COM IS A TECHNOLOGY WHICH DIRECTLY RECORDS COMPUTER OUTPUT ON MICROFILM RATHER THAN PAPER. A GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE ANALYSIS OF REPORTS OF EIGHT FEDERAL PROGRAMS AND DISCUSSIONS WITH REPORT USERS INDICATE THAT ABOUT 1.2 MILLION PAGES OF AN ESTIMATED 3.9 MILLION PAGES OF REPORTS PRODUCED MONTHLY COULD BE CONVERTED TO MICROFILM AT AN ESTIMATED ANNUAL SAVINGS OF ABOUT $1 MILLION. FURTHER, COM REPORTS ARE LESS EXPENSIVE TO STORE AND REPRODUCE THAN PAPER REPORTS. COMPUTER OUTPUT ON MICROFILM CAN ALSO BE RETRIEVED FASTER THAN DATA ON PAPER. ALTHOUGH COM HAS DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT ADVANTAGES OVER THE USE OF PAPER, THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN RELUCTANT TO USE IT BECAUSE OF ITS UNFAMILIARITY AND THE PROCEDURAL CHANGES REQUIRED. TO PROVIDE FOR ORDERLY AND PRODUCTIVE USE OF COM EQUIPMENT, THE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (GSA) SHOULD INFORM FEDERAL MANAGERS OF THE BENEFITS OF COM, SUGGEST THAT AGENCIES INVESTIGATE WHETHER COM COULD INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY AND LOWER THE COST OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, AND ENCOURAGE FEDERAL AGENCIES TO SHARE EXISTING COM EQUIPMENT, PARTICULARLY IN AREAS WITH CONCENTRATIONS OF FEDERAL AGENCIES. THE GSA IS CURRENTLY PREPARING A HANDBOOK ON THE ANALYSIS AND DESIGN OF COM INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND IS SPONSORING A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MICROGRAPHICS COUNCIL. APPENDIXES CONTAIN RELEVANT CORRESPONDENCE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--RCB)