UN.ARTICLE

               UNITED NATIONS INTRODUCES MULTI-USER MICROCOMPUTERS

                           INTO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES:

         PERFORMS VALUABLE STATISTICS OPERATIONS, ENCOURAGES TECHNOLOGY


         A number of young developing countries are now getting their first
    taste  of sophisticated  data processing, thanks to recently introduced
    microcomputer- equipped operations supported by the United Nations.  

         The UN   has   found   cost  effective   microcomputers  can  help
    participating countries  discover more about their current status while
    efficiently  planning  for  their  future,  despite wildly  fluctuating
    environments,  previously  uneducated  operators, and  remote technical
    support more than 5000 miles away.  

         According to  George   Sadowsky,  Technical  Advisor  in  Computer
    Methods,  the   UN  supports  technical  co-operation  activities  with
    significant  data  processing components  in 60 countries, ranging from
    study fellowships for individuals, to the installation of 21 mainframes
    to assist in the upcoming population census in the People's Republic of
    China.   In  many  countries, the  need to  acquire  and interpret such
    information  about  national  economic  and  social infrastructure  has
    necessitated the installation  of the first computing equipment  of any
    kind.  

         Because of  the   tendency  of  the  UN's  Statistical  Office  to
    introduce  the  first  computers  into  a  country  for  recording  and
    processing purposes,  a technical support group of computer specialists
    have recently developed and organized a microcomputer based approach to
    an  increasing number  of such projects.  Typical applications included
    accumulating industrial  and census data, as well as assisting national
    planning and demographic research efforts.  

         In late  1979,  Sadowsky had  the responsibility of supporting the
    data processing aspects  of the forthcoming census of  populatin in the
    Cape Verde Islands.   The idea of small systems  became more attractive
    when no  major supplier  would commit to meeting the  harsh environment
    and  service  requirements of  remote locations.  Microcomputers, being
    small and inexpensive, helped over come those problems.  

         "Appropriate Technology", complicated software problem 

         A far  more  complicated  requirement arose  when it  came  to the
    software to run the small systems.  

         "Appropriate Technology"  software required  enough sophistication
    and power  to complete  the various technical jobs of  the project, yet
    offer enough  end-user simplicity  to continue to serve other  emerging
    needs  of  the country  afterwards.  Sadowsky  has  found that the more
    user-oriented and less  mysterious the software is, the  more likely it
    is to be successfully used over a long period of time.  

         "We are   interested   not  only   in  transferring  the  hardware
    technology, but also in creating the human skills necessary to make the
    country as self-sufficient as possible when the UN's project objectives
    have been  met," stated Sadowsky.  "Otherwise, we don't foster ultimate
    independence from external sources." 

         Sadowsky was  also  interested  in  software capable  of providing
    services   akin  to   good  mainframe  services,  capable  of  reliable
    multi-user operation,  with advanced application development utilities,
    and the versatility to enhance a 
    wide  variety of  different hardware configurations needed for specific
    situations.  

         After evaluating different  systems, Sadowsky's group selected the
    OASIS operating system from Phase One Systems.  

         Versatile Operating System Choice 

         From the  human-engineered user  interface and other facilities to
    the advanced programming aids, OASIS has provided an excellent solution
    needed  to  fill the  diverse  needs  of  an  increasing number  of  UN
    projects.  

         UN advisers  have  easily learned  to manage and configure systems
    with  special  mainframe-like  utilities  such  as  "ATTACH"  commands.
    System designers  and programmers  have used the BASIC interpreter  and
    compiler to write readable, efficient functional programs in relatively
    short time  frames.  Menu-driven  operations made up from the  EXEC job
    control  language and  BASIC programs  help  users easily implement new
    procedures which  collect and analyze data.  Data files are transferred
    among  microcomputer  systems  with integral  communication facilities.
    Progress  reports  and  correspondence are  generated with the built-in
    editor and script processor.  

         Multi-user systems   implement   shared  resources   very  easily,
    spreading  the  cost and  advantages of  a hard disk, printer and  tape
    drive  over several  users.  "For  example, in census work, the  shared
    register concept  allows us  to manage the production and  control data
    units as it is being entered by several users," reports Sadowsky.  "For
    these reasons, we believe that multi-user systems have very significant
    advantages for  many  of  the  applications  we observe  in  developing
    nations." 

         Small Countries, Big Jobs 

         Microcomputers are currently supporting projects in more than five
    different countries, including the Cape Verde Islands, Ecuador, Comoros
    Islands, Mauritania, and Rwanda.  

         The 1979 Cape Verde  Islands project involved a limited  census of
    approximately 350,000  people.  Sadowsky's project brought in the first
    computer installation to the widely dispersed islands.  

         "Different computers  perform  data  entry/editing and  tabulation
    functions,"   explains  Sadowsky.    "We  will  use  SEND  and  RECIEVE
    capabilities  of OASIS  to pipe information between microcomputers used
    for  data  collection and  different brands  of  computers used for the
    memory and print-intensive tabulation phase of the census." 
         Before the  project  is  finished, a  resident UN technical expert
    will teach  programming and system maintenance to a small group of Cape
    Verdians.  

         In Ecuador, two  multi-user systems are being used to maintain the
    register  industrial  establishments and  compile industrial production
    statistics.   Data  entry  procedures are  enhanced by  the  ability to
    interweave good  CRT screen  control, code for on-line entry,  checking
    and production control and EXEC job control language procedures.  

         Similar systems  are a  contender for  use  in the next Ecuadorian
    population census in 1983/84.  

         A small microcomputer system is also being used on an experimental
    basis to enter and edit fertility survey data in Mauritania.  Here, the
    small  system  is  replacing  unintelligent  data  entry  equipment  at
    approximately equivalent cost.  Multi-user on-line editing and updating
    makes the UN system much more effective.  Because of this installation,
    Sadowsky  expects  microcomputer  systems  to replace  other data entry
    equipment on a fairly large scale in many countries.  

         Other census  enumeration  projects being  organized by the UN are
    located in  the Comoros  Islands and the principality of  Sao Tome.  In
    these  and future  projects,  systems  can  grow  from single  user  to
    multi-user, or  from floppy-based to hard disk-based, as well as 16-bit
    machines  without   problems.   This  growth  potential  is  especially
    important to the UN mission.  

         "You need to  be able  to provide the capability to  expand as the
    requirements  demand it,"  emphasizes Sadowsky.  "Our approach provides
    this capability." 

         Conditioned for Politics and Power 

         Coordinating the  various UN  projects involves both diplomacy and
    data  processing   experience.   On  several  occasions,  major  census
    projects have been delayed by unforseen circumstances.  

         As in developed countries, censuses are often seen as invasions of
    privacy or as  a method of obtaining control  of individual information
    that  might have  adverse consequences  either for citizens or for  the
    government in power.  

         Maintenance headaches,  though,  have  been  minimized by  using a
    multi-level  policy  of  power  conditioning and  equipment redundancy.
    Power   measurement   and   conditioning   procedures  compensate   for
    fluctuating  or   unreliable  power  supplies.   In  every  case  where
    microcomputers are used, the UN sends redundant units.  Fault isolation
    by  component  and  module  swapping  can  then  insure  that  progress
    continues.  

         "Ultimately, something is  going to  happen to any system we  send
    out; we want  to minimize the repercussions of  that failure," comments
    Sadowsky.  "Since  the hardware  and software costs of our  OASIS-based
    microcomputer  systems  are  only  about  30  percent  of a  comparable
    minicomputer system, we can afford to support this type of conservative
    maintenance policy." 

         Thinking systems   instead    of   separate   units   is   another
    unanticipated  requirement  brought  about  by  the micros.   Seemingly
    simple, inexpensive and easy to use, microcomputers are very seductive.
    But  they  still require  many functions  usually  handled by a central
    computer service, such as backing up disks and other system maintenance
    activities.   Straight-forward,  comprehensive software  helps Sadowsky
    accomplish this goal.  

         "We don't want uncertainties in the use or behavior of the systems
    to  interfere  with  our  work,"  describes  Sadowsky.   "We want  both
    hardware  and  software components  which support  us  by removing that
    uncertainty by behaving reliably, predictably, and powerfully." 

         Unix elegant, OASIS more appropriate 

         Recent popularity of Unix operating systems for microcomputers has
    not gone unnoticed; Sadowsky likes both OASIS and Unix.  

         "Unix is  a   very  elegant  system,  allowing  great  freedom  of
    expression as  a development  language, but it has a  limited and terse
    vocabulary which  few people can speak; fewer still can speak it really
    well,"   believes  Sadowsky.    "For  our  end-user  oriented  approach
    emphazing the  transfer in a reasonably comprehensive way of basic data
    processing technology, OASIS is much more appropriate." 

         Functionality furthers service capabilities 

         The interactive  computing  traditions  that  had  their roots  in
    mainframe and minicomputer developments have merged with micros in such
    a  way  as to  make  their  use  beneficial  to almost  any  developing
    environment.  In fact, Sadowsky believes that the UN's systems are some
    of the most effective computing configurations available today.  

         "I am at  home with them because they remind me of good facilities
    that I  have used  before," explains Sadowsky.  "I would  compare OASIS
    systems  favorably  with  systems like  IBM's CMS  or  DEC's TOPS-10 or
    RSTS/E." 

         Sadowsky is  also  convinced  the enhanced  functionality of their
    microcomputers has  been a major success factor in the UN projects, and
    plans to keep up the good work.  

         "We feel  that  our  strategy  of  putting in  microcomputer based
    systems with  good, supportive  software like OASIS is going  to become
    more prevalent in our pattern of assistance to developing countries." 

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