PRINTING AND PHOTOGRAPHY GROUP COMPOSITION SYSTEM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP12-00036R000100170001-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 31, 2013
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: November 30, 1990
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/07/31 : CIA-RDP12-00036R000100170001-2
SE ET/DRAFT
OL -91
30 November 1990
MEMORANDUM: Deputy Director for Administration
FROM: Director of Logistics
SUBJECT: Printing and Photography Group Composition System
It is requested that the Office of Logistics, Printing and
Photography Group (P&PG) be granted $1.2 million for the
procurement of a partial replacement of the prepress composition
system. P&PG established a Modernization Task Force in April
1990 for this effort to replace obsolete systems, and is prepared
to purchase a new and enhanced system that will provide increased
throughput of finished intelligence publications. Failure in the
replacement of this equipment as scheduled will result in a
severe adverse impact on P&PG's operation and the Agency's
mission.
Budget cuts in P&PG have left insufficient funds in our Base
Program to provide adequately for planned equipment replacement.
During the past seven years, we have submitted a number of
initiatives to replace and improve existing equipment and
production procesl. None of these have survived the cut. It is
imperative that we recognize the severity of this problem and
take necessary corrective action.
P&PG's primary mission is to provide Agency wide printing
and photographic support which includes the daily production of
finished intelligence publications such as the President's Daily
Brief (PDB), the National Intelligence Daily (NID), and the
National Intelligence Estimates (NIE). The information explosion
of the eighties brought with it a more complex, diverse, and
dynamic environment in which to analyze and report on
intelligence issues. The issues are so complex and developing so
rapidly that accurate and timely Intelligence estimates are
essential. The analyst's ability to provide policy makers with
information which can be assimilated as quickly as possible is
critical to the Agency's success. Analysts now require more
timely and sophisticated publications and visual aids in order to
get their messages out and across to policrinakers. These
requirements place new and greater demands on our printing and
photography systems. The Agency's success in meeting these
challenges hinges on the reliability, availability, and
capabilities of P&PG's production equipment.
Much of P&PG's equipment is either technologically obsolete
or has surpassed its useful life expectancy. Vendors have
indicated they will release new state-of-the-art equipment and
SE
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/07/31 : CIA-RDP12-00036R000100170001-2
SECRET/ DRAFT
SUBJECT: Printing and Photography Group Composition System
will discontinue routine maintenance and repair services of
existing equipment in the early nineties. Therefore, it is
imperative that P&PG replace its dated and worn out composition
systems with state-of-the-art equipment both to maintain and
enhance P&PG's capability to product time-criticalAintelligence
publications.
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P&PG's present systems can not keep pace with demands being
placed on them. Intensifying demands coupled with increasing
equipment dowraime because of maintenance problems could prove
to be disastrous when the Agency fails to meet daily deadlines
for producing high profile finished intelligence publications and
briefing aids. In addition, other requests will continue to
increase backlogs, throughput time will increase, and P&PG will
be forced to reject requests because deadlines can not be met.
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During FY 90, three major developments occurred that have an
impact on the need and capabilities of a new composition system:
a) The Office of Current Production and Analytic Support
(CPAS), PDB Staff brought ortgine a new PC based Local Area ;g19t-
Network (LAN), and at a later date the NID, for the
production of these publications in a more efficient manner.
This LAN must integrate with the new composition system to
provide adequate support capability for quick processing of
these publications, P&PG's current system does not provide
this support.
b) Foreign Broadcast Information Service, Office of
Scientific and Weapons Research, Office of Current
Production and Analytic Support, P&PG and other offices in
the Intelligence Community have been working on developing a
method to standardize databases used for publishing CIA
documents. Currently the Agency is researching the
application and impact of Standard Generalized Markup
Language (SGML). SGML along with a new composition system
will provide the Agency and the Intelligence Community with
a method of returning to the customer a electronic copy of
the final edited document for archiving or future updating.
This concept has been reviewed by the Information System
Planning Group (ISPG) of the Directorate of Planning and P
Coordination. The ISPG has endorsed this concept and is -""'"v("s?
(? recommending SGML as an Agency Strategic Direction to e
Information Standards Board (ISB). P&PG compositio will be
the primary office for testing and evaluating SGML. The
impact of this project reaches far beyond the area of
printing. The present composition systems cannot support
SGML software and the purchase of a new composition system
is mandatory for this project.
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/07/31 : CIA-RDP12-00036R000100170001-2
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/07/31 : CIA-RDP12-00036R000100170001-2
SECRET /DRAFT
SUBJECT: Printing and Photography Group Composition System
C) The present P&PG Atex and Xyvision composition systems
are at the end of their life-cycle. In 1989, a plan was
developed to replace these systems in FY 91. The Xyvision
hardware and software is no longer supported by the vendor
All of the Xyvision work has been moved onto the Atex system
as a short term solution. However, the Atex system cannot
maintain the increased worCload for an extended period of
time without overloading the composition system. Atex has
informed P&PG that they will no long support P&PG's version
after 1994.
In the light of these events, we request your support of
$1.2 million to P&PG's FY 91 Initiative for the procurement of a
partial replacement of the prepress composition system. P&PG
plans to use this $1.2 million to procure four stand-alone
systems during FY 91. These systems will be placed in CPAS, LDA,
FBIS and P&PG for testing, developing, and implementati,6)SGML
for the Agency's major publications. In short, with these funds,
we will be able to keep pace with the increasing intelligence
production demands as well a to develop a standard for data
storage within the Agency.
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Any additional information regarding this request can be
obtained from . Chief. P&PG. He can be reached on STAT
extension (nonsecure). 225X1
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SECRET /DRAFT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/07/31 : CIA-RDP12-00036R000100170001-2
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/07/31 : CIA-RDP12-00036R000100170001-2
4. nO
IP IIP
SECRET
OL -91
30 November 1990
MEMORANDUM: Deputy Director for Administration
FROM: Director of Logistics
SUBJECT: Printing and Photography Group Composition System
It is requested that the Printing and Photography Group, Office of Logistics (P&PG/OL)
be granted $1.2 million for the procurement of a partial replacement of the prepress composition
system. P&PG established a Task Force in April 1990 for this effort and is prepared to purchase
a new and enhanced system that will provide increased throughput of finished intelligence
o.vt- publications.; . Failure in the replacement of this equipment as
scheduled will result in a severe adverse impact on P&PG's operation and the Agency's mission.
Budget cuts in P&PG have left insufficient funds in our Base Program to provide
adequately for planned equipment replacement. During the past seven years, we have submitted
a number of initiatives to replace and improve existing equipment and production process. None
of these have survived the cut. It is imperative that we recognize the severity of this problem
and take necessary corrective action.
P&PG's primary mission is to provide agency wide printing and photography support
which includes the daily production of finished intelligence publications such as the President's
Daily Brief (PDB), the National Intelligence Daily (Nil)), and the National Intelligence
Estimates (NIE). The information explosion of the eighties brought with it a more complex,
diverse, and dynamic environment in which to analyze and report on intelligence issues. The
issues are so complex and developing so rapidly that accurate and timely Intelligence estimates
are essential. The analyst's ability to provide policy makers with information which can be
assimilated as quickly as possible is critical to the Agency's success.. Analysts now require more
timely and sophisticated publications and visual aids in order to get their messages out and
across to policy makers. These requirements place new and greater demands on our printing and
photography systems. The Agency's success in meeting these challenges hinges on the
reliability, availability, and capabilities of P&PG's production equipmen
Much of P&PG's equipment is either technologically obsolete or has surpassed its useful
life expectancy. Vendors have indicated they will release new state-of-the-art equipment and
will discontinue routine maintenance and repair services of existing equipment in the early
nineties. Therefore, it is imperative that P&PG replace its dated and worn out composition
systems with state-of-the-art equipment both to maintain and enhance P&PG's capability to
product time-critical intelligence publication
P&PG's present systems can not keep pace with demands being placed on them.
Intensifying demands coupled with increasing equipment down time because of maintenance
problems could prove to be disastrous when the Agency fails to meet daily deadlines for
producing high profile finished intelligence publications and briefing aids. In addition other
requests will continue to increase backlogs, throughput time will increase, and P&PG will be
forced to reject requests because deadlines can not be met.
1
SECRET
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/07/31 : CIA-RDP12-00036R000100170001-2
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/07/31 : CIA-RDP12-00036R000100170001-2
vir
SECRET
SUBJECT: Printing and Photography Group Composition Systemj
During FY90, three major developments occurred that have an impact on the need and
capabilities of a new composition system:
a) The Office of Current Production and Analytic Support (CPAS), PDB Staff
brought on-line a new PC based Local Area Network (LAN), and at a later date the N1D,
for the production of these publications in a more efficient manner. This LAN must
integrate with the new composition system to provide adequate support capability for
quick processing of these publications, P&PG's current system does not provide this
support.
40 (a"
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b) Foreign Broadcast Information Service, Office of Scientific and Weapons
Research, Office of Current Production and Analytic Support, P&PG and other offices in
the Intelligence Community have been working on developing a method to standardize
databases used for publishing CIA documents. Currently the Agency is researching the
application and impact of Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML). SGML
along with a new composition system will provide the Agency and the Intelligence
Community with a method of returning to the customer a electronic copy of the final
edited document for archiving or future updating. This concept has been reviewed by the
Information System Planning Group (ISPG) of the Directorate of Planning and
Coordination. The ISPG has endorsed this concept and is recommending SGML as an
Agency Strategic Direction to the Information Standards Board (ISB). P&PG
composition will be the primary office for testing and evaluating SGML. The impact of
this project reaches far beyond the area of printing. The present composition systems
cannot support SGML software and the purchase of a new composition system is
mandatory for this project
c) The present P&PG Atex and Xyvision composition systems are at the end of their
life-cycle. The Xyvision hardware and software is no longer supported by the vendor
All of the Xyvision work has been moved onto the Atex system as a short term solution.
However, the Atex system cannot maintain the increased work load for an extended
period of time without overloading the composition system. Atex has informed P&PG
that they will n support their most current version after 199,1, P&PG is several
versions behind
In the light of these events, we request your support of $1.2 million to P&PG's FY9
Initiative for the procurement of a partial replacement of the prepress composition system
rthele funds, we will be able to keep pace with the increasing intelligence production deman
Any additional information regarding this reiuest can be obtained from
P&PG. He can be reached on extensio secure) or extension
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nonsecure
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ILLEGIB
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/07/31 : CIA-RDP12-00036R000100170001-2