Afterword: Evolving towards OSI

Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) will be achieved gradually by evolution over the next decade. The initial standards required to achieve simple systems interconnection for file transfer and message handling will be finalized by the end of 1984. Government and industry are cooperating to provide the single family of standards which users need. Computer manufacturers and network providers are planning to provide evolutionary growth paths to OSI for their users. A major U.S. national demonstration of OSI is planned for 1984. By the end of the decade, open systems information exchange will be commonplace in North America, Europe, and Japan.