InterCon provides services to health insurers of foreign tourists who travel to the United States and Canada. Management wants to implement a new information system that will deal with several operational problems, but it is having difficulty securing the capital resources to fund the system's development. After an initial failure, the chief…

Describes development, hardware requirements, and features of the MultiLIS integrated library software package. A system profile provides pricing information, operational characteristics, and technical specifications. Sidebars discuss MultiLIS integration structure, incremental architecture, and NCR Tower Computers. (4 references) (MES)

Executive management often holds a critical view of systems development. The reasons that systems development draws such negative attention are explored. The view of management can be reconciled with systems development--with attention to organizational continuity, cultivation of patience, development of sensitivity to people needs, etc.…

Describes Kodak's Photo CD technology and its impact on digital imaging. Color desktop publishing, image processing and preservation, image archival storage, and interactive multimedia development, as well as the equipment, software, and services that make these applications possible, are described. Contact information for developers and…

Emphasizing more effective use of existing equipment, this article highlights distributed computing design considerations applicable to educational environments; identifies potential roles of networking in the provision of adequate teaching aids; presents a networking model; and describes the development of a distributed computing configuration at…

This introduction to microcomputers and their implementation and use in federal agencies discusses both basic concepts in microcomputers and their specific uses by clerical, administrative, professional, and technical federal personnel. Issues concerned with the use of specialized application software and integrated packages--word processing, data…

Describes the large-class BIJOU teaching support system developed at University of California-Berkeley to facilitate recordkeeping and communication with support staff. Reasons why large classes exist, organizational elements, and teaching support systems requirements are reviewed. Tasks supported by the BIJOU saystem, costs, and possible…

Discussion of knowledge-based systems focuses on expert systems used by libraries for technical services and collection management. Highlights include knowledge acquisition; system development issues, including staff time and costs; cataloging; acquisitions and serials control; material selection; preservation; and examples of existing systems.…

Briefly describes available expert system shells and identifies evaluation criteria relevant to the use of a shell by libraries. Areas discussed include ease of use by system developers and end users, detachability of finished systems, and costs. A glossary is provided. (10 references) (CLB)

Discusses incremental decisions that need to be made when selecting a videodisc system and presents guidelines for moving through the learning and decision-making process. Guidelines cover understanding the technology, understanding the videodisc project process, composing the project team, establishing requirements and considering the budget, and…

This discussion of Alanet, a comprehensive information system for professional librarians, covers its development; program features; advantages; uniqueness as a complete and integrated electronic information system for library professionals; system applications; benefits; costs; future developments; and user education. (MBR)

A University of Florida College of Dentistry management system is described that uses a computer to assist in the matching of patients and dental students, the monitoring of patient care, and the tracking of student clinical progress in a teaching environment that emphasizes the comprehensive patient care approach. (Author/MLW)

Focuses on the three components of legacy in the information industry: data, systems, and human factors. Discusses psychological legacy data; data conversions; characteristics of legacy systems for the information industry; database producers; standards; evaluating legacy from a financial perspective; financial considerations for database…

The United States Bureau of the Census is making the Internet and other electronic systems the primary sources for its statistics and is actively seeking user feedback on its systems design activities. Discusses the design principles of the Data Access and Dissemination System (DADS) and policy issues of pricing/cost recovery, partnerships, and…

As part of its mission to provide centralized services for the acquisition, storage, retrieval, and dissemination of scientific and technical information (STI) to support Department of Defense (DoD) research, development, and engineering studies programs, the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) sponsors the Shared Bibliographic Input…