Mass information storage systems and records management: competing technologies and systems concepts

The dominant position of paper- and micrographics-based technologies for records management is challenged by emerging new storage systems. The need to document on paper and store on microform is reduced in applications where information is now communicated and administered in interactive computer-based systems. Properties of challenging technologies (magnetic mass memories, optical data disks) and associated systems concepts are compared with those of paper- and micrographics-based systems. Trends in shifting application advantages for the different records management alternatives are analyzed and guidelines presented on how to plan to avoid premature obsolescence of micrographics systems.