The work of IFIP working group 6.1

Abstract

IFIP is a multinational federation of professional-technical societies concerned with information processing. At present, thirty-five national societies are members of the federation, united to achieve the following aims: -to promote information science and technology; -to advance information cooperation in the field of information processing; -to stimulate research, development, and application of information processing in science and human activity; -to further the dissemination and exchange of information about information processing; and -to encourage education in information processing Thus, IFIP is both a catalyst and a focal point for conceptual and technological developments which advance the state of the information processing art. Within IFIP, the technical work is sponsored by a series of technical committees. Under their auspices, workshops, seminars, and conferences are organized to encourage research and technological progress, and to publish definitive texts on the state of that progress. At present, technical committees are working in such fields as: -information processing terminology -programming languages -applications in education -information processing in medicine -applications in technology -data communications -modelling and optimization -the effect of information processing on human institutions In addition to the specialized events organized by the technical committees, IFIP sponsors a Congress once every three years which provides an overall view of the state of information processing science. The next Congress will be held in Toronto, Canada in August 1977. The library of books published by IFIP now contains sixty volumes. They cover a variety of fields including applications in technology, administration and management, the description and use of programming languages, mathematical theory, computing education, applications in medicine and other human activities, terminology, and overview descriptions of the technological state of the art. Together they constitute a definitive view of research and applications for use by scientists, users, and associated organizations. Cooperation with CCITT (Commite Consultatif International pour Telephonie et Telegraphic -- a technical body of the International Telegraphics Union which makes recommendations for worldwide standards in the area of telecommunications) has been instituted by the IFIP Technical Committee studying Data Communications. One of the specialized working groups of TC6 coordinates research to clarify the problems and options for the international interconnection of packet switched networks. Results of this research are made available to Study Group VII of CCITT which is deliberating on the facilities and appropriate standards for new data networks (of which packet switched networks are only one type).