Information Centers in the United States Marine Corps: control of end-user computing

Abstract

The proliferation of personal computers and end- user computing (EUC) in the United States Marine Corps during the last ten years is well documented and now plays an important role in USMC readiness. The control and planning of personal computers and EUC at the regional level is performed by the Information Systems Management Office (ISMO), the equivalent of the private industry's Information Center (IC). Unlike the USMC mainframe and telecommunications environments, the ISMO environment is loosely controlled from the Headquarters Marine Corps level. This fact has resulted in a "substantial inventory of incompatible equipment and software." (MCBul 5271, 1987, p. 4-6) This study concludes that the most significant limiting factor facing the Marine Corps' corporate strategy for control of its ISMO's is a lack of standards and specific direction. The requirement for developing a centralized HQMC directed ISMO policy for control of ISMO resources was confirmed.