Service Télématique
et Communication
| Les Nouveaux Chemins de la Connaissance |
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N° 3 January 1995
Editorial : A Great New Year !
Let us wish you, dear Friends and Colleagues, the best things possible in 1995. On our part, we are entering a great new year, about which we intend to keep you informed - and our activities seem to give no signs of calming down ...The picture hereunder is a "hot" souvenir from a very warm summer, of which the climax - for us - was the award of two contracts by BELGACOM, for a total of nearly half a million ECU - which represents about half the yearly turnover of our group ... Meanwhile, we started a new contract with BBL, the second largest Belgian bank, and continued relationships with ALCATEL, ASCOM, ATT-GIS, BANKSYS, BELNET, COMTECH, ETSI, the EUROPEAN COMMISSION, SAIT and many others.A list inside this Newsletter shows the names of all members of Service Télématique et Communication as well as our close collaborators from VUB, ULB and elsewhere. Some articles also indicate our relationship with other institutions such as the Brussels Teleport, the Centre d'Informatique pour la Région Bruxelloise or the European Workshop for Open Systems .All of us will go on, in 1995, exploring the New Paths of Knowledge ... You are welcome to join !
Paul VAN BINST
Some members of the group and
partners, soon after the
announcement of the BELGACOM
contracts
Bonlez, August 1994
Collaboration with BBL
A consultancy contract has been signed between Service Télématique et Communication and the second largest Belgian bank, BBL. Under this contract, BBL can make use of the valuable expertise of our researchers in areas including, but not limited to, X.400 messaging, X.500 directories and lower layers protocols. Meetings are organised at the request of BBL during which our experts can present very detailed aspects of those protocols to BBL people.
In the context of OSI applications, the interest is being put onto X.400, X.500 and other related standards such as ASN.1. It is important for BBL to understand the brand new aspects of those standards and their evolution.
Another aspect of this collaboration consists in the set up and running of interoperability tests between OSI application systems located at BBL and those located on our premises. This aims at testing the new systems which are put in place at BBL.
Concerning lower layers activities, BBL has more precisely expressed its interest in the following areas:
- TCP/IP suite of protocols, mainly the standardisation and the implementation of standardised solutions within the currently available equipment. Security aspects covered by the standard protocols and those offered by specific vendors of equipment are of special interest to BBL.
- New packet switching technologies such as ATM. As the technology of choice for broadband networks, ATM is one of the points of interest of the BBL networking team. In this context, we will provide BBL with expertise in the latest evolutions and standardisation procedures as well as market trends and standard compliant products.
A New Series of Executive Seminars in Advanced Technology
Service Télématique et Communication presents, in collaboration with ComTech and with the support of Brussels TELEPORT, a new series of high-level seminars.
Various topics are developed such as X.400 messaging, Mail gateways, ATM, X.500 and Information servers. These activities are conducted by some of our most experienced researchers.
The seminars are planned on February 7, March 7 and May 9, 1995.
For registration or any information, please contact :
ComTech:
Clarence FERRARI
Tel.: (02) 745 04 41
Fax: (02) 705 04 45
We have decided, since we publish this Newsletter, not to produce an Annual Report ; you are invited to file together Newsletters no.1, 2 and 3 that will provide you with a fair overview of our activities in 1994 (if you have not received the first and/or second issues of the New Paths of Knowledge, let us know and we will rush them to you).
A list of publications and internal reports is available on request. All information is also available from our electronic, multi-protocol information servers (see how to access them at the back of Newsletter no.1).
Consultancy Contract with BANKSYS
BANKSYS, the well-known operator of electronic payment services in Belgium, started last year to redesign completely its administrative computer system. This system supports the commercial and technical activities of the company. The database provides invaluable information on the installed equipment, the network, the customers, the contracts, ... The new computer system is already helpful at the stage of commercial prospection. Its major contribution is however the follow-up of all customer-related operations from order intake till invoicing. BANKSYS has a huge variety of customers ranging from small retail shops till large wholesalers and oil companies. Contract follow-up and invoicing are complex activities. They used to require a lot of handwork by qualified personnel. The new system aims at automating these tasks to a large extend by applying techniques inspired from expert systems. The software is based on an ORACLE database and is being developed with ORACLE Forms under Unix.
The development methodology puts a special accent on quality assurance. Techniques such as specifications and code review have been extensively applied. Security was also a dominant preoccupation. The conversion of the existing data stemming from a number of scattered and heterogeneous systems is a project on its own.
Right from the start of this administrative "re-engineering" project, Service Télématique et Communication has been invited by BANKSYS to provide expert advice. This consultancy assignment has been carried out mainly by Professor Luc GOLVERS. A large number of project follow-up meetings were held and training for the system analysts and the users is provided in-house.
"MULTIMEDIA: Mythe, Fiction, Opportunité"
Université Libre de Bruxelles To celebrate this 15th The integration of high
created fifteen years ago, a anniversary, Section quality images, sounds and
pluridisciplinary four-years Informatique et Sciences animation with texts and
graduate program called Humaines organizes, on Monday graphics is revealing a lot of
Informatique et Sciences March 20 1995, a Symposium in new applications which take
Humaines, place in the business world
and even at home.
However, the development of a
new industry segment does not
happen without bringing about
its load of questions.
Therefore our theme : myth,
fiction or a real opportunity
?
Various experts, coming from
different sectors of activity
(in the pluridisciplinary
spirit of Section Informatique
et Sciences Humaines), will
provide an adequate source of
up-to-date information and
will present, each in their
own domain, an analysis of the
multimedia phenomenon..
ULB (Section Informatique et Sciences Humaines) is present
since 15 years in Nivelles.
For further information and
within the Faculty of Social, Nivelles (Waux-Hall, Place registration, please contact:
Political and Economical Albert 1er), on the theme Section Informatique et
Sciences. This full-scale "MULTIMEDIA: Mythe, Fiction, Sciences Humaines
curriculum was designed for Opportunité". - J. ANZALONE :
adults ; it is an evening and The developments in the Tel.: (02) 650 9131 or (067)
Saturday morning program, leading multimedia sectors 21 85 29
directed to students who are include education, publishing, - P. DESGAIN
usually having a professional training, entertainment and Tel.: (02) 650 9132 or (067)
activity. communications. 21 85 29
Fax: (02) 650 9121 or (067) 21
70 10
Training at Ministère des
Classes Moyennes
We have provided a number of
days of training at the
Belgian federal Ministère des
Classes Moyennes, which deals
with a very large part of the
Belgian population for a
variety of problems. Most of
the higher-level
fonctionnaires have another
background than technical,
while information and
communication technologies
are of paramount importance
for them. Some members of
our group have been
conducting several one-day .
seminars and training
sessions on a range of topics Prof. R. PATESSON and P. VAN BINST, President and
that had been selected in Vice-President of
common agreement with the Section Informatique et Sciences Humaines
Ministry's Training Manager.
(Photo: Daniel DUMONT)
Two major new contracts with BELGACOM ON-GOING ACTIVITIES
WITH AT&T-GIS (ex-NCR)
Two contracts, totalling The second contract is The relationship between Service
some 17.5 million BEF, related to the field of Télématique et Communication and
have been awarded to ATM technology, and will AT&T-Global Information Services
Service Télématique et allow us to work and (AT&T-GIS, formerly NCR) is one of
Communication by interact with BELGACOM, the longest standing ones of our
BELGACOM. in particular for the group. Indeed, since 1988, NCR
study of the various ATM machines and software have been
The first one concerns protocols, and for the provided to us under that contract
electronic mail and development of and researchers have worked in the
electronic directories international pilot context of the " Multivendor OSI
(based on X.400'88 and applications. First on shop ", where communication
X.500) and follows on a that list is the MICE products have been installed on a
previous relation whereby project (Multimedia variety of machines in order to
our researchers have been International test interoperability and
working in close Conferencing in Europe - performance of various
collaboration with the described in Newsletter implementations. In particular,
operator to study the no.1), as well as the the ISODE package has been ported
various ways to implement potential extension of on the AT&T-GIS Transport Service,
such services, keeping a that technology into the and the FTAM and X.400 products
close watch on the medical domain. In this have been tested against other
evolution of the context, we are working manufacturers' software. Seminars
standards and profiles with the initial support have also been conducted for
(as developed by ETSI and of ComTech and AT&T-GIS personnel, and
EWOS) and also in view of Hewlett-Packard Belgium. demonstrations have been set up for
what is happening on the Being a member of the their clients or prospects.
European and Belgian ATM Platform, we Today, the AT&T-GIS machine is used
international scene. The are launching a working to implement and test the LLL
time is now to progress group on the usage of environment (described in
towards pilot multimedia tools over ATM Newsletter no.2), still in the
implementations and networks. context of our " open shop " which
interoperability testing. also includes UNIX machines from
DIGITAL, ICL, UNISYS and SUN.
LES "MIDIS DU TELEPORT": EC WORKSHOP ON ICT A feasibility survey for
lunch-time conferences for STANDARDIZATION POLICY the Ministère Wallon de
SMEs in Brussels l'Equipement et des
Transports
The activities of Brussels The European Commission (DG Since October 1994,
Teleport (of which P. VAN III) has organized an Université Libre de
BINST is Vice-President) are important workshop in Bruxelles, jointly with
geared at improving the usage Genval, Belgium, on Université Catholique de
of telecommunications in the November 28-30, to assess Louvain (UCL) has
Brussels Region. This Region the Information and participated in a study
is particularly rich in small Communication Technologies conducted for Région
and medium enterprises (ICT) Standardization Wallonne. This study
(SMEs), which usually have Policy, particularly in the addresses the economic
quite a hard time in light of the impact and technical
following up all the new recommendations of the feasibility of the
developments in Bangemann report. This deployment of an optical
telecommunications, and tend major event, grouping 400 fibre network in the
to be interested in delegates for three days, Hainaut area. The project
practical, real-life was prepared and organized encompasses the
solutions for their day to with the help of EWOS, the investigation and analysis
day problems. With this Europen Workshop for Open of the various
situation in mind, Brussels Systems. The staff of the implications of the
Teleport has launched this EWOS Secretariat, led by deployment of such a
autumn a series of lunch-time its Director, Jacques REGA, network including
conferences followed by was particularly involved technical, economic and
demonstrations and in making this event a legal aspects. ULB
discussions, known as "Les success. conducts the economic and
Midis du Téléport"; A few members of Service legal studies as well as a
attendance has already grown, Télématique et part of the technical
over the first three events, Communication helped to study. The main technical
to one hundred participants. prepare the proceedings by aspects are covered by
A new series is therefore summarizing the debates in UCL. In the context of
planned for 1995, with the some of the parallel this collaboration,
following dates and topics: sessions. One consequence Service Télématique et
of this workshop could be a Communication was given
- February 22: Telebanking redefined or expanded role the responsibility to
- March 15: Telework for EWOS (of which P. VAN investigate the status of
- April 26: Electronic BINST is Chairman of the the standardisation
messaging Steering Committee). process and the
availability of the
Information from Brussels required equipment that
Teleport: complies to these
Tel.: (02) 475 20 00 standards.
Fax: (02) 475 20 10
Two of the newest members of the group
MEMBERS of SERVICE TELEMATIQUE ET COMMUNICATION
Yves BRANTS, Justin CASTERA, Atika COHEN, Michel COLIN, Laurent FRANCK,
Alvaro GUILLEN, Hyoung-Jun KIM, Angela MAIMO, Eric MANNIE, Radouane MRABET,
Ramin NAJMABADI KIA, Olivier PARIDAENS, Nadia PARONI, Bernard SALES,
Eftimios TSIGROS, Paul VAN BINST, Jean-Marc VERBERGT.
Our VUB Collaborators:
Zlatica CEKRO, Nils MEULEMANS, Rosette VANDENBROUCKE
(for all of the above, e-mail is
surname@helios.iihe.rtt.be or c=be ; admd=rtt ; prmd=iihe ; o=helios ; s=surname)
Other regular collaborators:
Patricia SPELTINCX (OPSYS), Benoît PAUWELS and Anne SPOIDEN (ULB Library),
Marie-Paule SPINETTE (ULB), Guy DEPIESSE, Daisy PIRNAY, Georges ROUSSEAU and
Ludo VANHELLEPUTTE (IIHE/ULB-VUB), Valérie CLARAS (ULB).
Contact:
Service Télématique et Communication - Prof. Paul VAN BINST
ULB - CP230 - Boulevard du Triomphe - 1050 Brussels - Belgium
Tel.: + 32 2 629 3211 or 3209 - Fax: + 32 2 629 3816
Rosette VANDENBROUCKE
VUB - ELEM - Pleinlaan 2 - 1050 Brussels - Belgium
Tel.: + 32 2 629 3210 - Fax: + 32 2 629 3816
Information Servers Accessible at Centre d'Informatique pour la
Service Télématique et Communication Région Bruxelloise (C.I.R.B.)
We have set up accesses to a number of different The C.I.R.B. was created by
information servers. Our aim here is not to detail each of the law the 21st of August
those information servers but rather to give enough hints 1987, with the main objective
for allowing users to access them. of implementing the Regional
To access one of those servers, the user has to connect to policy in the field of
our ICL machine by Internet (the host name is information technologies.
icl1.iihe.ac.be) or by X.25 (the X.25 address is Its duty is therefore to
222100613), and log on using one of the usernames mentioned organize and
below.
promote the use of those
Username Information server accessed technologies. by the local
authorities as well as by the
various regional
administrations in
x500 or x.500 The access to the X.500 the Brussels Region The
directory is action of the C.I.R.B. for
made via the interface the local authorities during
running on the SUN1 machine. the last five years has lead
significant
stc-serv This account allows to improvements for the
access the CONCISE surver administrations and the
running on the ICL. services to the public. This
In this server, the user was achieved through an
may find information about investment of one billion BEF
Service Télématique in telecommunica- tion,
et Communication, about computer hardware and
conferences, applica-tion developments.
and so on.
gopher This account accesses the gopher Since 1993, the Regional
server running on the ICL. Government has decided to add
The information accessible to its strategy the financial
through the GOPHER server support of new projects of
is the same as through the common interest . To
stc-serv guarantee a scientific basis
server. and quality, a Scientific
wais A WAIS client is running on Comittee was created and its
the ICL, official advice was made a
which connects to the server prerequisite for, any
located at quake.think.com when regional financial
the user logs on with this contribution. The Scientific
username. Comittee is composed of
www As for the WAIS server, only a specialists coming from the
WWW client is running on the councils the regional and
ICL. When a federal administra-tions and
user logs on, the client the academic world; its
connects to the WWW server that President is Professor P. Van
is running on the Binst. The C.I.R.B. is also
SUN4 machine. responsible for the
hytelnet Allows to access the Hytelnet promotion, the distribution
software running on the ICL. and the various services
The Hytelnet soft-ware is based attached to the regional
on hypertext. digital map "Brussels UrbIS".
archie The user accesses the archie This map is an administrative
server via the interface located one that is now becoming a
at archie.switch.ch. regional standard used by
more than 40 administrations
and private companies.
Brussels UrbIS constitutes,
in Brussels, a fun-damental
element of an evolving
Geo-graphical Information
System (GIS)
A COLLABORATION AGREEMENT with ETRI To receive more information
(Seoul, South Korea) about the activities and
publications of the C.I.R.B,
write or fax to :
Service Télématique et Communication has signed a Mr. H. Feuillen
collaboration agreement with ETRI, the Electronics and Directeur généralC.I.R.B.
Telecom-munications Research Institute of Seoul, South avenue des Arts, 20 - boîte
Korea. By the terms of this agreement, a senior 10
researcher in multimedia communications from ETRI will 1040 Brussels
work with us from January 1st, 1995, while we will also Fax : + 32 2 230 31 07
collaborate on providing the ETRI Brussels office with
advanced communications means.
ETRI, with about 1500 collaborators, is a major research
institute in South Korea; its small Brussels office is
of course located strategically at the heart of
Europe and the formal relation with our University will
be a small step in helping to improve the contacts
between Korea and our continent.
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