ABSTRACT
Data service which is an $8 billion industry has many features and advantages that can be seen as a complement to in-house computing. Commercial network data services can be used to complement in-house computing and the opportunities and challenges minicomputers represent within colleges or universities. Productivity is a word often used with reference to cost. People are the most important asset computer centers have as well as the most costly. Consequently, prudent use of that resource is essential to minimizing the overall cost of providing computing services. The 1980s will obviously require a change in the attitude of university computing centers toward providing services rather than cycles. A good example of coping with change is the overwhelming population of minis. Computer networks can make technology, data, and software available to government and industry as well as to the academic community.
