It is a technological experiment because it pushes, in a production and robust networked environment, a large set of electronic information. It is an economic experiment to determine usage and suggest alternative purchase arrangements for scholarly information rather than the traditional subscriptions for printed journals. In college and university administration, I have seen a number of applications using image technology that are being sold for specific solutions. Image-processing technology is at a key evolutionary stage, and I believe it is very easy to invest too much, too soon in these technologies. Earlier technologies such as Sony Betamax videotapes and Wang word processing systems recall good, solid technologies that did not survive in the marketplace.
Network performance is probably the most significant finding.
Image systems require significant network capacity at this stage of development of image technology. Each image is a much more significant amount of information than text, and places significant demands on network resources. Equally important is a finding that is obvious in retrospect. In key areas of image processing there are no standards, which are needed if broad interoperability is to be achieved. And, of course, there is the already mentioned issue of network capacity.