CSI

INTRODUCTION

Name : Computer Society Of India (CSI)

Establishment : 1964

President : S.V.S.Chowdary

The advent of computers in India during the fifties led to the growth of computer industry in the sixties and created a need for users and industry to come together. Thus, an All India Users Group was formed in June 1964. In Dec. 1964 it was decided to broaden the scope of AIGUC to include personnel engaged in any aspect oriented towards high speed computation and rename it as Computer Society of India (CSI).

CSI history goes back to few decades. Today, CSI is the only professional society of persons connected with information technology, electronics and communication. The society has over 14000 corporate members. There are about 58 student branches of society spread all over the country. These branches hold regular continuing education courses, courses for beginner's Regional/National/International symposia on specialized topics and special program’s for students. Some branches also provide facilities for hand on experience in Computer Systems and have well-maintained libraries. The society has a number of publications that provide a rich fare for the professionals.

Over the years with growth of CSI, learned discourses, seminars, conference and exhibitions of new products were also organized for the benefit of the participants which thus become Annual Convention in the year 1966.

CSI's ANNUAL CONVENTION

The society is subdivided into eight chapters/groups. The first division conducts the Annual Conventions. The convention is held every year during the months September to December. It is held in different cities like Bangalore, Calcutta, Delhi, Hyderabad, etc. On an average 60 organizations and 25000 visitors take part in the convention. Every year the society chooses a new organising committee to conduct the Annual Convention. CSI’s Annual convention allows the participants to see the latest systems in actual operations, compare them, and ask questions to satisfy their curiosity and obtain solutions to the problems encountered.

The convention sessions consists of pre-convention tutorials, regular sessions, plenary sessions, poster sessions and panel sessions. The tutorials explore the key technologies and solutions of the themes of the respective years. They are instructional in nature and the faculties apart from having in-depth knowledge of the subject are also practitioners as well. The convention agenda is packed with content, which are addressee the technical, business and related macro issues. Each day of the session is a keynote session by a luminary who is a visionary in his area. Every year the convention is divided into different tracks. The tracks are decided on the basis of the theme of the respective year.

A major highlight of CSI is the "Comprehensive Pavilion" approach that focused on industry specific & user oriented solutions. These included separated pavilions for manufacturing, banking -financial services, media, communications, Internet. Thus exhibition brings together entire gamut of the IT industry under a single umbrella. The key venders like Wipro and Digital India, the focused pavilion approach provided an opportunity to display their offering specific segments.

The convention also holds speeches and seminars of in the field of Information Technology recognised nationally and internationally. The companies taking part in the convention build up

Stalls in which they display their products and provide information regarding them. There are prizes initiated for the best stalls.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Since it’s inception in 1964 the society has initiated computer-training programs on the state of technology. CSI’s Annual Convention has over the years helped the country to build up a position in the map of IT technologies of the world. Here is an analysis of the various achievements of the convention on a five yearly basis :-

1966-70 :- During these years the convention has helped in forming an ideal computer map for India, impart computer education, training programs in software and in tackling the problems in automation.

1971-75 :- In these years the convention has helped in meeting the challenges in computerization, in making computer catalysts for national development and computer optimization.

1976-80 :- In these years the convention helped in showing the relationship of with the social changes brought about ,it’s compatibility with man and his quality of life, developing economy , and about the coming age if computers.

1980-85 :- During these years the convention threw light on the relevance of computer’s in India, the development of manpower with the help of computer’s, the use of computer’s in the productivity, communication and advancement of rural life.

1986-90 :- Here the emphasis was on the need of computers for productivity with quality. IT for development purposes and in Indian languages, IT as a key to progress.

1991-95 :- In the early nineties the convention aimed at IT in everyday life, in management, globalization and for growth and prosperity.

1996-97 :- In these two years the convention mainly concentrated on networking and other related concepts.

1998 :- The convention to be held during Sept 18 to 22 will be mainly focusing IT for new generation. It has chosen to address the whole new generation of computer literate.

IMPORTANCE OF ANNUAL CONVENTION
CSI was started essentially as a forum for computer users a very large and rapidly growing community with the effective absorption of computer application’s into the country. The purpose of the society are scientific and educational directed towards the advancement of the theory and practice of computer science and engineering and technical systems science, information processing and related arts and sciences. It shall endeavor :-

Promote interchange of information, in these disciplines and sub-disciplines, amongst the specialists and between the specialists and the public.

Encourage and assist the professionals engaged in these fields to maintain the integrity and competence of the profession. Foster the sense of partnership amongst the professionals engaged in these fields.

Opportunities for new and existing vendors to exhibit their new products in the convention and thus promote it in the market.

The Annual Convention helps one in keeping abreast with the latest developments in the area. The event is also important for the buyers and users of various software and hardware's.

Promotion of IT innovation’s and creativity. Providing courses, syllabus and training programs whenever a new tool is released in the market. Talk’s and expositions by the experts in various fields.

Foster a sense of partnership amongst the professionals engaged in these fields.

Create a platform for International IT companies as well as academia to discuss latest developments in the areas of computer.

It’s main thrust is in application of IT for meeting national objectives with the firm conviction that IT properly and meaningfully used can be a vehicle for the nation to meet it’s twin objectives of deployment and improving the quality of the life of the people.

CONCLUSION

The Annual Convention of CSI has helped in spreading computer literacy in India to some extent in the early years. It has been a stepping stone for promoting many new products before entering the market. In the future the convention will aim at addressing at a whole new generation that will be computer literate and a new society which will thus emerge out of it. The convention will look at building up a seamless relationship between the providers of technology and the users of technology it aims at helping India in fulfilling it’s vision of being an IT superpower.

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