Dependable systems to meet tomorrow’s needs for continuous, secure operations

Dependable systems technology is necessary to ensure that the software we create meets the ever more challenging requirements of continuous operation, safety critical reliability, high integrity and high security. These have long been requirements of aerospace and defense systems. Now, equally challenging requirements are being placed on commercial and e-business systems, as well as the embedded systems that increasingly provide the infrastructure for our daily lives.

A number of major information technology companies have signed a memorandum of understanding to work together on issues involving systems where dependability is crucial, such as:

• air traffic control
• Internet communication
• electric power production and transmission
• space exploration
• highway safety
• health care

See the affiliated industry below for specific companies.

Jim Morris, dean of the Carnegie Mellon School of Computer Science, suggests in an essay on a High Dependability Computing Consortium that universities, government, and industry should initiate a long-term research and education program to make computing and communication systems dependable enough for people to trust with their everyday lives and livelihoods.

The only leading American university founded in the 20th century, Carnegie Mellon University, now in its centennial year, has rapidly evolved into a nationally recognized institution with world-class educational and research programs in computer science, robotics, engineering, the sciences, business management, public policy, and the fine and liberal arts.

 

NASA Ames Research Center, located in the heart of California’s Silicon Valley, is NASA’s Center of Excellence for Information Technology. Ames leads the agency’s efforts in supercomputing, simulation, human factors and rotorcraft research. The center also has key roles and missions in aerospace operation systems and astrobiology.

 

Adobe Systems, Inc.
Cisco Systems
Compaq Computer Corporation
Five Nine Solutions, Inc.
Hewlett-Packard Corporation
IBM Corporation
ILOG, Inc.
Marimba, Inc.
Microsoft Corporation
Novell, Inc.
Oracle Corporation
SGI, Inc.
Siebel Systems, Inc.
Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Sybase, Inc.