Implementation of OSI-a UK government view

The Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency (CCTA) is an agency of the British Treasury. Its mission is to assist UK government departments to obtain the most efficient and effective use of IT and telecommunications facilities. The agency has a number of teams operating to develop, with other departments and the IT trade, the policies which government will support over the next five to ten years. The development of one of these policies, the adoption of the open systems interconnection (OSI) protocols, is discussed. A background of the CCTA is given and past experience in the development of OSI is related. An overview of the OSI policy is given, and the testing of the protocols and legislation of policy is reviewed