The origins of VSMod® go back to October 2001, when the first prototype of VSMod® was presented by Pérez Ríos to S. Beer and A. Leonard on the occasion of Professor Beer’s visit to the University of Valladolid to receive the title from this university of Dr. Honoris Causa, an act in which, as he had the honour to take part as his “godfather” (Pérez Ríos, J. 2001. Laudatio de Stafford Beer. Investidura de Stafford Beer como “Doctor Honoris Causa” por la Universidad de Valladolid. Universidad de Valladolid.)

Crete (Greece)

In July 2003, in Crete (Greece), the first VSMod® 1.0 working version (Pérez Ríos, 2003) was presented, at the 47th Annual Conference of the ISSS. This version was designed to work only in a computer in a local context.

Maribor (Eslovenia)

In June 2005, in Maribor (Slovenia), at the “WOSC 13th International Congress of Cybernetics and Systems and The 6th International Conference of Sociocybernetics” , the VSMod® 1.1 version (Pérez Ríos, 2005 and 2006) is introduced This is the first version designed for being used via Internet. It was possible to access the software via Internet at all times and upload it on the user’s computer, the only requirement being the connection to the web site where VSMod® was available. Once activated, users could create as many studies or projects as they wished. When the particular work had been done, this version made it possible to keep the information in the user’s computer, both for storing and for future use if at a later date there was any need to continue with the work.

Liverpool (U.K.)

In May 2006, in Liverpool (U.K.), at the Fourth Metaphorum Conference, the VSMod® 1.2 version is presented (Pérez Ríos 2006b). This is the perfected version of the 1.1 in which, besides improvements in strengthening the application, several new modules had been added concerned with how to deal with relations among the environments, relations among System 1 elements, the explicit incorporation of the algedonic channel, and the possibility to provide a graphic representation of System 1 elements with their relative sizes corresponding to specific comparison parameters chosen by the user.

St. Gallen (Suiza)

In March 2007, in St. Gallen (Switzerland), on the occasion of the “The Fifth Metaphorum Conference”, the VSMod® 1.3 version is introduced (Pérez Ríos, 2007a). This is the first version of VSMod ® made in three dimensions. It provides the user with greater clarity for visualising relations between the different function and communication channels within the VSM, as well as showing in a single image the whole of the system-in-focus, regardless of the number of elements comprising System 1. The use of a zoom makes it possible to make the image recede or bring it closer, or also to rotate or, for instance, shift the complete image with the result that visualisation of the model is enhanced.

Athens (Greece)

In May 2007, we see the introduction in Athens (Greece), during the “3rd National and International Conference of the Hellenic Society for Systemic Studies” of an improved version of VSMod® 1.3 (Pérez Ríos, 2007b), particularly in terms of the menus and screen design. The presentation of this version was made by José Pérez Ríos as part of the key note speech he pronounced with the ocasión of being given by the Hellenic Society for Systemic Studies (HSSS) the “Honorary HSSS Award” as a “Distinguished Scientist” for his contribution to the development of software applicable in the field of Organisational Cybernetics.



Nowadays developmental work on the VSMod® is aimed at including, in addition to several functional improvements, the possibility to create collaborative VSM models via Internet.