Commercial Information Management System

Overview
The Commercial Information Management System (CIMS) is designed to link the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service's (US&FCS) overseas posts and domestic offices to a central data base in the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration's headquarters. The central data base contains three major files: (1) the client file (a list of domestic and foreign traders), (2) a research file (a repository of market research reports), and (3) an events file (which contains upcoming trade promotion activities). CIMS was a major technical and cost undertaking and its design and implementation, to a large extent, have been driven by State Department system automation and security requirements for overseas installations.