Question 15/I - Message handling services
(revised and expanded, previously Question 13/I, 1985-1988)

Considering

(a) that the Public Message Transfer Service is defined in
Recommendation F.410;

(b) that the Public Interpersonal Messaging Service is defined in
Recommendation F.420;

(c) that naming and addressing for Public Message Handling Services is
defined in Recommendation F.401;

(d) that intercommunication between the IPM service and the telex
service is defined in Recommendation F.421;

(e) that intercommunication between the IPM service and the Teletex
service is defined in Recommendation F.422;

(f) that intercommunication with Public Physical Delivery services is
defined in Recommendation F.415;

(g) that the technical aspects of message handling systems are
defined in the X.400-Series of Recommendations;

(h) that administrations are implementing message handling services
based on these Recommendations;

(i) that administrations have stated the wish to develop other
applications that can use the infrastructure of message handling;

(j) that the Public Message Handling service is suited to provide secure
store-and-forward transfer for a wide variety of applications;

(k) that there is a growing demand for the electronic interchange of
business transaction documents (referred to as EDI) in a store-and-
forward mode;

(l) that various trade and standards organizations have developed
national and international format standards for numerous business
transactions;

(m) the need to transfer files (e.g. word processing files,
spreadsheets, and source and object code for computer programs) in a
store-and- forward manner;

(n) the growing requirement to support electronic bulletin boards and
non-real-time computer conferencing by message exchange;

(o) the need for F.400 and Telematic services to intercommunicate;

(p) that administrations plan to implement MH/PD service
intercommunication based upon the F.400 and X.400-Series
Recommendations, and the resulting need to continue collaborating
with the UPU;

(q) that store-and-forward aspect of message handling can be used to
extend existing services that require this mode;

(r) that the tariff considerations for message handling is defined in D-
Series Recommendations;

(s) that Recommendation F.400 overviews the system and service for
both the F.400 and X.400-Series Recommendations;

(t) that Study Group VII have a corresponding study question on MHS;

(u) that the T.300-Series Recommendations define Telematic
interworking to MHS;

(v) that the X.500/F.500 Recommendations define directory systems and
directory services;

(w) that general service frameworks will be studied for document
communication and for interactive modes for Telematic document
communication services;

(x) that some administrations are implementing voice messaging
services;

(y) that an international voice messaging service could use the
international message transfer service,

1. What changes are required to Recommendation F.400 to cater for
new requirements?

2. What enhancements are required to Recommendation F.400 to both
encourage and extend message handling use of Directory services?

3. What enhancements should be made to the Public Message
Handling services to cater for Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)?

4. What enhancements to Recommendation F.415, or new
Recommendations, are required to extend the MH/PD service
intercommunication to cater for new applications, or to extend the
existing applications, e.g. telemessage?

5. What enhancements should be made to the Public Message Transfer
service to cater for new applications such as file transfer, electronic
funds transfer, etc.;

6. What new Recommendations may be required to cater for
intercommunication with existing Telematic services such as facsimile,
Videotex?

7. What new Recommendations may be required to allow the Public
Message Transfer service to be used by other applications for store-
and-forward mode?

8. What enhancements are required to the security services of MHS to
make them cover remote users and access units?

9. What enhancements should be made to the Public IPM service to
cater for message based computer conferencing and electronic bulletin
boards?

10. What enhancement may have to be made to the Public Message
Handling services to support voice messaging?