COSMIC: An Era of Change

For 30 years, NASA's Computer Software Management and Information Center (COSMIC), operated by the University of Georgia at Athens, has been a contractor to NASA, distributing software developed with NASA funding to industry, academia, and other government agencies. But by the end of the year, a Space Act Agreement currently being negotiated between NASA and the center will effect a fundamental change in the latter's status. When the agreement is complete in November, COSMIC will be a contractually independent, self-funding business partner helping NASA to commercialize its software.

Director Tim Peacock stresses that COSMIC will take the initiative in forging strategic partnerships with NASA's commercial technology centers. He plans a series of visits to each of them to get the process underway. In addition, he is already engaged in exploratory talks with the Departments of Defense and Energy. COSMIC also has cemented an agreement with the Georgia State Board of Regents to provide software systems configuration and installation, performance validation, support, and training for several state agencies.

COSMIC has recast its mission with this new relationship in mind. New guidelines outline a seven-point agenda:

• Peer review: COSMIC will check and verify software programs, insuring that they are complete and free of embedded copyrights. It will also identify the hardware/software requirements for program use.
• Electronic cataloging: The center will prepare and update regularly a catalog that includes abstracts, key words, subject categories, machine types, and distribution media.
• Tech brief evaluation and TSP preparation: COSMIC will evaluate code and documentation for possible submission to NASA Tech Briefs, prepare the brief and the Technical Support Package (TSP), and distribute the latter.
• Archive library: The center will develop and maintain a library of software packages that are deemed not suitable for marketing, but are technically significant or valuable.
• Program support: COSMIC can act as initial point of contact, reducing call volume to the author. It can supply list-serve accounts and post answers on-line about a product.
• Author feedback: The center will give the author sales, customer, and marketing data, and survey customers about NASA enhancements to make the product more useful to industry.
• Update notification: Sparing the centers much administrative work, COSMIC will notify customers of updates, revisions, and bug fixes.

COSMIC has always been a not-for-profit entity, but the end of the NASA contract mandates cost recovery for its operations. Though it will not charge the centers for its basic services, it will secure distribution rights to the software and recoup its costs through sales. Among its services will be maintenance of full records on software sales, identification of strategic markets, and preparation of reports documenting the successful use of NASA technology in a commercial enterprise.

COSMIC representatives say that one area being actively expanded is in porting code. In the past, only those versions of programs submitted by the NASA centers were offered. COSMIC is now porting programs to new platforms at no additional cost to the customer or the centers. Porting, formatting, and alternate media services will be provided to NASA and industry on a fee basis. The typical program port involves moving a program from one type of UNIX to another, but COSMIC will evaluate all porting requests, including these operating systems: VAX/VMS, DEC, UNIX, Ultrix, SunOS, Solaris, Irix, AIX, Linux, NetBSD, HPUX, DOS, Windows, and Windows NT. Its expertise in languages and 4GLs extends to C, C++, Pascal, FORTRAN, Ada, SQL, and various database products.

But COSMIC's services do not stop there. The center's technology transfer staff does presubmittal analyses of new technology for its adaptability to commercial uses. For conferences, workshops, training seminars, and user group meetings, COSMIC can obtain space, help with the agenda and program announcements, provide registration personnel, and arrange for audio-visual equipment. It can support authors in preparing documentation of computer programs, ranging from reformatting for visual effect to writing the user manual. Centers will be able to contract COSMIC to prepare marketing material for their distribution, including demonstration diskettes, special promotional flyers, and brochures.

The process of commercialization also lies within COSMIC's purview, including everything from locating potential partners to negotiating agreements. AS a special service, it can supply copies of other NASA programs and documentation to NASA centers, in most cases electronically, thus providing software both conveniently and at minimum cost.

Peacock says COSMIC is looking forward to its new relationship with NASA headquarters and the field centers. "In this time of rapidly changing computer technology," he said, "organizations must change equally rapidly to remain viable. Our services to NASA and our software inventory empower our customers to adapt to this changing environment...and by customers, I mean both NASA and consumers of NASA software."

For information on COSMIC and its programs, call Tim Peacock, Director, at (706) 542-3265, or send E-mail to timp@cosmic.uga.edu.
http://www.cosmic.uga.edu.