release of IITF report on NII Applications - full report via Mosaic or Golpher etc at gopher://iitf

[David Farber <>]

Last Updated: May 3, 1994
_________________________________________________________________________


Dear Colleague:


     The Clinton Administration has given high priority to
working with the private sector to develop an advanced
information infrastructure for our country:|en|the National
Information Infrastructure (NII). As Chairman of the Interagency
Task Force that is helping to shape our vision of the NII, I
believe that it is vital for us to continue our
dialogue|mdash|private and public sectors -- on the form our
future will take.


     An interconnection of computer networks, telecommunications
services, and applications, the NII can open up new vistas and
profoundly change much of American life, not by the fact that it
exists but by the way it is used. For that reason, this document
explores some of the opportunities and obstacles that are
presented when we talk about how people and organizations will
use the NII.


     This document was prepared by the Committee on Applications
and Technology of the Information Infrastructure Task Force. The
Committee is charged with coordinating Administration efforts:


     o    to develop, demonstrate, and promote applications of
information technology in manufacturing, electronic commerce,
education, health care, government services, libraries,
environmental monitoring, and other areas; and


     o    to develop and recommend technology strategies and
policy to accelerate the implementation of the NII.


     This document is intended for four important audiences: the
general public, the private sector organizations that are
building the NII and driving its applications, the committees and
working groups of the Information Infrastructure Task Force, and
other agencies and departments in our Government.


     The topics presented here explore manufacturing, electronic
commerce, health care, education, environmental monitoring,
libraries, and government services as a stimulus to further
debate. This is a limited list, as clearly there are many other
relevant applications of the NII.


     Sections of the papers are presented as questions. We
welcome your input in helping to answer these questions and to
raise other relevant issues. Your response will illuminate and
guide government policies and investments to accelerate NII
applications.


     We look forward to hearing from you.


                                       Sincerely,


                                       Ronald H. Brown
Acknowledgments


.