RFC 1616 (rfc1616) - Page 1 of 44

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Network Working Group                          RARE WG-MSG Task Force 88
Request for Comments: 1616                                      May 1994
RARE Technical Report: 10
Category: Informational


     X.400(1988) for the Academic and Research Community in Europe

            A report by the RARE Task Force on X.400(1988)
             of the RARE Working Group on Mail & Messaging

Status of this Memo

   This memo provides information for the Internet community.  This memo
   does not specify an Internet standard of any kind.  Distribution of
   this memo is unlimited.

1.  Abstract

   The European research and development community, as represented by
   the member research networks of RARE, has lead the deployment within
   the global R&D community of X.400 electronic messaging services, as
   specified in the international recommendations CCITT X.400(1984), for
   more than five years. As a result of providing such services to the
   European R&D users it has become clear that there is an existing and
   ever increasing demand from these users for new and enhanced
   electronic messaging services and product to be used to communicate
   within the R&D community but within commercial service providers and
   organisations as well.

   It is also clear that new services, such as Multimedia messaging and
   Secure messaging, and the resulting products promise dramatic
   benefits and opportunities, for not only the R&D community but also
   for the wider commercial, industrial and public communities, in terms
   of facilitating innovative ways of working and living which can only
   enhance the missions and goals of the respective communities. Not
   least the establishment of globally pervasive messaging services
   between all users, R&D and commercial, is facilitated by the early
   adoption of such advanced new services. An indication of the
   importance of such a messaging service can be appreciated if one
   considers that in many organizations (especially commercially based)
   messaging may be the only method to communicate between independent
   organizations due to security considerations and lower layer network
   differences.

   The Commission of European Communities (CEC) VALUE subprogram II has
   been established to support initiatives relating to the development
   and adaptation of R&D networks in member states.  Amongst other



RARE WG-MSG Task Force 88
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