technical office protocol (OSI) (TOP)

After the NCC 1984 (National Computer Conference), Boeing tried to push the development of local networks based on CSMA/ CD. Under the project name Technical Office Protocol (TOP), suitable protocol specifications were defined in close accordance with the MAP protocol approach. From the outset, data exchange between the Manufacturing Automation Protocol (MAP) and the Technical Office Protocol (TOP) was part of this concept.

TOP defines six application areas: Physical Access, E-mail, Document Architecture, Graphics Exchange, Product Data, and Virtual Terminal. In 1985, a convincing presentation of the feasibility of the TOP concept and communication with MAP via a gateway was demonstrated. Boeing's TOP specification version 1 was adopted in 1985. Later, these activities were discontinued.