Design and implementation of computer-aided workplaces at the State Central Statistical Office of the German Democratic Republic

Abstract

Based on twenty years of experience in the use of statistical data banks and confronted with the arrival of new technologies, the State Central Statistical Office of the GDR has to fix its strategy for the nineties. The most important step will be the implementation of computer-aided workplaces. They will enable statisticians to use both the powerful centralized capacities of extended data funds, sophisticated hardware, software and orgware and the decentralized facilities offered mainly by the growing performance of a variety of microcomputers. The way into the near future is characterized by a steady process of transforming the traditional mainframe-oriented behaviour of both statisticians and computer specialists into more and more workplace-oriented procedures for the combined use of centralized and decentralized information technology. As a main result it is expected that the subject-matter specialist will be more and better assisted by the highly automated statistical information system as a whole but will be freed from technical duties.