| Type | Professional Organization |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1946[1] |
| Origins | Formation of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) Subcommittee on Large-Scale Computing |
| Key people | Sorel Reisman (Current President) |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Focus | Computer and information processing science and technology |
| Method | Publications, Conferences, Technical councils, Industry standards, Certification and training |
| Employees | 99 |
| Website | http://www.computer.org |
The IEEE Computer Society (sometimes abbreviated Computer Society or CS) is a professional society of IEEE. Its purpose and scope is “to advance the theory, practice, and application of computer and information processing science and technology” and the “professional standing of its members.”[2] The CS is the largest of 38 technical societies organized under the IEEE Technical Activities Board.[3]
The Computer Society sponsors workshops and conferences, publishes a variety of peer-reviewed literature, operates technical committees, and develops IEEE computing standards.[4] It supports more than 200 chapters worldwide[5] and participates in educational activities at all levels of the profession, including distance learning, accreditation of higher education programs in computer science, and professional certification in software engineering.[6]
Contents |
The IEEE Computer Society traces its origins to the Subcommittee on Large-Scale Computing, established in 1946 by the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE),[7] and to the Professional Group on Electronic Computers, established in 1951 by the Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE).[8] When the AIEE merged with the IRE in 1963 to form the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), these two committees became the IEEE Computer Group.[9] The group established its own constitution and bylaws in 1971 to become the IEEE Computer Society.[10]
The CS maintains its headquarters in Washington, D.C. and additional offices in California and Japan.[11]
The Computer Society maintains volunteer boards in six program areas: education, membership, professional activities, publications, standards, and technical and conference activities. In addition, 12 standing committees administer activities such as the CS elections and its awards programs to recognize professional excellence.[12]
The Computer Society participates in ongoing development of college computing curricula, jointly with the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM).[13] Other educational activities include software development certification programs[14] and online access to e-learning courseware and books.[15]
The Computer Society is a leading publisher of technical material in computing. [16] Its publications include 13 peer-reviewed technical magazines and 20 scholarly journals called Transactions as well as conference proceedings, books, and a variety of digital products.[17]
The Computer Society Digital Library (CSDL) provides subscriber access to all CS publications.[18] In 2008, the Computer Society launched Computing Now, a Web portal featuring free access to a rotation of CSDL articles, along with technical news, CS blogs, and multimedia content. [19]
The Computer Society sponsors more than 170 technical conferences each year[20] and coordinates the operation of about 45 committees (e.g., the Technical Committee on Autonomous and Autonomic Systems), councils (e.g., the Technical Committee on Software Engineering), and task forces (e.g., the Task Force on Embedded System Codesign).[21]
The CS also maintains 12 standards committees to develop IEEE standards in various areas of computer and software engineering (e.g., the Design Automation Standards Committee and the IEEE 802 LAN/MAN Standards Committee).[22]
The IEEE Computer Society recognizes outstanding work by computer professionals who advance the field in three areas of achievement: Technical Awards (e.g., the Seymour Cray Computer Engineering Award or the IEEE Computer Pioneer Award), Education Awards (e.g., Taylor L. Booth Education Award), and Service Awards (e.g., Richard E. Merwin Distinguished Service Award).[23]