Ada validation := Ada conformity assessment

With the comple t ion o f the miss ion o f the Ada Joint P rog ram Off ice in 1998 and the transition o f its ma jor activities to other organizat ions, both G o v e r n m e n t and private, it b ecame necessary to ei ther end the long tradit ion of Aria val idat ion or to establish a new sys tem for validation. A d a compi le r implementers agreed that val idat ion has provided Ada with a compet i t ive advantage, and that a r ep lacemen t was needed for the sys tem sponsored by the AJPO. This article sketches the background o f the Ada val idat ion system, describes the transition of val idat ion responsibi l i ty to the pr ivate sector, and looks at the likely future o f Ada validation.