves as the National Standards Body for the United States of America

International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

• ISO is a non-governmental organization established in 1947, who's mission is:

"to promote the development of standardization and related activities in the world with a view to facilitating the international exchange of goods and services, and to developing cooperation in the spheres of intellectual, scientific, technological and economic activity."

• ISO is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies from some 100 countries, one from each country. The representative member body for the United States is American National Standards Institute (ANSI). ISO's work results in international agreements which are published as International Standards.
• The official name of the organization, in French, is Organisation internationale de normalisation. In English, it is known as The International Organization for Standardization (and sometimes mistakenly as the International Standards Organization). The name "ISO" is not an acronym, but a word, derived from the Greek isos, meaning "equal" -- hence "equal standard". In addition, the name ISO is used around the world to denote the organization, thus avoiding the plethora of acronyms resulting from the translation of "International Organization for Standardization" into the different national languages of members, (e.g. OIN in French, IOS in English). Whatever the country, the short form of the Organization's name is always ISO.
• See related links:
  • Engineering Standards webpage for IS09001 and other Standards

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

• A standards organization of the US Government.
  • Founded in 1901, NIST is a non-regulatory federal agency within the U.S. Commerce Department's Technology Administration.
  • NIST's mission is to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life. NIST carries out its mission in four cooperative programs:
    • NIST Laboratories
    • Baldrige National Quality Program
    • Manufacturing Extension Partnership
    • the Advanced Technology Program
• See Quality Standards: Baldrige National Quality Program

Software Engineering Institute (SEI)

www.sei.cmu.edu

• The Software Engineering Institute (SEI) is a federally funded research and development center sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense and operated by Carnegie Mellon University. It is a collaboration between Government, Industry and Academia, whose mission is to advance the profession of software engineering. Originally established (in part) to facilitate the adoption of the Ada programming language that, at the time, was mandated by DoD for all mission-critical systems.
• SEI established an Affiliates program to encourage industry participation
• The SEI is probably best known for their work in process improvement
  • Originators of SW-CMM, SE-CMM, CMMI, and other "maturity models"
  • Defined recommendations for establishing a Software Engineering Process Group (SEPG)
  • Established the Software Process Improvement Network (SPIN) to provide a local forum for networking and support for those involved in process improvement.
  • Hold a yearly conferences to support CMMI and SPIN .
• Some of their other accomplishments include:
  • Definition of a Risk Management Process and body of knowledge
  • Definition of the Rate-Monotonic Theory for task prioritization of time-critical (typically embedded) systems
  • Defined methods and codified "best practice" for systematic reuse, domain engineering, and product-line development
  • Developed/facilitated recommendations for bachelors and masters degree programs in Software Engineering and defined related course curricula
  • Established CERT (for tacking security weaknesses and fixes)
  • A Software Process Bibliography http://www.sei.cmu.edu/cmm/docs/biblio.html
• See related links:
  • vital website for local SPIN (DC-SPIN)
  • Southern Maryland SPIN www.somdspin.org
  • Conferences: SEPG, Software Engineering Symposium, CMMI Users Group
  • Quality Standards: CMMI
  • Certifications

www.espi.org

• The European counterpart of SEI

Software Engineering Laboratory (SEL)

• Was a cooperative program, created in 1976, to investigate the effectiveness of software engineering technologies. The three primary members were:
  • NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Software Engineering Branch
  • University of Maryland (UM), Department of Computer Science
  • Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC), Software Engineering and Analysis Support (SEAS) Group
• Note: The SEL was the first recipient for the IEEE Computer Society Award for Software Process Achievement; in 1998 CSC/SEAS was the 5th organization to be assessed at CMM Level 5!
• See Conferences: SEW

UK Office of Government Commerce (OGC)

www.ogc.gov.uk

• British government agency responsible for maintenance of the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), a framework of best practices for the support and delivery of IT services
• Originally developed by the Central Computer & Telecommunications Agency (CCTA)
• See OGC's FAQ
• See related Organizations:
  • BCS/ISEB and EXIN, independent IT examination providers, who also accredit ITIL trainers and administer certifications
  • itSMF
  • Also additional related organizations and links on standards page
• See related links:
  • Certification: Certificates in IT Service Management
  • Standards: ITIL