User requirements vs. OSI application services

The RACE II project EuroBridge aims at the development of a multipurpose communication service platform. This platform: comprises those OSI services that are actually required; features adequate enhancements of OSI services based on real user requirements; and integrates store and forward services with real-time audio/video. The platform will thus provide a true multimedia communication service. To achieve this goal in a way that user demands are met appropriately, EuroBridge has conducted investigations into user requirements and will base future developments on the outcome of these studies. Until now, the requirements analysis has focussed on file transfer and electronic mail, which have been identified as the most prominent store-and-forward services. The paper discusses the requirements on a file transfer service and proposes appropriate enhancements to the OSI representative, FTAM. It also deals analogously with the electronic mail service, and gives some concluding remarks