OIA FOCAL POINT FOR CONTEXT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82T00285R000100250012-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 29, 2002
• Sequence Number: 12
• Publication Date: October 25, 1978
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Rble se~2 Z/II9' AROWMU $IM01OOT50012-5
OIA-95/78
25 October 1978
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director, CIA Operations Center
SUBJECT : OIA Focal Point for CONTEXT
REFERENCE : Your Memo of 17 October 1978, Subject: Remote/Secure
Conferencing Facilities for Community Consultation-
CONTEXT
1. I have designatedI l Chief, Technical STATINTL
Staff, OIA, as this office-s pry na i Local point for demonstra-STATINTL
STA INTL tions of the capabilities of CONTEXT.
STA INTL
may be contacted on extension
mailing address is Room 3N111,
Noel E. Firth
Director
Imagery Analysis
Distribution:
Original - Addressee
1 - NFAC/ODir
Approved For Release 2000 J,a?4: WI~;~~NAf. 115E V~Y 50012-5
ADI~Rt r - A vt
 Approved For Relea002/06/14: CIA-RDP82T00285R
17 Octobe
MEMORANDUM FOR: All NIOs and NFAC Office Heads
001 0025 p ICE OF
IA ANALYSIS
DIRECTOR I
DEP DIRECTOR
OFFI CLR
SECRETARY/DIR
SECRETARY/DEP DIR
9, 0..nrT
SUBJECT . Remote/Secure Conferencing Facilities for
Community Consultation--CONTEXT
1. This memorandum is designed to acquaint you with reference
facilities which can help you to conduct considerable amounts of
classified business with State., DIA or NSA particularly on time-sensitive
issues or papers without leaving the building. These facilities are
located within the 6F19 suite of the CIA Operations Center and consist
of a complex of communications equipment known as CONTEXT (Conferencing
and Text Editing). Included are a voice-activated conference telephone
set, a "Silent 700" teleprinter with keyboard and a visual display unit
for viewing and manipulating text, all secure. This set of equipment STATINTL
is integrated by a so-called "floppy disk" computer working off a large
2. Essentially this facility gives NIOs and analysts an opportunity
to hold conferences remotely on classified topics, minimizing the travel
time usually involved. Using ;just the voice-activated conference telephone
portion of CONTEXT and abetted by advance distribution of a draft via
LDX, urgent portions of a paper or an estimate can be discussed securely
with your community colleagues while you remain in this building with
access to your data base. The NIO/LA in particular has used the system
several times and has found it quite useful. We would like other addressees
as well to test what it has to offer as an aid to your community deliberations
remembering that the network is limited to, the State Operations Center,
the NSOC at NSA, and the NMIC at DIA, besides ourselves. There is also a
link at the F Street location of the D/DCI/RM.
3. Aside from the "ad hoc" use being encouraged herein, it is
intended to use CONTEXT as an analytical conferencing facility during
crises and pre-crisis times. This net, entitled NOIAN (National Operations
and Intelligence Analysts Network), is the analytical counterpart to the
secure voice-only net, NOIWON (National Operations and Intelligence Watch
Officer Network) which has functioned very successfully for about 4 years
now. This latter capability enables all the watch centers of the community,
plus the White House Situation Room (some 10 locations in all) to be in
immediate contact via a switch in the White House on urgent current
occurrences.
4. Demonstrations of the range of CONTEXT capabilities will be
conducted periodically during the next few months and we want to insure
Approved For Release 2002/06/14: CIA-RDP82T00285R000100250012-5
 App%ved For Relea 002/06/14: CIA-RDP82T00285R000100250012-5
that those in your office most likely to be helped by CONTEXT, all or
only part of it, be present at one of them. To that end we would appreciate
a written designation by you of your professional focal point in this STATINTL
regard. I would like your reply by COB 25 October 1978.
incen
Dire tor- Y
CIA Operations Center
Approved For Release 2002/06/14: CIA-RDP82T00285R000100250012-5