Note: [1] Anton Klas, Professor of Statistics. Director of the Institute of Socio-Economic Information and Automation in Management (VUSEI-AR), Bratislava, Czechoslovakia. Member of the International Statistical Institute, one of the founders of the International Association for Statistical Computing. Previously, he lectured on theoretical statistics, information theory and economic cybernetics at the School of Economics in Bratislava. He is the main co-ordinator of the research programme on socio-economic information and automation in management of Czechoslovakia. He has published works in economic analysis, economic modelling, computerization of information systems and theory of statistics.
Note: [2] Jozef Barta, a project leader at the Institute of Socio-Economic Information and Automation in Management (VUSEI-AI), Bratislava, Czechoslovakia. His main responsibility is the design and development of the territorial network of computing centres of the state administration, with major emphasis on data communication/application protocols, data communication software/ and the application of mini- and microcomputers. He was lecturer on computer science at the Slovak Technical University, Bratislava. He has published papers on network design, flow control problems, etc.
Abstract: The widespread availability of mini- and microcomputers offers new means for the improvement of statistical services. Information on the development of small computer applications in statistics is available in various European countries. The computing power and a broad spectrum of application software facilitate the territorial and functional decentralization (processing, data, activities and functions). Better chances for a gradual development of the computing facilities of the organization, new prospective applications (electronic mail, office automation, distributed file system) are offered. The mini- (micro-) mainframe connection is widely used and has significantly improved the functional capabilities of both types of machines. A careful planning and gradual implementation of mini's and micro's applications in the statistical services is highly recommended. The mini- and microcomputers in the Czechoslovak statistical service are being applied according to the project of the territorial network of computing centres of the state administration.
