Establishment and Aim

Shortly after the introduction of informatics in Turkey in 1971, TBD was established with a great vision of future by a group of half-academics who can be referred as professionals in informatics today; TBD has become a pioneering movement of “civil community” that tries to disseminate “the culture of informatics” with its members from all layers of the society.

Total number of its members is over 12.000 at the moment. TBD has six main branches, 13 offices in provinces, and it contributes significantly to the improvement of informatics as a sector in Turkey through TBD- Young organization at 33 universities.

Our congresses and organizations have started in a hall with around 100 participants and extended to cover 11 halls, 8.513 members and additional 500 non-member guests.

Reports, suggestions and impartial statements which are produced by a structure based on individual participation and volunteering has become valued by all decision makers and people from different layers of the society.

The most important factor in this success is unconditional and uninterrupted interest, confidence, support and contribution of our members.

Since its establishment the aspiration of TBD has been achieving a country where every citizen enjoys living in by proudly and with great honour, and as a result contributing to the development of the following

• Turkey to produce technology,
• A society which is able to use technology in the sense of improving the quality of life,
• A public administration that is able to use resources effectively and efficiently
• Qualified human resources,
• An internationally competitive production sector,

In order to achieve this goal we believe that the following should be done in connection with the “National Informatics Policies”,

• Encouraging “National Research-Development” investments,
• Increasing “National Added Value” in the informatics sector,
• Get the capabilities of IT companies together with the needs of vertical sectors,
• Construction of technopark in a collaborative and specialization oriented way,
• Guiding young brains at universities towards production and being creative,
• Organizing awareness raising trainings and activities for the best use of technology by citizens.

To this end,

• We contribute to the strategy and policy documents on the effective and efficient use of informatics in public administration through reports written by voluntary working groups which are unique to us and also through active participation to public meetings.
• We have trainings on the use of informatics in education, general informatics, informatics for new work fields and on the prevention of digital divide.
• We keep expanding our activities to the whole country to inform production sector on how to increase their productivity and take part in international markets using information technologies.

Among all these activities the most important one without any doubt is “common mind” meetings that we organize with professionals of informatics focusing on the future. We believe that these meetings will continue to be significant in guiding informatics policies of the country, and therefore we try to keep organizing them.

TBD is an association of the informatics sector with its active members from public and private sector, academics and all layers of the society, in other words it is “your association”.

Let us work hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder with common sense to carry informatics sector to the position it deserves.

MAIN GOALS

• Helping out to increase and improve the use of computers and informatics technologies in a productive manner and to sustaining it at contemporary dimensions,
• Bringing people related to informatics together and ensuring their professional development and cooperation,
• Increasing the productivity and effectiveness of human resources in informatics sector and supporting investments on human,
• Ensuring cooperation on standards, terminology, trainings, legal arrangements, working conditions etc. relevant to informatics.
• Supporting scientific studies on informatics and development of hard and software, overseeing quality improvement in all these work,
• Helping to keep integrated with the world in computer hard and software, as well as communication,
• Contributing to the coordination within the informatics sector, ensuring that policies and decisions favouring public interest are made in informatics,
• Increasing the conscious of informatic society concept on whole country,
• Developing solutions for social problems related to informatics,
• Holding several activities in line with the goals of TBD that works for the benefit and prosperity of people and society by attaching enough importance to human beings at all ages as the smallest unit of the society,

ACTIVITIES IN THE SECTOR

TBD holds several activities in line with its goals, such as:

• Establishing working groups, doing researches on current and oncoming issues or having them done,
• Providing technical and scientific advises, writing reports or having them written, creating opportunities for exchange of information and cooperation,
• Publishing technical and scientific documents,
• Developing in-service training programmes and deliver them,
• Introducing methods and techniques of conferences, congresses, seminars, panels etc.,
• Organizing and attending meetings on informatics and other relevant areas at national and international level; building contacts with similar organisations,
• Monitoring new developments in informatics and other relevant areas in the world and overseeing their transfer to the country,
• Developing an opinion on any practice and legal arrangement on informatics, submitting these to relevant people, and contributing to the developments of plans and policies.

Cooperating with other NGOs.

A Non-profit Association Serving Public Interest

TBD, has been officially achieved the status of an association working for public interest thanks to the extend of its activities has reached currently. Since its establishment TBD has been working for public interest naturally and has contributed to it permanently. With the official declaration of this title, providing financial support has become easier.

Unifying Professional Organization

TBD is determined to sustain actively its role as a unifier of the informatics sector from now on too. Aiming at making active contributions for Turkey to become a society based on informatics TBD increases its strength as a professional organization.

INFORMATICS ACTIVITIES

The first scientific meeting on informatics was held in 1976 under the title of TBD 1^st National Informatics Congress and in 1995 it convened nationally for the 12^th time. Conferences, papers, working groups, panels, training seminars, social and cultural activities that settle the public interest of the extraordinary combination of information and communication are indispensible annual appointments for informatics sector. It is aimed at these activities turn into an open platform for our neighbours where especially guests from Turkic Republics are hosted.

Solution Demonstration Exhibits which are an inseparable part of our activities is an open forum for leading companies of informatics sector to meet some potential users or offer solutions to existing ones.

Higher Council of Informatics

In the early 1990 TBD Administrative Board identified the need for a higher council for healthy development of the informatics sector in Turkey and the most productive contribution to the development of the country. An internal guideline was developed following early contacts and large scale preparatory work. A public call was made for the Higher Council of Informatics in line with the internal guideline which was developed to enable the establishment of a council that can work effectively and yield results. As a great coincidence, Higher Council of Informatics convened the first session for its establishment in Ankara on February 19^th, 1990, the very same day when “1990” was announced as the year of information. TBD is proud to pioneer creation of such council.

After identifying its aims and principals what Higher Council of Informatics selected as its annual theme was human resources which has a primary significance in the improvement of effectiveness in informatics units.

As a result of their work in this field, qualifying staff working at public information technologies centres as informatics staff was taken on the agenda (1991).

Publications on Informatics

TBD has publications in order to contribute to the coordination within the informatics sector and dissemination of the awareness of becoming a society based on information. There are ten published books by TBD since 1976 including Books on National Informatics Congress Papers.

Publications will continue on any subject which is closely related to the sector and believed to be necessary. We are expecting applications by people from the sector who have helpful reference books which haven’t been printed due to low possibility of becoming a best-seller.

Working Groups

For detailed information on working groups please have a look at the main page on working groups.

SENSE of PROFESSIONALISM

It is obvious that effective use of computers and relevant technologies require a greater knowledge when compared to all other tools. Using latest technologies to the greatest extend has never occurred randomly.

In the western societies strong professional organisations bring individual works together in a way to accelerate the improvements. And these technologies and aspirations of men are so limitless that they cannot be isolated from the rest of the world. Countries’ possibility of becoming leaders in the world lies within individuals’ ability of organisation, and especially through professional associations.

When the time has come for computers to become wide spread, a continuous training will be necessary for setting the standards and clarifying terms and concepts before it is too late, and because technology changes and evolves very quickly.

Additionally, effectiveness of precautions and arrangements require identification of valid policies. Achievement of success in these issues necessitates professional bodies that will pioneer in a persistent and conscious manner and will act as catalysers.

MEMBER PROFILE

We invite everyone who has interest in computers and knowledge to become member to this association in order to contribute to the formation of a national consciousness towards turning into a society of information, development of national informatics policies and clarification of our professional cooperation and organised attitudes.

In Istanbul that has dominance in the sector, TBD has completed its set-up through Information Technologies Center (BIM) Managers Community. TBD has a branch in Istanbul. Additionally, we have representations in order to expand the organisation and become closer to our members.

Please remember that every member will have the opportunity of closely monitoring and influencing sectoral developments through TBD connections.