IEEE Standards To Run FIPS 151-2 Validation Service Using Mindcraft

Piscataway, New Jersey, November 7 1997: The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE), announced today that its Standards Division will offer a Validation Service for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) POSIX® (Portable Operating Systems Interface), Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 151-2, effective 1 January 1998. NIST will cease to run its validation service by year-end 1997. FIPS 151-2 adopts ISO/IEC 9945-1: 1996 (IEEE Std 1003.1, 1996 Edition) Information Technology - Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX)-Part 1: System Application Program Interface (API) [C Language].

The IEEE FIPS Validation Service will use Accredited POSIX® testing laboratories, issue certificates of validated test results, and maintain a register of accredited laboratories and successfully tested products.

Mindcraft, Inc., of Palo Alto, CA, is participating as an accredited IEEE POSIX testing laboratory. Mindcraft is accredited by the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP), which is part of NIST, and is actively working in the NIST validation program.

"Mindcraft is excited to participate in the IEEE’s continuation of the NIST POSIX.1 FIPS certification program," said Bruce Weiner, President of Mindcraft, Inc. "Given the new Federal procurement requirements to purchase products that conform to commercial open standards, the IEEE POSIX.1 FIPS certification program provides the best way for hardware and software vendors to prove to government agencies that their products meet this new requirement."

The IEEE is the world's largest technical professional society and has more than 310,000 members in nearly 150 countries. Through its members, the Institute is a leading authority on areas ranging from aerospace, computers and telecommunications to biomedical engineering, electric power and consumer electronics.

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