National Information Infrastructure, The

Why is an "information superhighway" with everyone "connected" so important? Are the National Information Infrastructure (NII), the Internet, and the "information superhighway" synonymous? What does this mean for records managers and the information resources that they manage? These are both demanding questions and pressing issues for anyone working in an information intensive industry, and both will require answers and solutions. As government agencies and business organizations work toward accessing and distributing increasing amounts of information electronically, the role of various information professionals may change. Some information handling procedures and policies accepted today may be inadequate or not be cost effective tomorrow. Other records requirements may be even more critical. In general, records management principles probably will not change. However, the implementation of those principles will change drastically.

THE NII AND YOU

A major international competitive advantage very obvious to North American travelers who have been abroad is the excellent communications infrastructure within the United States. Although initially evident in our expectations of good telephone, radio, and television services, it applies to computer services as well. Not only are human-to-human communications facilities first rate in the USA, but computer-to-computer communications are better than in many other countries. With a national economic transition to greater emphasis on global competitiveness, the technology infrastructure North Americans use to communicate, process, and store information is a technology base with many opportunities for continued research and development. This technology base is also seen as a convenient vehicle for refocusing much present government funding from defense related projects to equally pressing domestic ones such as public education, scientific research, and business/government cooperation.

The "infrastructure" is a very generalized term which refers to the computers, phone lines, communications networks, databases, hardware, and software used by public and private organizations for storing, routing, and transmitting information. One reason the technology infrastructure is important is its ability to provide global access to electronic mail and reference sources for otherwise "unconnected" individuals. Typical uses of such communications may include memos, letters, forms or transmitted files, and data. Typical reference sources used might be news groups covering particular topics of interest or remote public libraries. In addition, users may take advantage of online conferences and forums, or electronically distribute information of general professional interest. It can be particularly useful for business, government agencies, or professional associations to distribute "standards, procedures, directives, guidelines, regulations, announcements, or other administrative letters."(1) Access to a wealth of information in the form of scientific information, business databases, and other educational or reference resources has produced an explosion of interest in the "information superhighway."

Many national corporate and political agendas are trying to "hitch a ride" on the information highway metaphor. It is seen as a way to "create a global village," "put information at everyone's fingertips," "deliver quality educational and health care services to anyone," and achieve an assortment of other altruistic and challenging goals. A strongly related federal agenda is referred to as "reinventing government." This initiative is a much needed and far ranging process of redefining the priority of government services, the best method of performing them, and the best methods of delivering those services. Unfortunately, many of the solutions to performance improvements or services delivery seem to recommend jumping on the information highway bandwagon, without a real assessment of the viability of making such transitions.

Thus, the National Information Infrastructure initiative encompasses issues in computer research, educational programs, health care, social sciences, technology implementation, and technology management. A strong element of all activities are new cooperative relationships between the government and the private sector. Promoting private sector investment, defining appropriate services, creating user friendly environments, and protecting information from fraud and abuse are all a part of what may become one of the most important national agendas in recent decades. The NII is an important national initiative that can affect anyone who creates or distributes information.

WHAT IS THE INTERNET?

It is important to understand that the Internet is not by itself the "information superhighway" so often discussed. The Internet is today's major communications architecture that provides computer-to-computer links to databases and electronic mail for millions of individuals. As such, it is the best contemporary prototype of the information superhighway of the future. It will serve as both a present day communications tool, a laboratory for concept implementation, and as a component of a test bed for future architectures. However, it is only today's best shot at a starting point for developing some components of a national communications infrastructure.

"The Internet is the world's largest interconnection of computers and computer networks. Unlike previously defined electronic mail 'systems,' the Internet is not owned or operated by any one vendor or organization. It is primarily an outgrowth of the old ARPANET computer networks designed in the 1960s and early 1970s to create a common communications protocol and in order to have an ability to assign global network addresses. The protocol developed eventually became known as the Internet Protocol (IP). IP addresses are assigned to participants in the Internet by the Network Information Center at SRI International. Most participants in this 'network of networks' have been government, military, and educational institutions until recent years when numerous companies and commercial enterprises have started to join. Some of the commercial enterprises offer Internet access and services to their subscribers for a fee."(2)

A variety of information services can be reached through Internet computer-to-computer communications including libraries, reference databases, news groups, and standard electronic mail. Most of the Internet services are available through UNIX operating systems and interfaces, however, there are some user interfaces such as Eudora(3) software that help make accessing information easier. This is especially important as most individuals will gain access to the Internet through their company or institution being a participating member of Internet services, although more private companies now offer individuals access to Internet services through personal accounts. However, most users of the Internet are still dependent on access and user support from their host organization for communications support. This is in contrast to personal computer communications accounts with information vendors such as CompuServe(4) which maintain staff to aid users of their services.

Will the Internet become the information superhighway? No. The Internet will serve as an excellent starting point but will not by itself become the information superhighway. The proliferation of video, audio, and graphics information bases that are increasing (and demand large bandwidth due to large file sizes) will change the way information is delivered to homes as well as offices. The Internet, as we know it today, may become saturated with users and information transmissions to a point where other information transmission technologies such as those used by cable television are used for applications requiring large bandwidth such as video or audio transmissions.

RECORDS AND INFORMATION ISSUES

Many of the information management issues that will accompany the development of an NII are standard electronic records issues. Such issues include storing information on appropriate media, timely archiving of information based on retention schedules, and assuring that the creators of information adhere to standard accepted practices for information management and distribution. These issues become even more important when the information created or transmitted in an environment that values free and easy information access, transmission, and availability.

A good example of this is the assumption by many professionals that information can be made available by placing the information on a computer system such as a Gopher server with Internet access. A Gopher server is a computer system that operates much like a traditional computer bulletin board system to -- allow reading or downloading information. The theory is that this will allow maximum access to the posted information by enabling far flung Internet users to reach the databases. This is fine if the information has been appropriately reviewed for public dissemination. It could be a disaster if a company's internal scientists and engineers begin professionally sharing information of strategic corporate value that might later lead to the development of patents or copyrighted works.

Business information developed internally of potential strategic value should be properly reviewed and "cleared" for public dissemination before being placed on a publicly accessible computer system. Most private enterprises and government agencies have standard procedures that must be followed before information is allowed public release. These procedures may presently be manual processes with forms and organizational approval hierarchies. Such procedures may need enhancement and development before being implemented for information created in electronic format. In any case, there are major concerns about copyright or patent infringement when information is disseminated publicly, and electronically published information must be subject to the same general requirements as paper-based information and documents.

The development of the NII will undoubtedly encourage the use of electronic mail as a major means of professional and business communications. In fact, it is an underlying assumption of the NII's goals that it will address "national strategies or maximizing interconnection and interoperability of communications networks," including an emphasis on "universal access."(5) As an example, a specific recommendation of the Information Infrastructure Task Force is:

"Action: Strengthen inter-agency coordination through the use of electronic mail. To implement the National Performance Review's recommendation on expanded use of electronic mail within the Federal government, an inter-agency coordinating body has been established to incorporate electronic mail into the daily work environment of Federal workers."(6)

Recent court cases addressing electronic mail emphasize the need to bring almost all electronically generated federal records into a set of electronic records retention guidelines.(7) However, there is still little attention to concerns about electronic records within most present NII initiatives. Almost all attention being given to the NII goals and objectives is directed toward promoting the use of present communications architectures and encouragement of the rapid and easy distribution of information as a solution to some national problems. Let us hope that new national problems are not created as the NII is promoted and developed.

Storage of information in proper electronic format is a major issue for many government agencies due to internal records retention requirements and a working relationship with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). It is often assumed that by performing computer systems backups to computer tapes that can be accepted by NARA one has performed actions to preserve electronic mail or other records created on central computer systems or local area networks (LANs). However, as more individuals use software such as PC Eudora, the ability of system administrators to track electronic mail may be diminished. A major feature of PC Eudora is that it helps computer system administrators reduce the amount of electronic mail stored on the "host" computer system or server by downloading all mail to the local PC workstation. This allows LAN administrators to reduce mail file storage requirements for each user and increase system performance by having users read their mail locally rather than through central server requests. It also means users can still read their mail (locally) while the system host or server is down, can delete unwanted messages, and can store local mail as long as they want. Only conscientious users that are well informed about records retention requirements can comply with organizational expectations for records retention.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR INFLUENCE

The Information Infrastructure Task Force (IITF) was formed by the Clinton Administration "to articulate and implement the Administration's vision for the NII. The task force consists of high-level representatives of the Federal agencies that play a major role in the development and application of information technologies. Working together with the private sector, the participating agencies will develop comprehensive telecommunications and information policies that best meet the needs of both the agencies and the country."(8) An Advisory Council on the NII has also been formed with the appointment of 25 members from government, industry, labor, academia, and public interest organizations by the Secretary of Commerce who chairs the IITF. There are presently three established committees including a Telecommunications Policy Committee, an Information Policy Committee, and an Applications Committee. Each committee has various working groups. Although the influence and involvements of the committees may change over time, records managers may especially want to work with or influence the Information Policy Committee's Working Group on Intellectual Property Rights or the Working Group on Privacy, as these groups are concerned with information management issues.

Many private and federal agencies are working toward participating in the development of the NII. Strong leaders in these efforts are The Electronic Frontier Foundation, National Science Foundation, National Research Council, Information Industry Association, and a variety of businesses and corporations such as AT&T. Other government agencies with directly or indirectly related efforts include the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Office of Technology Assessment of the U.S. Congress. OMB's Circular No. A-130, Management of Federal Information. Resources, will undoubtedly be affected by NII initiatives, and its developing relationship with the NII should be carefully reviewed by records managers. Proposed legislation before Congress addresses many NII initiatives including efforts "To Establish a System of State-Based Electronic Libraries"(9) and the "Improvement of Information Access Act for 1993."(10)

Records managers should watch the NII initiatives closely and participate where possible in these national agendas. As many of the agendas and players are just now being defined, the opportunity to participate is still at hand. The issues being addressed are going to take considerable teamwork and professional initiative to solve over several years. Developing new solutions to new problems takes time, which should encourage records managers to get involved now. It would be unfortunate if records managers were not teamed with other information professionals designing information management solutions to today's technology challenges.

REFERENCES

1. John T. Phillips, "Electronic Mail, Information Professionals, and Associations," Proceedings of the ARMA International 38th Annual Conference, p. 506, October 19, 1993, Seattle, WA.

2. Phillips, p. 511.

3. Eudora for Windows Version 2.0 is produced by QualCOMM, Inc.

4. CompuServe is a trademark of the CompuServe Information Service, Columbus, Ohio.

5. President William Clinton, "United States Advisory Council on the National Information Infrastructure," Executive Order 12864, September 15, 1993.

6. Information Infrastructure Task Force, The National Information Infrastructure: Agenda for Action, Washington, DC, p 12, September 15, 1993.

7. Donald S. Skupsky, "The Law of Electronic Mail -- The Impact of the White House Case on You!" Records Management Quarterly, 28(1), p. 32, January 1994.

8. Information Infrastructure Task Force, p. 21.

9. U.S. Congress, To Establish a System of State-based Electronic Libraries -- S.626, Washington, DC, March 22, 1993.

10. U.S. Congress, Improvement of Information Access Act for 1993 -- H.R. 629, Washington, DC, January 26, 1993.

Copyright Association of Records Managers Administrators Inc. Jul 1994
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