🚀 go-pugleaf

In August 1992, Columbus accepted the invitation of the United Nations
to establish a Trade Point Center (or ``infoport") as part of a global
UN project called the Trade Efficiency Initiative.  Columbus will be
one of 16 sites around the world and the only site in North America.
Each Center will feature the use of video teleconferencing,
interactive information networks (offering bulletin boards, market
data, and trade information) and the use of electronic data
interchange (EDI), and related technologies.  The goals are to make
available and showcase paperless trading and to overcome many of the
traditional obstacles created by geographic, language, regulatory, and
commercial barriers. 

In the next item, I'll post a summary of information on on the
Columbus Trade Point Center. In this item, I'm asking for your help. 

Columbus Mayor Lashutka appointed a task force to prepare a
preliminary design.  Our plan so far is that the initial stages of
infoport will include (1) on-line access to trade information, (2) a
commercial and cargo transaction system, and (3) education, training,
and facilitation.  In later stages we might want to include other
services such as: a working group to share information on
international standards, telework centers to support telecommuting,
multimedia applications, and satellite connections. 

I am a member of the task force and I've been asked to solicit input
on (1) ideas on specific services that could be part of infoport and
(2) resources to support infoport services. 

If you want to help with ideas or resources, please respond by sending
me one page describing (1) your idea for a service that infoport might
provide, and/or (2) resources you can offer to make infoport happen.
You may send brochures, etc., on your organization, but the one page
will probably get more attention. 

You can respond to this request (1) by sending me a printed one page,
(2) by sending electronic mail via CompuServe to 75300,2251, (3) by
sending electronic mail via Internet to fraser-j@eng.ohio-state.edu,
or (4) by using your personal computer and modem to call the local
bulletin board Strictly Business!  (614-583-9250, 8/N/1); upload your
response (in the new uploads file section) or leave a message (in the
Infoport message section) addressed to Jane Fraser. 

We anticipate receiving many exciting ideas for infoport; therefore,
we may not be able to include your idea in initial infoport stages,
but we also plan to establish working groups that could proceed to
design later stages of infoport. Thanks for you help. 

Please distribute this message to others who might be interested. 

Jane Fraser, Co-Director, Center for Advanced Study in
Telecommunications, The Ohio State University, 210 Baker Systems, 1971
Neil Avenue, Columubs, OH 43210.  614-459-7209 (voice), 614-292-7852
(fax), fraser-j@eng.ohio-state.edu.