Trends in computing and office automation and their applications, including planning, institutional research, and general administrative support in higher education, are discussed. Changing aspects of information processing and an increasingly larger user community are considered. The computing literacy cycle may involve programming, analysis, use of report or query languages, and use of home or office computers. Computing and computing literacy programs already exist in preschools, elementary schools, and secondary schools, as well as colleges and universities. Applications include programmed instruction, drill and practice, dialogue with computers, modeling and simulation, and instruction in computer programming. Attention is directed to technological solutions to office problems, access to academic computing facilities, the need to consider the availability of appropriate personnel before selecting a service model, and the nature of technology and technological change. Three service models for computing services are considered: completely centralized, distributed, and external. Institutional researchers who become involved in distributed computing will probably become involved in the problems of common data element definitions, documentation, software development, standards, and communications. The extent to which technology will affect the services and institutional researchers depends on the nature of the researcher's activities. Data collection and maintenance, for example, should probably be centralized if many departments are involved or distributed if only a single department is involved. Some resource materials on technological developments are briefly described; and a bibliography is appended. (SW)