*SIM Competition Papers:* Developing a Cost Justified Nation-Wide Communications Network: A Systematic Approach

This article traces the efforts of a development team seeking to define and install a timely cost-effective communications network in a situation that promised little in potential hard dollar savings. The “Information Systems” approach selected involved some newer technologies in combination with some older, almost prosaic, techniques. The article shows how value-added networks, non-simultaneous communications, voice/data sharing, ASCI protocols and the electronic PBX were combined to produce a dat network at literally no incremental cost to the corporation.