Infosys v2n014 (ISSN 11733764, April) URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/infosys/infs-v2n014 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * INFOSYS: The Electronic Newsletter for Information Systems * * Volume 2, Number 14 ISSN: 1173-3764 April 27, 1995 * * * * Editor: Dennis W. Viehland, Massey University, New Zealand * * Listowners: Greg Welsh, American University, Washington DC * * Peter M. Weiss, Pennsylvania State University * * Sponsor: boyd & fraser publishing, Danvers, Massachusetts * * * * Current Subscribers = 3,798 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TABLE OF CONTENTS * * * * * * * * * * * * * NEWS - From Edupage * * ANNOUNCEMENT - AusWeb95 Papers / AusWeb95 Virtual Edition * * ANNOUNCEMENT - IFIP TC 8 / IFIP WG 8.2 World Wide Web Pages * * BOOK REVIEW - Metrics and Models in Software Quality Engineering * * CALL FOR PAPERS - Assoc of Management - IS, CS, IT Mgmt Tracks * * CALL FOR PAPERS - Conf on Small and Medium Industry and Business * * CALL FOR PAPERS - Conference on Software Engineering Education * * CALL FOR PAPERS - Information Resources Mgmt Assoc Conference * * POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT - Management Science and Info Systems * * POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT - Visiting Faculty & Asst/Assoc Prof, IS * * POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT - Visiting Faculty, Management Info Systems * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 0611* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * NEWS - From Edupage * * Dennis Viehland, Massey University * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * PUSHING THE ENVELOPE ON CHIP TECHNOLOGY: AT&T Bell Labs researcher Arno Penzias observes that much of today's economic progress hinges upon the continued increase in cost and performance of silicon integrated circuits. "While we still have some way to go, the end seems in sight. As line widths shrink toward 0.1 micrometers and factory costs zoom past 1 billion dollars apiece, little more improvement in conventional lithography technology seems likely. Hopefully, an entirely new way of fabricating multibillion transistor circuits will be devised. One atom at a time seems a bit tedious, but how knows how fast microfabrication techniques might work?" (Science 3/17/95 p.1612) CRIMINALS NEED COMPUTER LITERACY, LIKE EVERYONE ELSE: Justice Department chief of computer crime Scott Charney says cyberspace is just like anyplace else when it comes to potential for wrongdoing: "I've said many times that I have what I call the Charney Theorem, stating that there is always a percentage of the population up to no good. Right now if you look at the people in our society who are up to no good, only a small percentage are computer-literate. If you fast-forward 30 years, they'll all be computer-literate." (Investor's Business Daily 4/18/95 A8) NEW SWITCH AT NORTHERN TELECOM: Northern Telecom has developed a concept for an inexpensive terabit switch, capable of handling digital voice, data and video at trillions of bits per second. The design uses optical fiber to link numerous high-capacity ATM mode switching systems into one giant switch, capable of handling the hefty demands of multimedia networks. (Wall Street Journal 4/20/95 B4) INFO-HIGHWAY SURVEY IN CANADA: The second annual Gallup survey indicates that 69.9% of Canadians have heard about the info-highway but 61.8% fear it represents a threat to Canada's cultural identity and say they want the federal government to assume responsibility for protecting that identity. 3.5-million Canadians, or 11.9% of the population, have used the Internet. (Toronto Globe & Mail 4/20/95 B1) BUSINESS MODELS ON THE WEB: For an interesting and comprehensive discussion of commercial use of the World Wide Web, see "Panning for Business Models in a Digital Gold Rush" at http://www.hotwired.com/Eyewit/I-Agnt/>, or a more in-depth presentation by the same authors , by two Vanderbilt University management professors. The HotWired article does not yet load properly with all browsers (such as X-Mosaic) but works well with Netscape. NSF CHOOSES MCI FOR SUPERCOMPUTER NETWORK: The National Science Foundation has signed a five-year contract with MCI Communications Corp. to provide network services to supercomputer users. The new network, called vBNS, will transmit at least 155 megabits of data per second, more than three times the speed of the fastest portions of the Internet. At the end of five years, data should be zipping along at 2.2 gigabits a second or faster. (Chronicle of Higher Education 4/28/95 A49) Editor's Note: Edupage, a summary of news items on information technology, is a service of Educom. This is an abbreviated list of news items of interest to the IS community from the April 18, 20, 23, and 25, 1995 issues. \EOA 0612* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ANNOUNCEMENT - AusWeb95 Papers / AusWeb95 Virtual Edition * * Roger Debreceny, Southern Cross University * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * AusWeb95, the First Australian World Wide Web conference runs from 30 April to 2 May (but has long since been sold out). All the papers to be presented at the conference are now available on the Southern Cross University server at: http://www.scu.edu.au/ausweb95/papers AusWeb95 Virtual Edition For those who are unable to attend AusWeb95 senior students in the Centre for Media Communications at the University are presenting the AusWeb95 "Virtual Edition" which will be an electronic "newspaper" for the conference. The Virtual Edition now has its own e-mail address (aw95virt@scu.edu.au) and home page: http://www.scu.edu.au/ausweb95/virtual_edition There will be news, graphics, video and sound bites on the conference available at the Virtual Edition home page throughout the conference. So visit often! The Virtual Edition team are keen to hear from you, however, *before* the conference. What questions would you like them to put to the various conference participants? What would you like to see reported at the conference? The Keynote Speakers at AusWeb95 are Tony O'Reilly from O'Reilly and Associates who will be talking on "Publishing Models for Internet Commerce" and Peter Elford, CISCO PTY Ltd on "Connecting to the Internet". There will be a formal announcement of AusWeb96 at AusWeb95 with postings to various lists and news groups and on to the Web shortly thereafter. But in the meantime please put 7-9 July 1996 at Conrads Jupiter on the Gold Coast, Queensland in your diary. \EOA 0613* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ANNOUNCEMENT - IFIP TC 8 / IFIP WG 8.2 World Wide Web Pages * * R Baskerville, Binghamton Univ * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The IFIP TC 8 World Wide Web page is: http://www.som.binghamton.edu/ifiptc8/ifiptc8.html The IFIP WG 8.2 World Wide Web page is: http://www.som.binghamton.edu/ifipwg82/ifipwg82.html The TC 8 page has a link to WG 8.2. Both pages have links to the IFIP page. The ISWorld Net web page now has links to the TC 8 page. IFIP (International Federation for Information Processing) Technical Committee 8 (TC8) is concerned with information systems. Working Group Two (WG 8.2) is concerned with the interaction of information systems and the organization. \EOA 0614* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * BOOK REVIEW - Metrics and Models in Software Quality Engineering * * Rob Slade * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "Metrics and Models in Software Quality Engineering" by Stephen Kan Addison-Wesley, 1995, 0-201-63339-6, US$39.75 This is an introduction to quality enhancement methods and measurements. It is broadly based, but also gives depth to the discussion in many areas. Areas such as the definition of quality and statistical modelling, which may be new to software developers and managers, start from simple and clearly explained concepts. Chapters cover the definition of quality development and quality management models, measurement theory, software quality measures (metrics), quality identification tools, defect removal, the Rayleigh model and expectation of defects, exponential models for expectations, the use of Rayleigh and other models in management, complexity, and customer satisfaction measurement. There is very thorough bibliographic material at the end of each chapter. The quality of this work, in one sense, is beyond question. In terms of the book's own definition of "fitness for use," however, there are some points to be raised. Software, as we all know, is digital. It is subject to catastrophic failures which cannot be predicted by statistical models of "errors per thousand lines of code". The need for customer input is repeatedly stressed. The Patriot missile system failure, mentioned in the book, was based on a customer requirement for a maximum fourteen-hour run time. Customer specifications, obviously, required an error recall function for the Therac 25. Unfortunately, neither the customer nor the company thought it necessary to have a final check display of the parameters taken by the machine, assuming the recall would work in all cases. Mention is made of "object orientation" and the reuse of software. It was reuse of an object, valid in its own environment, which led to the Pentium fiasco. Finally, there is the *cost* of quality, pointed out in "Four Days With Dr. Deming" (cf. BKDEMING.RVW). Kan's work, voluminous as it may be, is only an introduction. Thus, it would be primarily of use in a very large effort where the project manager had technical and statistical assistance simply for project management. As an example, I give you the Internet. The "quality standard" of "rough consensus and running code" must make quality specialists shudder. Without it, however, we'd be looking at a network based on OSI. (No sniggering from you UDP hackers in the back, there.) \EOA 0615* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * CALL FOR PAPERS - Assoc of Management - IS, CS, IT Mgmt Tracks * * Willem A. Hamel, Association of Management * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 13th Annual International Conference of The Association of Management (AoM) August 2-5, 1995 Vancouver, Canada The deadlines for the AoM call for papers published in article 0539, INFOSYS v2 n6 have been extended. The new dates are: Submission receipt deadline: May 15, 1995 Acceptance notice June 5, 1995 Final entry version and registration fee due: June 19, 1995 Conference Dates: August 2-5, 1995 For more information request a full CFP from aomgt@infi.net. \EOA 0616* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * CALL FOR PAPERS - Conf on Small and Medium Industry and Business * * Prasad Bingi, Texas Tech University * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Global Conference on Small and Medium Industry and Business 3-5 January 1996 Bangalore, India Educators, executives and government officials from around the world are invited to participate in this unique conference whose theme is "Small and Medium Industry and Business in the New Global Environment: Prospects & Problems." Papers, abstracts or symposium/ workshop proposals related to the theme are solicited. Submissions in accounting, commerce, economics, finance, human resources management /organizational behavior, information systems, marketing, operations management, quantitative methods/statistics, strategy, environmental/ethical/legal issues, public sector management, social/cultural issues, technology management and other topics relevant to the global community of management professionals and scholars are also welcome. Three typed, double-spaced copies of the submission should reach one of the General Chairs (addresses are given below) by 15 April, 1995. Each copy should include a title page listing title of submission, author(s), affiliation(s), mailing address(es), telephone number(s), fax number(s), e-mail address(es) and the name of the individual to whom correspondence should be sent. The main body of each copy should have the title but not name(s) of author(s). Submissions by fax or e-mail will not be accepted. The language of the conference will be English. An author hesitant about presenting the paper in English may request Dr. Shanmugam in advance to arrange for a reader. Important Dates: Submission Deadline: 15 May 1995 Final Paper and Registration Due: 13 October 1995 Conference Dates: 3-5 January 1996 The Conference registration fee is US$120. General Chairs: Dr. A.V. Shanmugam Dr. B.P. Lingaraj SDM Institute for Management Department of Management & Marketing Development Indiana University Fort Wayne 2254 Vinoba Road Fort Wayne, IN 46805, USA Mysore, India 570 005 Voice: 1-219-481-6479 Voice: 91-821-34060 Fax: 1-219-481-6083 Fax: 91-821-22559 E-mail: lingaraj@cvax.ipfw.indiana.edu \EOA 0617* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * CALL FOR PAPERS - Conference on Software Engineering Education * * Nancy Mead, Software Engineering Institute * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Ninth Conference on Software Engineering Education (CSEE) April 22-24, 1996 (tutorials April 21) Daytona Beach, Florida Educators, trainers, managers, and administrators gather to exchange ideas about how to enhance software engineering training and education. The CSEE attracts international participation from industry, academia, and government. The purpose of the CSEE is to influence educational directions, stimulate new approaches, promote collaboration, and generate interactive exchanges among all educational stakeholders. Conference topics include but are not limited to: --software engineering as a profession --software engineering curricula --innovative approaches for software engineering courses --industry-academia collaboration --alternative delivery methods --training and education management Submission Guidelines and Procedures: We request papers that present new ideas or approaches or that describe practice and experience. We also encourage proposals for panels examining controversial topics and designed to facilitate audience participation. We welcome proposals for half- and full-day tutorials. We invite innovative suggestions for informal meetings such as workshops, poster sessions, or birds-of-a-feather sessions. Submit five copies of a paper or proposal. Put only the title and beginning text of the submission on the first page of a paper. Provide a separate cover sheet with title, all authors' names, affiliations, complete addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses. Important Dates Submissions (papers, panels, tutorials) due September 1, 1995 Notification of acceptance November 1, 1995 Final presentation materials January 1, 1996 Send submissions to: Charlene Rauber Software Engineering Institute Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890 Voice: 412-268-3007 Fax: 412-268-5758 E-mail: education@sei.cmu.edu \EOA 0618* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * CALL FOR PAPERS - Information Resources Mgmt Assoc Conference * * Beth Green, Penn State University * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 1996 Information Resources Management Association International Conference Information Technology Management and Organizational Innovations May 19-22, 1996 Washington, DC USA In today's competitive global markets, organizations are seeking new innovative approaches to improve their competitive posture. Emerging information technologies of the past two decades are now providing organizations in both public and private sectors new tools to develop innovative organizational concepts and applications to become leaner and at the same time much more productive. The theme of the 7th IRMA International Conference is aimed at the challenges involved in developing innovative concepts and practices to make organizations more effective. This international conference is not limited only to information technology professionals, but should be beneficial to managers who are concerned with effective management of their organizations through the use of information technology applications. Papers and proposals for presentations and panels, both on theoretical and practical issues pertinent to the theme of the conference are invited from government, academia, and business. Conference Tracks: --Expert Systems Technologies --Database and Decision Support --The Human Side of IT --End-User Computing --Global Information Technology Management --Information Technology in Libraries --IT Management in Developing Countries --Computer-Aided Software Engineering Tools --Emerging Technologies Management --Multimedia Computing --Information Technology in Asia-Pacific Countries --Object Oriented Technology --Strategic Information Technology Management --Societal Issues in Information Resource Management --Information Technologies Education --Telecommunications and Networking Technologies --Information Technologies Education --Information Technology in Europe --Distance Learning --Accounting Information Systems Authors are asked to submit three copies of either a proposal for a presentation or a full manuscript to the address listed below. For a proposal for a paper presentation, only a full-page abstract will be included in the Proceedings. The number of submissions by an author (including authorship with others) is limited to a maximum of two. All manuscripts must: --Not exceed 20 pages for a full paper or 2-4 pages for a proposal for a presentation. --Be accompanied by a separate cover letter with every author's name, address, telephone number, full affiliation, and the track that it is submitted for. All correspondence will be sent to the first author, unless otherwise specified. --Be accompanied by a 100-150 word abstract (full paper only). --Not currently be under review by another publication or conference. --Be accompanied by a 3 x 5 stamped postcard with the submitter's name and address for acknowledgment of receipt of the paper or the proposal. Individuals interested in conducting a symposium, workshop, or panel discussion are asked to submit a 2-4 page summary covering the purpose of your session and why it would be of interest to the conference participants to the address listed below. Proposals should follow the same general guidelines (format, etc.) as for paper submissions. Method of presentation is at the submitter's discretion, however, the submitter has the responsibility for providing his/her own participants (such as panel members) and any special equipment. All panel and workshop members must register for the conference. Volunteers to be a paper reviewer or session chair should send the following information to the address listed below by October 20, 1995: name, affiliation, address, work and home phone, fax, e-mail, and three tracks of most interest to you. Important Dates: Receipt of papers/proposals October 27, 1995 Notification of acceptance/rejection December 1, 1995 Receipt of final papers/abstracts January 18, 1996 Early registration deadline January 18, 1996 Additional information, including a conference registration form, list of track chairs, conference committee, and additional CFP details is available from: Mehdi Khosrowpour, DBA IRMA International Conference 4811 Jonestown Road, Suite 230 Harrisburg, PA 17109 USA Voice: (717) 948-6344 or (717) 652-7794 Fax: (717) 541-9159 E-mail: m1k@psuvm.psu.edu \EOA 0619* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT - Management Science and Info Systems * * Tony Verstraete, Penn State University * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Editor's note: this is a revised announcement of a position originally announced in article 0588 in INFOSYS v2 n11. The Department of Management Science and Information Systems of the Smeal College of Business Administration at the Pennsylvania State University is searching for a faculty member to teach undergraduate courses in Management Information Systems (MIS). Applicants should possess an earned doctorate in MIS or a related field. They should be qualified to teach undergraduate courses in MIS such as the following: --Information Systems Process and Design: An overview of computer organization and function, operating systems, and file organization, and access techniques. Concepts of structured analysis and design techniques of software prototyping, information engineering, software engineering, object-oriented analysis and design. --Database Design and Application: Technical aspects of data management, data structures, conceptual and logical data models, data independence, data normalization, and relational algebra. Database applications using high-end relational database management software. The appointment will be to the rank of Assistant Professor. This is a fixed term appointment for the period August 1, 1995, through May 31, 1996, and possibly renewable after that. The duties will primarily be in teaching and will consist of a normal load of three undergraduate courses per semester not including the summer semester. There will also be some ancillary duties consisting of course development, student advising, etc. Application deadline: May 15, or until the position is filled. Persons who are interested in this position should contact: George B. Kleindorfer, Chair Department of Management Science and Information Systems The Smeal College of Business Administration 303 Beam BAB The Pennsylvania State University University Park, PA 16802 Voice: 814-865-7019 Fax: 814-863-2381 E-Mail: gbk@psuvm.psu.edu \EOA 0620* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT - Visiting Faculty & Asst/Assoc Prof, IS * * Allen S. Lee, University of Cincinnati * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The University of Cincinnati invites applications for these positions beginning in the Fall quarter of 1995: --An anticipated visiting professor in Information Systems (all ranks) --A tenure-track position in Information Systems at the Assistant/Associate Professor level All areas of management-related Information Systems research expertise will be considered, but teaching in any of the following is preferred: telecommunications, software engineering, and the required MBA core course in IS. Minimum qualifications include: PhD in Information Systems from a business school (or a PhD in a related field, with publications in IS journals) and teaching experience in IS in a business school, at the baccalaureate and/or masters level. Preferred candidates must show excellence in the classroom on accepted measures of instructional performance, a demonstrated commitment to excellence in research, a demonstrated ability to work with colleagues who employ diverse research paradigms, and a demonstrated commitment to university and community service. Submit your letter of application, vita, evidence of teaching excellence and the names of three references to: Professor J. Timothy Sale Chair, Department of Accounting and Information Systems College of Business Administration University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH 45221- 0211 USA \EOA 0621* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT - Visiting Faculty, Management Info Systems * * Sree Nilakanta, Iowa State University * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The Department of Management at Iowa State University invites nominations for a visiting faculty position in Management Information Systems. Candidates with a PhD or about to complete their PhD in MIS or closely related fields are encouraged to apply. The department is housed within the College of Business and offers majors in MIS. The MIS faculty, comprising four tenure track and one adjunct, meets the needs of nearly 200 undergraduate majors. The faculty also is involved in the MBA and MS courses. The MIS curriculum is perceived very favorably by students and recruiters for its relevance to contemporary challenges. Interested candidates must send a letter of application, three letters of references, and a curriculum vitae to: Dr. James Werbel Department of Management 300 Carver Hall Iowa State University Ames, IA 50011 USA Deadline for the application is May 15 or until the position is filled. \EOA * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ABOUT INFOSYS * * INFOSYS is an electronic newsletter for faculty, students, and * * practitioners in the field of Information Systems. INFOSYS * * publishes news items, requests for assistance, calls for papers * * announcements of professional meetings and conferences, position * * announcements, journal table of contents, and other items of * * interest to the Information Systems community. * * * * INFOSYS is published biweekly, more frequently if volume requires * * it. INFOSYS operates as an electronic mailing list on listserv * * software at American University in Washington, DC. The editor is * * Dennis W. Viehland . * * * * INFOSYS is sponsored by boyd & fraser, publishers of educational * * materials for computer and information education. Contact Bill * * Lisowski for more information about b&f. * * * * To subscribe to INFOSYS send the following one-line e-mail * * message to listserv@american.edu: subscribe infosys yourfirstname * * yourlastname (e.g., subscribe infosys John Smith). You will * * receive a welcome letter that will tell you more about INFOSYS * * and listserv. To cancel your subscription send the following * * message to listserv@american.edu: unsubscribe infosys * * * * Guidelines for submitting articles to INFOSYS are published in * * the Welcome message each new subscriber receives (or e-mail "get * * infosys welcome" to listserv@american.edu). Send articles to * * infosys@american.edu or d.viehland@massey.ac.nz. * * * * The INFOSYS Calendar of Upcoming Events is updated fortnightly * * and can be obtained in the following ways: * * --E-mail: send the following one-line message to * * listserv@american.edu: get infosys calendar * * --FTP: anonymous FTP to ftp.american.edu; file is \infosys\pub\ * * infosys.calendar * * --Gopher: gopher to auvm.american.edu; choose INFOSYS * * --WWW: forthcoming * * * * INFOSYS Back Issues are archived by Robert McArthur at: * * AUSTRALIA: http://www.fit.qut.edu.au/~mcarthur/infosys/ * * by Eric Morgan (N Carolina State Univ) at: * * USA: ftp://ftp.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/infosys/ * * USA: wais://wais.lib.ncsu.edu/infosys * * USA: http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/infosys-index.html * * by Brian Fitzgerald (University College Cork) at: * * EUROPE: http://www.ucc.ie/htbin/infosys * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *