X.400(1988) for the Academic and Research Community in Europe
RFC 1616

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Network Working Group                          RARE WG-MSG Task Force 88
Request for Comments: 1616                                      May 1994
RARE Technical Report: 10
Category: Informational

     X.400(1988) for the Academic and Research Community in Europe

            A report by the RARE Task Force on X.400(1988)
             of the RARE Working Group on Mail & Messaging

Status of this Memo

   This memo provides information for the Internet community.  This memo
   does not specify an Internet standard of any kind.  Distribution of
   this memo is unlimited.

1.  Abstract

   The European research and development community, as represented by
   the member research networks of RARE, has lead the deployment within
   the global R&D community of X.400 electronic messaging services, as
   specified in the international recommendations CCITT X.400(1984), for
   more than five years. As a result of providing such services to the
   European R&D users it has become clear that there is an existing and
   ever increasing demand from these users for new and enhanced
   electronic messaging services and product to be used to communicate
   within the R&D community but within commercial service providers and
   organisations as well.

   It is also clear that new services, such as Multimedia messaging and
   Secure messaging, and the resulting products promise dramatic
   benefits and opportunities, for not only the R&D community but also
   for the wider commercial, industrial and public communities, in terms
   of facilitating innovative ways of working and living which can only
   enhance the missions and goals of the respective communities. Not
   least the establishment of globally pervasive messaging services
   between all users, R&D and commercial, is facilitated by the early
   adoption of such advanced new services. An indication of the
   importance of such a messaging service can be appreciated if one
   considers that in many organizations (especially commercially based)
   messaging may be the only method to communicate between independent
   organizations due to security considerations and lower layer network
   differences.

   The Commission of European Communities (CEC) VALUE subprogram II has
   been established to support initiatives relating to the development
   and adaptation of R&D networks in member states.  Amongst other

RARE WG-MSG Task Force 88                                       [Page 1]
RFC 1616     X.400(88) for European Academics and Research      May 1994

   initiatives the VALUE program supports X.400 initiatives in certain
   countries. VALUE support has so far been limited to X.400(1984)
   initiatives, as X.400(1984) has up until now been the dominating OSI
   services. However as X.400(1988) implementations have started to
   appear a VALUE funded study of the X.400(1988) aspects of messaging
   and their impact on the R&D community was felt necessary. This report
   is one of the results of that study.

   The report documents the results of a task force on X.400(1988)
   deployment of the RARE Mails and Messaging Work Group during the
   period from November 1992 until October 1993. Open reviews of the
   report have occurred in the RARE Mail and Messaging Work Group and
   within the IETF X.400ops Working Group.

   The scope of the report is limited to deployment of X.400(1988)
   services, and as such the report does not contain any recommendations
   on development and deployment of Internet RFC 822 / MIME/ PEM related
   (pilot) services. However, since the report shows that both
   X.400(1988) and RFC 822 / MIME / PEM will be developed and used
   within the European R&D community, such a pilot should also
   considered.  Note: RFC 822 is also known as Internet STD 11.

   Circulation of this report is unlimited. Comments on this report may
   be sent to the e-mail distribution list:

    RFC 822: wg-msg@rare.nl
    X.400:   S=wg-msg;O=rare;P=surf;A=400net;C=nl;

Task Force Members:

    Claudio Allocchio (INFN),
    Harald T. Alvestrand (SINTEF),
    James C. I. Craigie (JNT),
    Urs Eppenberger (SWITCH),
    Frode Hernes (maXware),
    Jeroen Houttuin (RARE),
    Erik Huizer (SURFnet) - chairman,
    Steve Kille (ISODE Consortium),
    James A. (Jim) Romaguera (NetConsult).

    Editors: James A. (Jim) Romaguera & Erik Huizer

   The work of this Task Force has been funded by the Commission of
   European Communities (CEC) VALUE subprogram II, Stichting SURF and
   SURFnet bv.

RARE WG-MSG Task Force 88                                       [Page 2]
RFC 1616     X.400(88) for European Academics and Research      May 1994

Table of Contents

   1.  Abstract                                                      1
   2.  Management Summary                                            3
   3.  Framework for the report                                      6
   4.  Present situation of European Messaging                       7
      4.1. Messaging services                                        7