Question 18/VII - Message handling systems (continuation of Question
33/VII studied in 1985-1988)

Considering

(a) that the X.400-Series of Recommendations standardizes the structure
and operation of message handling systems;

(b) that the CCITT has supported the establishment of public messaging
services by creating the F.400-Series of Recommendations;

(c) that administrations and other organizations have implemented, and
continue to implement systems based upon the X.400-Series
Recommendations;

(d) the need to constrain changes to and thus stabilize the X.400Series
Recommendations, especially the P1 and P2 protocols;

(e) the need to continue collaborating with the ISO MOTIS group;

(f) that conformance tests have been developed for the 1984 X.400Series
Recommendations;

(g) the need to update the tests to reflect the 1988 X.400Series
Recommendations;

(h) that administrations plan to implement MHS-PDS intercommunication
based upon the X.400- and F.400Series Recommendations, and the resulting
need to continue collaborating with Study Group I and the UPU;

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

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

(k) that X.400-based message handling is suited to provide secure store-
and-forward transfer for a wide variety of content types;

(l) the need for collaboration between communication standards bodies
such as the CCITT and the various organizations concerned with EDI to
facilitate widespread adoption of the X.400Series Recommendations for
EDI;

(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 possible need for CCITT to standardize other message handling
applications;

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

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

(q) that Recommendation T.330 specifies a Telematic interworking
facility for the Teletex service,

1. What steps should be taken to maintain the 1988 X.400-Series
Recommendations?

2. What minor enhancements are required to the P1 and P2 protocols?

3. What other enhancements are required to the remainder of the
X.400Series Recommendations?

4. How best can X.400-based message handling be put to use to facilitate
widespread support for EDI?

5. What new content types, body part types, or both, if any, need be
defined to support EDI?

6. What new Recommendations, if any, should be written to specify X.400
support for EDI?

7. How best can X.400-based message handling be put to use to facilitate
store-and-forward file transfer?

8. What new content types, body part types, or both, if any, need be
defined to support store-and-forward file transfer?

9. What new Recommendations, if any, should be written to specify X.400
support for file transfer?

10. How can X.400-based message handling best support such other
applications as may be found to require standardization by CCITT?

11. What new techniques, services, and protocols based upon X.400 need
be developed to support electronic bulletin boards and message-based
computer conferencing?

12. What new Recommendations, if any, need be written to specify X.400
support for electronic bulletin boards and message-based computer
conferencing?

13. What new access units, if any, need be specified to support X.400
interworking with Telematic services?

14. What steps should be taken to maintain and enhance the MHS-PDS
intercommunication capability?

15. How, if at all, must the MHS-PDS intercommunication capability be
extended to support new applications?

16. What additional support for voice messaging (including voice in
interpersonal messaging, integrated voice and data messaging, voice
message system interworking, and voice messaging via ISDN) is required?

17. What additional support for the use of symmetric encryption
techniques in the provision of secure messaging is required?

18. What extensions are required to the security services and security
elements defined in the X.400-Series Recommendations in order to support
a wider range of secure message handling communication and applications,
e.g., interpersonal messaging involving remote users and users accessing
MHS through access units?