Describes standards for computer-based information systems, including Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) and open distributed processing. The standardization process is explained, and the Open Software Foundation's Distributed Computing Environment is described as a de facto standard for open distributed processing that has already gained…

Examines the relationships between purchases of optical data disk products, publishers, and software suppliers. The discussion covers current pricing strategies for optical data disk software and information products, and possible future developments in marketing and pricing. (CLB)

Since 1982, the Quality Assurance Committee of the New England Online Users Group (NENON) has focused on communicating online searchers' problems to system vendors and database producers, primarily by distributing check-off and fill-in-the-blank forms to NENON members, collecting and tabulating the forms, and forwarding them to the vendors and…

Describes two types of online vendor gateways--front-end buffers and host-to-host links. The potential threats and opportunities of gateways to database owners, online vendors, and users are identified, and a code of practice developed by the National Federation of Abstracting and Information Services is presented. (CLB)

Presents the estimated market values of optical data disk products in 1987 and 1988, and describes the primary and secondary market indicators used to evaluate product standings. The discussion covers issues affecting electronic publishing and the optical disk industry. (CLB)

Current issues and the future of the database business are discussed in five papers. Topics covered include aspects relating to the quality of database production; international ownership in the U.S. information marketplace; an overview of pricing strategies in the electronic information industry; and pricing issues from the viewpoints of online…

Summarizes presentations on profitability in the information industry from the viewpoints of producers, who have to have a reason to be in business, and users, whose businesses are often driven by the information they can access and the price of that information. (Author/CLB)

Examines whether pricing Internet goods and services can adapt in real time to variations in the demand for different goods and services, so that revenue to the publishers and providers is increased. Establishes that presenting two test prices to 20 or 25 customers each will generate data which permit achievement of a high proportion of the…

This two-part study was designed (1) to determine differences in the costs of searching BRS After Dark (BRS AD) and Knowledge Index (KI) generally and across ten selected databases, and (2) to determine whether there is a difference in the citations retrieved when the same search is conducted on the same database in both systems. Study methodology…

Reviews developments and products in the information industry that are aimed at the end user and identifies impediments to end user searching that may explain why end user access has not supported these products. Suggestions for overcoming these impediments are offered. (eight references) (CLB)

Since little empirical research has been conducted on adoption of currently available information technology by the advertising industry, a study explored the extent of advertising agencies' adoption of selected information technologies such as online database services and electronic mail. The study discussed data from earlier studies and analyzed…

General information utilities and specialized networks, such as PoliNet, provide educators and researchers in public administration and allied fields with a diversity of new tools which include: (1) bibliographic searching; (2) international teleconferencing; (3) electronic news clipping services; (4) electronic mail; and (5) free public domain…

This paper presents briefly the concept of the Internet and lists the Internet service providers in India (Education and Research Network from Department of Electronics, National Informatics Network from National Informatics Center, Gateway Internet Access Service from Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited, and SOFTNET from Software Technology Parks India)…

Forty-eight Michigan newspapers were surveyed by telephone to determine their criteria in selecting online database services, type of personnel using them, training procedures, budgets, and perceptions of the impact of these services on the speed of writing stories and quality of reporting. Data collection involved two phases: (1) researchers…

Provides practical information for librarians beginning to use online searching for reference services at the high school level. Selection of equipment, software, and database vendors are discussed, as well as financing, involvement of the school administration, and working with users to determine their information needs. (CDD)