BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT

BCS, known as the British Computer Society until it rebranded in September 2009 as BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, was formed in 1957 from a merger of the London Computer Group with an existing association of scientists working with early computers. It is headquartered in Swindon, England, with a further office in London, and was granted a royal charter by the Privy Council in 1984, which the society states defines its purpose of setting and maintaining standards of competence, conduct and ethical practice within the information technology profession; the Duke of Kent has served as its royal patron since 1976. It sets standards and qualifications for IT professionals, awards chartered status within the profession, and describes its mission as working to ensure that everyone's experience of technology is a positive one.