AMERICAN STANDARD CODE FOR INFORMATION INTERCHANGE (ASCII)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83T00573R000500170031-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 9, 2002
• Sequence Number: 31
• Publication Date: November 1, 1965
• Content Type: LETTER

THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE
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WASHINGTON 25, D.C.
Vice Adm. William F. Raborn, Jr., USN Ret.
Director
Central Intelligence Agency
Washington, D. C. 20505
DD/ST6 -
November 1, 1965
Subject: American Standard Code for Information Interchange
_ (ASCII)
By a joint memorandum, copy attached, we are requesting the
views of vendors on the economic impact of the attached policy
statement which proposes the adoption of the American Standard
Code for Information Interchange as a Federal Standard.
In addition to the views of the vendors, we need to have an
expression of the views of using Departments of the Federal
Government. Your cooperation in providing an expression of
your Department views, not later than November 19, 1965, will
be appreciated.. If further information is needed, inquiries
may be directed to Mr. L. L. Griffin, Office for the
Coordination and Development of ADP Standards, (Code 154
o- I:. 7710) Cen l-or For Comhn ter 8c l eiice,fI fn(1 Teelinnl o y,
N:aLioti ii Bureau of Standards, or Mr. Marvin BurrIL:, Data
Processing Coordination Staff, (Code 183 ext. 5863) General
Services Administration.
Secretary of Commerce
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1 f~77_ ._~
T 1E SECRETARY OF COMMERCE
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20230
DD/STA _ _ .
e!5-__J
November 1, 1965
Subject: American Standard Code for Information Interchange
(ASCII)
The Bureau of the Budget has asked the Department of Commerce
and the General Services Administration for a recommendation
on whether the American Standard Code for Information Inter-
change should be adopted as a Federal Standard.
Before we make such a recommendation we would like to know
the. economic impact of such action upon suppliers of computers
M-II'I .9 ri f`rrr",n;- f.1 ~,r~ C-vocoiUJ.ii}-; ((I'd -pm(kIlt 1 iielud 11,16 ~'i-in~ullL%lC lt_3_utl:~
and the earliest feasible time at which each supplier could
provide the Federal Government with equipment responsive to
the proposed standard. The desirability of maximum feasible
compatibility among Federal agencies in the input-output
characteristics of the equipment which they use for automatic
data processing was emphasized in the Bureau of the Budget's
Report to the President on the Management of Automatic Data
Processing in the Federal Government.
As you know, President Johnson approved this report and forwarded
it to Congress on March 2, 1965. It is presently available in
Senate Document 15, printed at the request of the Senate
Committee on Government Operations, and we presume that copies
of this document have been studied by members of your company.
As the Bureau of the Budget has said, "The attainment of
greater compatibility among ADP systems is an essential element
of the Government's program to achieve more effective and
economical use of this equipment, and requires a coordinated
and unified effort among all who have primary responsibilities
in this regard."
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y1 .. .. ...j-Y z o e Z -. q ._-: ,.J , a wri 1--ten a. G''6 t,:. se to t he 4sr'xder J_y .^t a.
commenting upon the economic. impact of the attached propo3ed
Pct -. cy statement which has been recommended by the
' H kei o t~ e 13ure u of the Budget's AD'"' Adv ^ ory C-o'y c` l. ol.r
e ~l Sho id also i~
c.~~. s indicate the earnest date c. w"h eh Jr(si~r
Ca't,.L,,~l J cr=. ~-.)nent responsive to the pro-p-0 ed po'icy
_ .. A J
_a _ ;; AGO 's,` --al Standard
)
I? furs er is needed inquiries may be directed
to M . L,. L. f n, Office for the Coor d inat on tend Deve f o -
ment of ADP ~n ~+
JC.a_ es. (Area Code ^02, EM-2-4040 Center -for Co w Sciences and Technology, N do l r -??
cr o Marv .n Burns, Data P roc cr;,: _r Coo ,% _ ~` o
u cacti - 9 (Are ^ '~ ode 2 2 , 343-5863) General &L- -c-es AAd: Z _.._t wio
(I
.
.)ecreta ry o.Ea_ vor.._r rct`.
L'? n i s i r 1 t 0- 0
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Proposal of the Standards Panel
..e Standards of the AMP Advisory Council, at its t" etirg on
n ua'ry 25, s u5., c---read to the %ollowi J statotcnt in ?`r: :c coon
with the adoption of the E. .er'.cen Stan;~ard Co: e for
_ arr~:atia.z
: tercharge by the Federal Government and recC::,r,-:.. ndci that
3'ieetive. The objective of the Federal Government is to
achieve, through the adoption and implementation of appropriate
information processing system standards, the highest practical degree
of compatibility for the interchange of information in machine-
processable form within and between information processing systez::o,
including input-output equipment, source data automation equipment,
other associated equipment and communication systems. Included in
this objective is the maximum use of standard programming langu "es
and a minimum need for reprocessing, reordering or conversion oaf
information in interchange operations. This objective is not limited
to i.nt4irchange within the Federal Government but in to be extended,
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