Subject: Text only for JTC1N4631

From: Steve Carson <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 10:50:34 -0600

ISO/IEC JTC 1 N 4631

Title:		Rationale and Questions to JTC 1 National Bodies and Subcommittees
Regarding JTC 1 Technical Directions and Organization

Source:	JTC 1 Ad Hoc on JTC 1 Reengineering

Action:	This document is forwarded to JTC 1 National Bodies and
Subcommittees.  Subcommittees are asked to respond by 15 May 1997.  The
Subcommittee responses will be considered at the June	Re-engineering Ad Hoc
meeting.

 A NEW APPROACH FOR JTC1

Continuing technological and market developments require JTC 1 to adapt
itself to satisfy the changing requirements.  The resulting approach is
expected to attract new resources and areas of work for JTC 1.

As a first stage in responding to these developments, JTC 1 has, with help
from the subcommittees,  eliminated a number of projects which had
inadequate support.  JTC 1 has also revised its working procedures to
improve efficiency and market relevance.

We wish to maintain JTC1's existing strengths such as the open, world wide
consensus process and a stable structure to ensure ongoing maintenance of
its published standards.  JTC 1 standards provide the platform for world
trade and endeavour to limit the effect of national differences causing
barriers to trade.

In essence we need to provide market relevant standards in a timely manner.

As part of the re-engineering process we have adopted a business team
concept, subject to a 60 day letter ballot, to help with selecting market
relevant projects and getting them off to a flying start.  We are proposing
to adopt a pilot project which is documented in JTC 1 N xxxx and your
cooperation will help us to ensure the success of the project.

As a further part of the process, we have identified twelve technical
directions which we believe are of strategic market relevance.  These
twelve directions are based on the situation today.  See attachment 1.  The
list of directions will be re-aligned as external circumstances demand.  By
focussing on these technology directions, JTC 1's standards will be more
efficient, effective and market oriented.  We expect that these technical
directions will provide a focus for new technologies as they arise  for
example, if market requirements dictate the a new distributed application
service standard needs to be developed, our technical direction in this
area would give JTC 1 a ready home for the standard to be developed.

Having attempted to map the existing structure onto these new directions we
observe some consequential changes to JTC1 and its subcommittees may be
required.  This mapping is displayed in the table in Attachment 2.

Any changes to the existing JTC 1 structure will be handled in phased
increments in order not to adversely affect the ongoing work.

While we have made every attempt to create the mapping with the greatest
accuracy, we would appreciate any comments which would enable us to improve
it.  We have scheduled that we conclude the plan at the June re-engineering
meeting for final agreement at the JTC 1 Plenary in September.  Your
response to these proposals by 15 May 1997 is required to help us meet our
objectives.

 We have prepared a draft recommendation to JTC1, on how we believe the
present work program of each SC or in some cases, a WG or a project of a SC
maps to the technical directions. Please comment on the completeness and
consistency of these Technical Directions.

In addition please comment on the following questions.

1.  Do you consider that your present projects * align with the proposed
recommendation?
    If not please provide rationale for a different alignment within the
overall set of technical directions.

2.  Do you believe your current projects* within the proposed technical
direction will benefit from a synergistic fit with other projects,* (if
any) in your technical direction?

3. Do you believe any of your current projects require significant
interactions with projects* in other technical directions? 
    If so which ones?

4a. Do you believe supplementary standardization activity should be
undertaken to sufficiently address the  technical direction and which adds
value to the work of      JTC 1?  For example there appears to be added
standardization needs in the technical direction "Security"  beyond the
present work program of SC27.

4b.  Do you consider that the resources to address these areas will be
available?

* or project grouping

 								Attachment 1

Descriptions of Technical Directions

Data Capture
Coding (data formats, syntax, and structure) and enabling technologies for
individually and uniquely identifying items and entities.

Distributed Application Services
Enabling technologies for use in a distributed environment in order to
achieve concrete distributed application services. They constitute:
§ Data management functions including definition of data structures and
semantics for a complete range of datatypes, together with services and
protocols for storage, access and update of such data; 
§ Specification of application functions independently of the details of
their distribution (through the use of object technology); together with
the configuration and management of those functions across enterprises.

Distributed systems services functions such as transaction processing,
electronic messaging, directory and systems management; and for
specification of techniques used for messaging in electronic commerce.

ID Cards and Related Devices
Interchange and manipulation of stored digital data on optical, magnetic
and/or semiconductor media, using on demand optical, magnetic, electrical
and/or RF techniques.

Information Interchange Media
Physical characteristics of storage media using optical, magnetic or other
technologies and structure of data for storage and interchange, including
algorithms for the loss-less compression of data.

IT Terminology
Terminology for Information Technology and related fields, intended to
achieve consistency throughout worldwide markets and users.

Multimedia & Representation
Coding of hypermedia and multimedia and coded representation of picture,
audio and character information, including
	- sets of compression and control functions for use with such information,
- interchange of such information.

Networking and Interconnects
Functions necessary for establishment and control of information exchange
via networks and physical interfaces. They comprise, for communications,
interfaces and protocols, for transport, network management and selected
application services and the physical infrastructure.

Office Equipment
Basic characteristics, performance, test methods and other related aspects
of office equipment and products such as:

· Printers
· Copying equipment
· Digital scanners
· Facsimile equipment

Programming Languages and Software Interfaces
Programming languages, their environments and systems software interfaces,
including
		- specification techniques,
		- common facilities, and
		- language bindings.

Security
Generic frameworks, methods, techniques and mechanisms for Information and
Communication Technology security, including interfaces for invoking
security functionalities, related APIs and protocols.

Software Engineering
Processes, supporting tools and supporting technologies for the engineering
of software products and systems.

User Interfaces
User-system interfaces for input devices such as  keyboards, mice, pointers
and pens; rules for systems control by voice recognition, presentation
techniques, dialogues, graphic symbols and icons including those for people
with special needs.

 							Attachment 2

	Technical Directions				Currently Involved Working 							Entities		

Data Capture	SC 31

Distributed Application Services	SC 21 (except ASN.1), SC 18/WG 4,    SC
30, SC 14

Identification Cards and Related Devices	SC 17

Information Interchange Media	SC 11, SC 23

IT Terminology	SC 1

Multimedia and Representation		SC 29,  SC 2, SC 24,  ASN.1, SC 18/WG 8

Networking & Interconnects	SC 6, SC 25, SC 26 

Office Equipment	SC 28

Programming Languages & Software Interfaces	SC 22

Security		SC 27

Software Engineering		SC 7

User Interfaces	SC 18/WG 9

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Steve Carson                 phone:   +1-505-521-7399
GSC Associates Inc.          fax:     +1-505-521-9321
5272 Redman Road             e-mail:  [email-masked]
Las Cruces, NM 88011 USA
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