LIMITS ON ABILITY OF CURRENT COMPUTER SYSTEMS TO HANDLE DO INTELLIGENCE CABLE PROCESSING AND DISSEMINATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91B00060R000100160017-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 24, 2013
• Sequence Number: 17
• Publication Date: September 12, 1988
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/04/24 :CIA-RDP91 B00060R000100160017-0
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12 September 1988
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Information Technology
FROM:
SUBJECT:
REFERENCE: Your Memorandum, Dated 17 August 1988, Same Subject
1. It is not my intention to engage in a fruitless paper exchange with
your office; however, the language of your memorandum of 17 August 1988
illustrates precisely the reason we wanted the Executive Director and the
Agency's Information Systems Board to know the limitations of the computer
application you designed and control and how they seriously impact on our
ability to process lengthy intelligence reports from the field.
2. We want to work with you to ensure that you help us solve the problems
connected to the receipt and dissemination of our intelligence cables without
unnecessary loss of time, particularly actionable information required by our
consumers. In addition to the system's inability to process longer
intelligence reports, we have kept careful records of the failures of the
current system, particularly when we have been unable to transmit FLASH and
IMMEDIATE precedence reporting on a timely basis regardless of the length of
the message.
3. We applaud your efforts to increase the Electronic Cable Originator
Handler (ECOH) capacity to 8000 lines but, even in its most favorable light,
to stop the system from processing any other traffic for almost an hour while
one message is being processed is unacceptable. We are equally concerned that
this one system, used for critical intelligence information, will be used at
the same time for the origination and release of other Directorate traffic.
We are prepared to consider, as a temporary solution, the sectioning of the
processing longer reports. We hasten to remind you that, unless you are able
to remedy the distribution problems and give us near one hundred percent
assurance that the sectioned reports will all reach their intended
destination, the fix will not work.
Chief, Policy and Coordination Staff
Limits on Ability of Current Computer Systems to Handle
DO Intelligence Cable Processing and Dissemination
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/04/24 :CIA-RDP91 B00060R000100160017-0
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/04/24 :CIA-RDP91 B00060R000100160017-0
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4. We are dealing here with the DO's primary purpose for its existence,
which is the collection and dissemination of its intelligence information
product. Every effort should be made to avoid any unnecessary delays in the
timely dissemination of this product. PCS, IMS and OIT personnel must meet
and review again the current s stem and make recommendations for the necessary
changes r fired. I am asking to contact your focal
point, to arrange further discussions.
CC : O/EMIR
O/DDA
C/DO/IMS
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/04/24 :CIA-RDP91 B00060R000100160017-0
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Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/04/24 :CIA-RDP91 B00060R000100160017-0
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/04/24 :CIA-RDP91 B00060R000100160017-0