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Computer Science and Office Information Systems By Clarence A. Ellis and Gary J. Nutt z c := Computer Science and Office Information Systems BY Clarence A. Ellis and Gary J. Nutt June 1979 ABSTRACT Automated office systems are emerging as an interdisciplinary research area with a strong computer science component. In this paper we define office information systems as entities which perform document storage, retrieval, manipulation and control within a distributed environment. Some state of the art implementations are described. We relate the research to different areas of computer science and provide several detailed examples. KEY \AJORDS AND PHRASES Office automation, distributed systems, office information systems, office modeling. XEROX PALO ALTO RESEARCH CENTER 3333 Coyote Hill Road / Palo Alto / California 94304 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION WHAT IS AN OFFICE INFORMATION SYSTEM Officetalk Zero: A Prototype OIS Goals of Officetalk Zero Capabilities and Functions Some Implementation Issues in Officetalk Lim itations SCOOP: Another Prototype OIS The Approach TIle SCOOP Implementation TECHNICAL OIS RESEARCH PROBLEMS Programming Languages BDL: A Very High Level Business Language BOL Capabilities and Limitations Software Engineering Information Control Nets An ICN Example Operating Systems and Databases Office Systems Consistency Consistency Within the ICN Model Computer Architecture Measurement and Evaluation OIS Simulation Distributed Simulation Communications Artificial Intelligence Sociological Issues Informal Communications in the Office FUTURE TRENDS IN OIS RESEARCH ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS REFERENCES 1 INTRODUCfION The automated office of the future is quickly becoming the topic of much significant computer science research. The office machine industry, lead by Burroughs, Eastman Kodak, Exxon, IBM, 3M, and Xerox, is actively working on automating the information processing that takes place in an office [Creative Strategies, 1978]; most of these corporations are also investing significant sums of money into research programs for the office of the future. Active programs incorporating computer science also exist in universities, e.g. at M.I.T. in L.C.S [Hewitt, 1979] and th