ARGUS Governance Anco Hundepool History ARGUS for microdata

ARGUS Governance Anco Hundepool

History • μ-ARGUS for microdata protection • τ-ARGUS for tabular data protection • Initiated at Statistics Netherlands • μ-ARGUS 1993 • τ-ARGUS 1998 Argus governance 1

Funding • Also important • Lack of resources at Stat. Neth. Blaise was already very demanding • 1996 first contacts for European funding • First start: SDC-project 1998 • Netherlands, Italy/Spain, UK • First versions of μ-ARGUS and τ-ARGUS Argus governance 2

CASC-project • Serious step forward • μ-ARGUS and τ-ARGUS mature • contributions by Germany, Spain, UK, Netherlands • Distributed developments lead to practical, not always optimal architecture; but works good • Now standard in Europe Argus governance 3

Architecture • VB user-interface (Anco; gives me control over the whole project) • C++ DLLs • Separate programs • talk to each other via temp-files • looks like one big system • Good for individual distributed developers Argus governance 4

Continuation • Stat. Neth. controls the software • Distributes via CASC-website • No charges (paid by Europe anyhow) • New funding = new progress Argus governance 5

Risks • software now dependent on one person and one institute • he will have to retire soon • what to do? Argus governance 6

Future • enlarge the team of developers • more development power, more speed • platform independence • Open Source? Argus governance 7

Future • • Different ways for μ-ARGUS and τ-ARGUS R + some user interface for μ-ARGUS Java + C-dlls for τ-ARGUS free solvers • Governance board!!! Argus governance 8

Governance board • Who decides on which extensions in new versions? • Can still fund some improvements • Open source ≠ large free team of developers • Role for Eurostat to fund Argus governance 9

Summary • • • Local start Proven tool Common acceptance: standard Funding body Common development based on open architecture • Weak governance Argus governance 10