Date:15/03/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/03/15/stories/2005031501091700.htm

Back Meet on new computing horizons

Our Bureau

Thiruvananthapuram , March 14

THE two-day National Convention of Computer Engineers (Ficom 05), hosted here by the Institution of Engineers (India), Kerala State Centre, concluded here on Sunday.

According to Mr N. Rajkumar, Honorary Secretary, IEI-Kerala, a large number of engineers from all over the country participated in the convention. Among the prominent persons attending were Mr B.J. Vasoya, National President of the Institution of Engineers, Mr S.B. Sinha, Chairman of the Computer Engineering Division Board and Dr S.K. Bandopadhyay.

Dr D.S. Rane, former Director, Computer and Information Group, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, and convenor, Ficom, delivered the Dr Ramanujam Memorial Lecture. Mr N. T. Nair presided over the valedictory function.

The convention centred on the theme of `New horizons in computing' that was split further into mobile computing, grid computing and autonomic computing.

According to Mr N. Jayachandran, Chairman, IEI-Kerala, the proliferation of PCs has been phenomenal reaching homes, businesses, industries, agriculture and the health sector. Along with this, computers have become more powerful and complex.

The increased complexity is affecting the total cost of ownership (TCO) of the system, which is turning out to be much more than the original cost of acquisition. The cost of upgrading the hardware and software to match the new developments taking place is ever increasing.

Computer scientists and engineers are exploring new ways to overcome the problem of increasing cost of upkeep.