Access to Inter-Organization Computer Networks.
Abstract
Much has been written about the automation of factory and office functions. An important aspect of this automation is the ability to communicate and share resources between different physical machines, different administrative and production functions, and different geographic sites. When two or more distinct organizations interconnect their internal computer networks they form an Inter-Organizational Network (ION). IONs support the exchange of computer aided design/computed aided manufacturing data between manufacturers and subcontractors, software distribution from vendors to users, customer input to suppliers' order-entry systems, and the shared use of expensive computational resources by research laboratories, as examples. This thesis analyzes the organization implications of using computer networks for inter-organization communication, and the technical implications of interconnecting networks across organization boundaries. This thesis demonstrates the value of the bimodal approach to system design and analysis in which the author asks both how industry and organization contexts shape a new technology, as well as how a new technology affects the organization and industry contexts in which it is applied. Keywords: electronic mail; information systems. (Author).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1985
- Accession Number
- ADA160855
Entities
People
- D. L. Estrin
Organizations
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology