Computing Division
About
About this Division
Many of the Computing Division members work in:
- Software development and testing, including the games industry
- Mobile and fixed line telecommunications
- Internet services
- Embedded systems development
- Signal processing
Members have the opportunity to learn and share experiences with their peers and with representatives from the associated industry groups at events organised by the division.
Our members play a critical role in the Irish economy and need to play a greater role within Engineers Ireland. Through Engineers Ireland, we can help influence national policy on ICT technology as well as education and training. We also actively seek links with other organisations in the sector, helping to join together forming a combined informed voice at a national level.
Who can join?
The Computing Division is of particular relevance to those working, studying or researching in the computing, software development and telecommunications sector.
However, membership is open to all members of Engineers Ireland.
How to join
If you are already a member of Engineers Ireland, you can join any number of Regions, Divisions and Societies in our Members Area
It is free to join and, once you do, you can:
- Use our discussion forum
- Post comments on articles and blogs
- Join the Contacts Network to locate and send messages to other professionals
Events
We host regular evening lectures on ICT-related topics, including:
- Broadband technology
- Programming
- Operating systems
- Entertainment technologies
- Forensic computing
- Networking
These lectures provide opportunities to network and meet peers and also contribute to members’ Continuing Professional Development (CPD). The majority of our lectures are broadcast live as webcasts on Engineers TV or are available as recordings from the website.
Contacts
Chairman
Dr Chris Horn
Chartered Engineer
Email: computingdivision@engineersireland.ie
Vice-Chairman
Patrick Leonard
Mob: 086 0264044
Email: Patrick@savailt.com
Secretary
Richard Wilson
Tel: 01 6651317
Email: rwilson@engineersireland.ie
Council Representative
Tanya Layng
Chartered Engineer
Email: Tanya.layng@gmail.com
Liaison Committee Representative
Cormac Bland
Tel: 01 6765831
Email: cormac.bland@esb.ie
Events
Experience in implementing the Cloud, from three cloud vendors
Date: 22nd February 2012
Time: 6.30pm
Venue: Engineers Ireland, 22 Clyde Road, Dublin 4
Admission: Free. All welcome
About the speakers:
Mark Gantly - Director of Engineering, HP
John Looney - Site Reliability Manager, Google
Further Speakers TBC
About the event:
How do major vendors implement their cloud offerings? What are the issues in handling unlikely and unexpected failures? How is "devops" (the integration of the work of development and operations teams) managed?
Can’t attend? Watch it live!
Link: https://engineersireland.webex.com/engineersireland/onstage/g.php?d=840917024&t=a
Password: Cloud2
Contact: Computing Division
E: computingdivision@engineersireland.ie
Wargames Light
Date: 28th February 2012
Time: 6.00pm sharp
Venue: Engineers Ireland, 22 Clyde Road, Dublin 4
Admission: Free but limited so booking is essential
Booking: Please contact rwilson@engineersireland.ie to reserve a place
About the speaker:
Joe Fitzpatrick, Chartered Engineer - Programme Director, IBM Software Group
About the event:
Wargames light is an entertaining 'game' style event. The primary focus is to demonstrate common but complex attacks carried out against unsuspecting web applications in the real world. Players will get a feel for the types of techniques employed by hackers and through this newly acquired understanding will be able to protect their own applications as a result. At the end of the session players that have taken part should be able to attack simple shopping cart applications, neutralise poorly implemented encryption, play with stored xss, perform cross site request forgery as well as many more complex scenarios. The idea is not to leave the session a hacker, instead to leave with the skill/mindset of a basic White Hat Hacker.
Contact: Richard Wilson
E: rwilson@engineersireland.ie
Software Development for the Gaming Industry
Date: 28th March 2012
Time: 6.30pm sharp
Venue: Engineers Ireland, 22 Clyde Road, Dublin 4
Admission: Free but places are limited
Booking: Please contact Richard Wilson rwilson@engineersireland.ie to reserve a place
About the speakers:
Dylan Collins - Angel Investor
Steve Collins - Founder and CTO, Swrve
Chris Keogh - Principal Engineer, Havok
About the event:
What is different about developing for the gaming industry? What are the best techniques for testing game software? What skills are needed in a professional development team? What are the challenges on starting your own gaming company, and what are some of the insights and advice from those which have done it?
Can’t attend? Watch it live!
Link: https://engineersireland.webex.com/engineersireland/onstage/g.php?d=841240920&t=a
Password: Gaming1
Contact: Richard Wilson
E: rwilson@engineersireland.ie
IPv6 – The Powerhouse of the Internet’s Future
Date: 25th April 2012
Time: 6.30pm sharp
Venue: Engineers Ireland, 22 Clyde Road, Dublin 4
Admission: Free. All welcome!
About the speakers:
Barry O’Donovan - Network Consultant at INEX (Internet Neural Exchange)
Further Speakers - TBC
About the event:
The history of Internet numbering, how it works and the exhaustion status of IPv4. Why has the changeover to IPv6 been so slow to-date? How will IPv6 power a new generation of internet based innovation and opportunity?
Can’t attend? Watch it live!
Link: https://engineersireland.webex.com/engineersireland/onstage/g.php?d=845996143&t=a
Password: Powerhouse1
Contact: Computing Division
E: Computingdivision@engineersireland.ie
Large scale Software Systems, and Development Lifecycles
Date: 23rd May 2012
Time: 6:30pm sharp
Venue: Engineers Ireland, 22 Clyde Road, Dublin 4
Admission: Free. All welcome
About the speakers:
Chris Chedgey - CEO, Headway Software
Brian Joyce – Principal Engineer, Duologic Technologies
About the event:
How was the software for the International Space Station built? How large-scale software systems are best architected, and what are pragmatic tools? What are the best approaches to product development lifecycles, what are the best tools, and what are the best ways to build and motivate your development team?
Can’t attend? Watch it live!
Link: https://engineersireland.webex.com/engineersireland/onstage/g.php?d=848277400&t=a
Password: SoftwareSys1
Contact: Computing Division
E: Computingdivision@engineersireland.ie
More events for the 2011-2012 session will be posted here as the programme develops - watch this space!
For a full listing of Engineers Ireland events, please visit the Events Calendar
Papers
Computing Challenges presented by the expanding Offshort Wind Industry
Presented by John Shaw Chartered Engineer - Mainstream
22nd November 2011
Download slide presentation (PDF)
The Digital Dividend – A New Approach to Radio Spectrum Use in Ireland
Presented by Mike Byrne, Commissioner, ComReg
29th April, 2009
Content
- How Ireland may benefit form its “Digital Dividend”
- The switch from analogue to digital broadcasting
- The efficiencies of digital broadcasting
- Launch of digital terrestrial television (DTT)
Reminiscences of Early Days of Computing in Ireland
Presented by Gordon Clarke M.A., CEng., F.B.C.S., C.I.T.P., F.I.C.S.
20th April, 2009
Content
- Early computer specifications
- Overview of the first applications
- Early years of designing and developing computer based systems
Doing Business with Free Software
Presented by Patrick O'Connor, Synchronicity Business Networks
25th February, 2009
Content
- Cost Implications
- Simplicity
- Reliability
- Security
- Standards Based
- Vendor Freedom
Next Generation Broadband
The Digital Divide: Transforming lives for better or worse
Presented by Michael Browne, Head of Access Network Strategy, Eircom
16th February, 2009
Content
- Why broadband matters - national, enterprise & individual
- Broadband availability, adoption and affordability
- Next Generation Broadband applications
- Next Generation Access Network roadblocks
- Next Generation Access Network evolution
- Encouraging wider deployment of Next Generation access networks
The Challenages of Internet Protocol Version 6
Presented by Mark Langan, Barlan Technologies
17th November, 2008
Content
- What is IPv6?
- Benefits of IPv6 over IPv4
- Support for IPv6 on various architectures and applications
- How organisations need to prepare for IPv6
Using Java in embedded systems
Presented by Brian Murphy, American Power Conversion, Galway
23rd September, 2008
Content
- Java Virtual Machine (JVM) selection, performance and optimization
- Interfacing to hardware and native software layers
- Java and native software threading issues
- Real time performance
- Demonstrations and examples.
A Quick Overview of Home Entertainment Technologies
6th May, 2008
Content
- Technologies that are publically available
- Examples of hardware and service providers
- Analogue Terrestrial TV (ATT)
- Digital TV and Digital Terrestrial TV
- Digital Satellite and Digital Cable TV
- Digital TV versus Broadband
Lean Enterprise- A Case Study in Deployment
Presented by Mike Parkinson, Lean Enterprise Project Manager, Transitions Optical
22nd April, 2008
Content
- Catalysts for lean in Transitions Ireland
- The implementation plan
- Old and new business unit structure
- Value stream and Kaizen examples
- The maturing lean business
- Ongoing challenges
Best Practices in Network and System Administration
Presented by Donal Cunningham, SAGE
29th August, 2007
Content
- Notes on infrastructure
- 10 rules to live by
- Network Administration
- System Administration
Dell's Lean Experience
Presented by Niall Tuite, Dell
29th May, 2007
Content
- Definition
- Lean milestones at Dell
- Kaizen- change for the better
- Kaizen process and model
- Improving the value proposition
- Kaizen capability
Designing and Deploying Secure Wireless Lans
Presented by Karl McDermott, Cisco Systems Ireland
21st May, 2007
Content
- Wireless LAN Security Overview
- WLAN Security Authentication and Encryption
- Radio Monitoring
- Intrusion Detection Services
- Location Services and RFID Tracking
Risk-based testing- a common language for project stakeholders
Presented by Mike Russell, Insight Consulting Ltd
14th April, 2007
Content
- Key challenges facing testing
- What is risk-based testing?
- How does it address the challenges?
- Getting started
Understanding Identity-Based Networking Services
Presented by John Stone, CTO Cisco Systems Internetworking Ireland
18th January, 2006
Content
- Concepts of identity and authentication
- Applying the concepts to Network Access Control
- Identity-based integration issues, authorization and policy enforcement
- Operating system implementations
- Supplicants in different environments
Technology Managment- A perspective from the Telecoms Industry
Presented by Ericsson Ireland
16th April, 2005
Content
- Brief profile of Ericsson
- The Telecoms Market
- Ericsson Vision
- The importance of IP technology
- 2G, 2.5G, 3G, 4G, WLAN, Broadband
- Conclusions
Unstructured Information Managment
Presented by D.J McCloskey, IBM LanguageWare
31st March, 2005
Content
- Why is information so hard to find?
- What's being done about it?
- Information retrival, IR processing flow, effectiveness measurements
- Text analytics and normalization
- UIMA: Unstructured Information Managment Architecture
DSL- Past, Present and Future Technologies
Presented by Frank Holt, Lucent Technologies, SCN
21st October, 2004
Content
- DSL Evolution
- DSL Introduction
- DSL Market
- DSL Variants
- ADSL
- Emerging DSL technologies
- DSL Applications
- Lucent product placement
WiMAX- The Broadband Mobile Future
Presented by Dr. Klaus-D. Kohrt, Mobile Networks at Siemens Communications
21st October 2004
Content
- Broadband wireless access- standards and standardization
- Standards family
- WiMAX market evolution
- Intel Strategy
- WiMAX as standardized solution
- Worldwide interoperability for Microwave Access
- The network vision
21st Century Software Development
Presented by Pat O’Sullivan and Joe Fitzpatrick, IBM Dublin Software Lab
13th April, 2004
Content
- The implications of an “On Demand” computing model for established software engineering process paradigms
- The essence of the computing paradigm
- Rationale for evolving an “On Demand” computing model
- Software engineering process methodologies
- IBM’s Dublin Software Lab
- Recommendations for evolving an “On Demand” engineering agenda in the context of a software engineering process framework
Web Services- Iona Technologies
Presented by Sean Baker, Iona Technologies
31st March, 2004
Content
- Enterprise IT
- Middleware
- Intra-enterprise versus inter-enterprise
- What are web services?
- Web services standards
- 3 uses of web services
- Web services- relationship to middleware
- Web services and COBRA
How Government is Progressing Telecommunications in Ireland
Presented by Aidan Ryan and Roger O'Connor, Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources
25th March, 2004
Content
- Legislation, regulatory environment, government initiatives
- New framework regulations
- Government strategy
- Global crossing
- What is broadband?
- Broadband penetration
- Regional broadband programme and private sector projects
- Future initiatives
Telecoms Past and Future
Presented by Barry Reynolds, Eircom
25th March, 2004
Content
- A brief history of Telecoms evolution
- Next generation services
- Next generation networks
- Conclusions
TMAP- Test Managment Approach
Presented by Joe Fitzpatrick,Garreth Browne and Pat O'Sullivan, IBM Dublin Software Lab
24th February, 2004
Content
- Software engineering process models
- Application of process models in software engineering
- Software test automation in a RAD World
Developing the Subsidary Mandate
Presented by Ed Delany, Edward Delany & Associates
2nd September, 2003
Content
- The corporate configuration decision
- The inherent threat to the subsidiary in Ireland
- Opportunity for strategic development of the subsidiary in Ireland
Optimising your Web Presence
Presented by Fergal O'Byrne, Fergal O'Byrne Online Marketing
23rd March, 2005
Content
- Implementing an SEO campaign
- How to get ranked in search engines
- Optimising websites for search engines
- Pay Per Click (PPC) marketing
IPC Licencing and Auditing
Presented by John Feehan, Inspector, EPA
21st January, 2003
Content
- Role and functions of the EPA
- Intergrated Pollution Control (IPC) Licensing -aims and agency approach
- IPC Licence -typical reporting requirements
- EMS benefits
- Enforcement of IPC Licences -auditing