Presentations by István Sebestyén
As 4 October 2022 marks the 50th Anniversary of IIASA, and alumni in Hungary hosted a celebration on the 28 October, where our alumnus and donor @István Sebestyén shared a presentation, which you can read about in the text below. If you would also like to share a blog, let us know.
The “applied systems analysis impact" of IIASA on the popular ITU (CCITT) JPEG-1 still image standardization (1986-1992)
IIASA alumnus and donor @István Sebestyén discusses that the interdisciplinary ICT studies of the early 1980s in the Management and Technology Area (MMT) have correctly predicted what the Internet and the World-Wide-Web would bring to various applications and services to the World. Further he discusses that at the definition of requirements and architecture of standardization of the very successful multimedia picture coding standards – especially those by the Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) - were supported – without formal links to IIASA - by the techniques of its routine “Applied Systems Analysis” techniques. It gives a historical overview how this happened and how was it possible to create one the most successful ICT standards in history.
Sebestyén studied Electrical Engineering at the Technical University in Budapest, receiving his MS in 1970 and PhD in 1974. He then joined the Computer Laboratory of the Institute for Coordination for Computer Techniques in Budapest. Between 1978 and 1984 he worked at IIASA, first in the Secretariat, then as a scientist in the Computer Science Group of the Systems and Decision Sciences area, and later in the Management and Technology Area. After that he has bin Visiting Professor at the University of Graz in Austria. From 1985-2006 he worked as Senior Engineer and Director of Standardization at the various Telecommunication Divisions of Siemens in Munich, Germany. From 2006-2019 he has been Secretary General of Ecma International in Geneva, Switzerland. All together more than 35 years in ICT standardization which with its interdisciplinary nature is closely linked to ICT research and development, business and standardization politics.
Below is his presentation in video MP4 format and you can also find attached his presentation slides in PDF format:
History of IIASAnet and IIASA Gateway, 1973-1991
In March 2018, Sebestyén also shared a presentation discussing the first permanent computer network connections for science and research between East and West – during and after the Cold War era and 10 years before the Internet. Below is his presentation on establishing and operating the first permanent computer network connections from and to Austria and between East and West for science and research: