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 



.