Electronic mail is one of several telecommunications technologies that have become potent factors in modern organizational communication. The introduction of such sophisticated microelectronic technology into an organization can have a strong impact on the patterns of communication within that organization. This is the case for the Florida House of Representatives, which installed an electronic mail network during the latter part of 1988. Following introduction of this information technology, some communication patterns among the House staff remained the same, such as sending memos regarding meetings. The change came by increasing their messaging efficiency. Other communication patterns that emerged because of the technology changed the way work was done, such as joint ventures in the cooperative drafting of documents, made possible by the speed and document delivery functions of the electronic mail system. This paper discusses the changes in these and other communication patterns in the Florida House of Representatives, and presents a theoretical perspective on the impact of electronic mail in an information-intensive organization. (15 references) (GL)