This is a special time of year from a number of perspectives. For many of our members around the world the warmer season bring growth, happiness and a sense of renewal. It is also time for renewal of your IFPUG Membership! As another year passes and a new year begins I would like to thank all of you for your continued support of IFPUG and to expound on the benefits of being a member. The Benefits of Function Points The benefits of membership really begin with the benefits of function points. Function points, as you may know, is the most widely used functional sizing measure in the world. With the ability to measure software size comes the ability to:

	Measure software productivity and quality
	Manage project scope
	Improve project estimating
	Clarify user requirements
	Manage vendors and outsourcing agreements
	Benchmark organizational performance against industry data
	Establish application maintenance strategies
	Evaluate software packages
	Measure value and costs
	Identify and monitor process improvements
	Document systems and projects

It was the power of this unit of measure that attracted all of us to IFPUG in the first place. I am happy to report, as evidenced through membership growth and continued worldwide recognition, the power of function points is stronger than ever.

The Benefits of Membership
As IFPUG Members we gain more from the use of function points than our peers that do not enjoy the value of membership. Our membership rights allow us to be the first to take advantage of function point techniques. Membership also provides us with a level of support that helps streamline the implementation of software measurement and its ongoing use. Each year every effort is made to improve the IFPUG products, services and knowledge transfer opportunities. Membership benefits include:

	Copies of the Counting Practices Manual and Guidelines to Software Measurement
	Maintenance of the CFPS Program
	Networking opportunities with individuals from other organizations using function points
	Greater access to experts and knowledgeable practitioners
	Discounts on books, publications and case studies
	Discounts on workshops and conferences
	Discounts on estimation and benchmarking data and materials
	Access to white papers providing counting tips
	Newsletters and online communications
	Access to Members Only website pages
	Discounts on personal and business products
	Discounts on Professional Certifications
	Access to committees that can address your issues and answer your questions

Your individual or corporate membership helps to fund our non-profit organization and allows you to gain the benefits of both function points and IFPUG membership.

Members Providing Benefits
At the core of the IFPUG organization are the volunteers who are responsible for the programs that produce the benefits. Our committee, task force and board members are dedicated to activities that promote function points, improve the FP standard, educate professionals, and help us achieve the benefits we seek. I thank all of those individuals for their hard work and dedication.

As you will see throughout this issue of MetricViews, there has been a great deal of progress on numerous programs. This will result in even greater benefits throughout the membership year and in future years. The major initiatives featured in this edition of MetricViews include the following.

New and improved communications - The Communications and Marketing Committee with the help of numerous other committee members have done an outstanding job improving our primary channels of communications. This includes the redesign of the IFPUG Website, a new look for MetricViews and the introduction of IFPUG's bimonthly E-Newsletter.

Bigger and Better Metrics in Texas - The Conference and Education Committees have organized a great lineup of training workshops, keynote speakers and presentation tracks for our annual conference. The workshops and conference will be held in San Antonio, Texas, on September 22-27, 2002.

IFPUG Chapters - A number of new Chapters representing local organizations of IFPUG members have been organized. Recently, chapters were established in Korea, Ontario, Canada and Latin America (Mexico). Other chapters such as the Brazilian Function Point Users Group have experienced tremendous growth over the past year. This issue of MetricViews features the Chicago Area Software Metrics Association (CASMA), one of the original and most active of all IFPUG chapters. These chapters are an excellent source for information exchange and represent a tremendous opportunity for IFPUG's future growth.

CFPS Re-certification Alternative - A re-certification alternative to reexamination for retaining the Certified Function Point Specialist designation is now available. Instead of retaking the exam, individuals can extend their certification through receiving credits for various educational and developmental activities. I am very pleased to announce that the official start date for this program is September 1, 2002. More details may be found in this publication and on the IFPUG website. My special thanks to the Re-certification Implementation Task Force for working through the issues and procedures required for implementing this initiative.

IFPUG latest publication - IFPUG has published its first book, IT Measurement: Practical Advice from the Experts. This book offers excellent advice from 40 authors about software measurement. The book can be purchased by members via the IFPUG Website at a discounted rate. After costs the proceeds will fund other IFPUG activities that will benefit the membership. The Management Reporting Committee did a monumental job in organizing the authors and coordinating the publishing of the book.

In addition to the programs and activities mentioned above, the IT Performance and Counting Standards Committees are hard at work. The IT Performance Committee has continued its mission of providing services that assist IFPUG members to understand, manage, and improve software engineering practices. The Counting Practices and New Environments Committees have released a number of white papers and updated case studies over the past year, and have more planned for release during the upcoming year. In addition, the Certification Committee has had a very busy year. The number of CFPS exams has skyrocketed, with six regional exams completed during this past June and July in Australia, Brazil, Mexico, India, Italy and Canada.

In summary, we have accomplished a great deal this past year and are working hard to provide additional benefits to our members in this upcoming year. We encourage you to make the most of your membership by taking advantage of all that IFPUG has to offer. Once again, I thank you for supporting IFPUG and wish all of you the best in achieving your measurement goals.