Sunday, May 31, 2020

IT and software initiatives in Cluj-Napoca

The region represented by Cluj Napoca is one of Romania with an important development in the field of IT and software industry.

Through the studies and research activities within the ROINFO project, numerous arguments were brought in “deciphering” the Romanian informatics phenomenon. Some aspects were known, others not, and those that were known were known by very few people. Also, neither do students and pupils.

Pioneering of Computing (IT and Computer Science/Informatics) in Romania. Results that Romania must be proud of:
1. In the period 1953-1954, Romania ranked third in the world, after the USA and the USSR, in the research activity on "Theory of switching circuits" - by the number of articles, applications of mathematical logic in technology (Grigore C. Moisil, CCUB Activity , AMC magazine, Technical Publishing House, No. 13-14, 1970);
2. In the period 1955-1957, Romania designed and built its first electronic digital computer (1957, CIFA 1 computer), by a team led by Eng. Victor Toma, at the Institute of Atomic Physics (IFA) - Măgurele Bucharest;
3. Romania was the 8th country in the world to design and build an electronic computer (1957) and the 11th country in the world to build an electronic computer with transistors (1963).
4. Grigore C. Moisil pioneered the application of mathematical logic to computer science "For the development of polyvalent logic switching circuits, the Romanian School of Computing, and support of the first Romanian computers." 1996 - Grigore C. Moisil, Computer Pioneer Award, http://mvlada.blogspot.com/2016/06/grigore-c-moisil-1996-computer-pioneer.html

In Romania, the first electronic computer of parallel type with electronic tubes was built in 1957 (for measuring the degree of radioactivity at the Magurele nuclear reactor), at the Institute of Atomic Physics (IFA) - acad. Horia Hulubei, under the leadership of eng. Victor Toma and is named CIFA-1. In 1961, the MECIPT-1 computer with electronic tubes was built at the Polytechnic Institute of Timişoara (IPT).

1958 - the first National Symposium of Cybernetics in Romania, organized at the Cluj Computing Institute. It is the indisputable merit of acad. Tiberiu Popoviciu for organizing the first National Cybernetics Symposium in Cluj, at the Institute of Computing. We appreciate that this was probably also due to the fact that the Soviet Union had been producing its first electronic computers for several years, and so the mentality about this "reactionary pseudoscience Cybernetics" had changed.

Between 1959-1963, at the Cluj Computing Institute, the construction of the DACICC-1 computer (Automatic Computing Device of the Cluj Computing Institute) followed, having as constructive elements electronic tubes and transistors. Then other computers that were built in the country: FELIX series C-256/1024, INDEPENDENT, CORAL and some types of personal computers. The construction of these computers was carried out starting with 1970 at the Electronic Computer Company in Bucharest (Felix) and at ITC.

(Romanian)
Inițiative din domeniul IT și software în Cluj-Napoca 

Regiunea reprezentată de Cluj Napoca este una din România, cu o dezvoltare importantă în domeniul IT și industria software. Prin studiile și activitățile de cercetare in cadrul proiectului ROINFO s-au adus numeroase argumente în „descifrarea” fenomenului informaticii românești.Unele aspecte se știau, altele nu, iar cele care se știau erau cunoscute de foarte puțini oameni, studenții și elevii nici atât.
Rezultate cu care România trebuie să se mâdrească:
1. În perioada 1953-1954, România ocupa locul III în lume, după SUA și URSS, în activitatea de cercetare privind “Teoria circuitelor de comutație” – după numărul de articole, aplicațiile logicii matematice în tehnică (Grigore C. Moisil, Activitatea CCUB, revista AMC, Editura Tehnică, nr. 13-14, 1970);
2. În perioada 1955-1957, România a proiectat și construit primul său calculator electronic numeric (anul 1957, calculatorul CIFA 1), de către un colectiv condus de ing. Victor Toma, la Institutul de Fizică Atomică (IFA) – Măgurele București;
3. România a fost a 8-a țară din lume ce a proiectat și a construit un calculator electronic (1957) și cea de-a 11-a țară din lume, care a construit un calculator electronic cu tranzistoare (1963).
4. Grigore C. Moisil a fost pionier în aplicarea logicii matematice la informatică „Pentru dezvoltarea logicii polivalente acircuitelor de comutație, dezvopltarea Școlii Românești de Calculatoare și sprijinirea primelor computere românești”. 1996 - Grigore C. Moisil, Premiul Pionier al calculatoarelor,

 
În România, primul calculator electronic de tip paralel cu tuburi electronice se construieşte în anul 1957 (pentru măsurarea gradului de radioactivitate la reactolul nuclear Magurele), la Institutul de Fizică Atomică (IFA) – director acad. Horia Hulubei, sub conducerea ing.Victor Toma şi este numit CIFA-1. În anul 1961 la Institutul Politehnic din Timişoara (IPT) se construieşte calculatorul cu tuburi electronice MECIPT-1.
Anul 1958 - primul Simpozion Naţional de Cibernetică din România, organizat la Institutul de Calcul Cluj. Este meritul incontestabil al acad. Tiberiu Popoviciu de a fi organizat primul Simpozion Naţional de Cibernetică la Cluj, la Institutul de Calcul. Apreciem că, probabil, acest lucru a fost posibil şi din cauza faptului că Uniunea Sovietică produsese de câţiva ani primele sale calculatoare electronice, şi deci se schimbase mentalitatea despre această „pseudoştiinţă reacţionară Cibernetica”.

A urmat ȋntre 1959-1963, la Institutului de Calcul Cluj, construirea calculatorului DACICC-1 (Dispozitiv Automat de Calcul al Institutului de Calcul Cluj) având ca elemente constructive tuburi electronice şi tranzistori. Apoi, alte calculatoare care s-au construit în ţară: seria FELIX C-256/1024, INDEPENDENT, CORAL şi unele tipuri de calculatoare personale. Construcţia acestor calculatoare s-a realizat ȋncepând cu anul 1970 la Fabrica de Calculatoare Electronice din Bucureşti (Felix) și la ITC.

1. Cluj IT Cluster

Cluj IT is a cluster association aiming to enhance the innovation and competitiveness of the Romanian IT sector (https://www.clujit.ro/ , https://www.clujit.ro/#membrii/ , https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/regional-innovation-monitor/organisation/cluj-it-cluster) - manager Andrei Kelemen

Mission/Objectives:
Founded in octomber 2012, Cluj IT is an innovation based value chain network of Romanian IT companies and related organizations with the purpose of increasing the competitiveness and growth of IT services and products on international markets and of forging a strong sustainable public – private partnership in order to improve the life quality of the community we are part of. Cluj IT Cluster also strives towards the enhancement of innovation capabilities of our members, in particular, and of the Romanian IT industry in general. Our focus is on:
• Creating a collaborative culture based on trust and reliability
• Fostering entrepreneurship
• Promoting Romanian IT solutions and services abroad and become known as a centre of excellence in IT
• Forging strong and long lasting partnerships for the mutual benefit of our members and society in general
• Support and create opportunities for Cluj IT members to work on large international projects. Source - https://www.clustercollaboration.eu/cluster-organisations/cluj-it-cluster


2. Ovidiu Mățan Founder Today Software Magazine and programez.ro, Organiser @ IT Days

Founder: Cluj-Napoca, 2012, Today Software Magazine is an online and printed magazine for software developers. Articles are signed by developers who are sharing their knowledge after a lot of years of experience. The magazine is also having monthly launch events hosted by the magazine sponsors. The magazine is appearing monthly and is available in Romanian and English with more than 800 articles available. Check more on todaysoftmag.ro and todaysoftmag.com
Organizer: Cluj-Napoca, 2013, IT Days, www.itdays.ro, represents a reference event in the local community of Cluj-Napoca with main companies been involved and supporting it. Best developers from Cluj-Napoca and Romania, are put on a stage together with special guests. It is usually taking place by the end of November and this year the fourth edition will take place. Number of participants in 2015 was 400 developers. Check more on facebook.com/itdays.ro  
Founder: programez.ro, Cluj-Napoca, 2016, The service currently is under development at beta.programez.ro. The service will be available in both Romanian and English and will combine online tests and jobs advertising. Users will have the option to take an online test before applying, allowing them to have a preview for the job requirements before applying. If a targeted number of the correct answers are obtained, users will have the option to apply for the job, been already qualified for the first interview.  

About Ovidiu MățanOvidiu is the first Product Manager I met, as we started working in the same company about the same time and eventually took slightly different career paths. Even from his early software development days he has proven leadership abilities and great technical skills which eventually helped him become a good Product Manager over a very complex product that is used today by milions of customers worldwide. Ovidiu posesses not only good technical oriented skills, but also creative thinking that is far beyond what is usually seen in a technical person. He comes up with original ideas to be included in the products and contributes creatively to solving the problems that occur during the regular R&D timeframe. Ovidiu is a person that is fun to be around, is very sociable, and these qualities together with his professional abilities, have helped him in networking easily with various people and groups inside Nokia. I would recommend Ovidiu without hesitation in any Product Management or Technical Java Lead position.” Bogdan Mihăilescu

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