During the last ten years, much has been said and written about office automation.

The term refers collectively to those computer-based applications associated with general office work. Office automation applications include word processing, data entry, electronic mail, image processing, voice processing, and office information systems. Each of these applications is discussed below.

Word processing, the cornerstone of office automation, revolves around written communication and is found wherever there is an office with a computer. Word processing means using the computer to enter, store, manipulate, and print text in letters, memos, reports, books and so on.

Your college computers probably have word processing software that can make preparing reports and term papers much easier and neater than writing them out by hand or by typing them. With word processing, you will have to key in only the initial draft; then you can make revisions and corrections to the disk-based draft until it is ready to be printed in final form.

The data entry function is usually part of a more encompassing information system, but since it is a traditional office function, data entry is sometimes associated with office automation.

The electronic mail application lets us send message to people in the next office, in Japan, or anywhere in the "data communications world". Most companies are moving in the direction of linking their computers, including PCs, together in a computer network. This enables employees to route messages to each other via electronic mail. A message can be a note, letter, report, chart, or even a procedures manual. Each employee at a company is assigned an "electronic mailbox" on disk storage in which messages are received and stored. An employee "opens" and "reads" his or her electronic mail by simply going to the nearest workstation and recalling messages from storage.

Electronic mail is becoming a very common business use of computers. It's a lot faster, more effective, and a good deal less expensive than interoffice mail.