, кто умный =) Exercise 99
Here is a conversation between an administrative manager and a
communications engineer. Transform it into indirect speech. Use
past tenses. Make all the necessary changes.

Administrative manager (Ad. M.):

- So you think we should change the system?

Communications engineer (C. Eng.):

- Yes, I do. We're having a lot of problems with the existing
configuration.

Ad. M.: So, what do you suggest?

C. Eng.: Well, at the moment we're using a modem linked up direct to
our microcomputer and the telephone line. Very simple, in
theory we send files from our computer direct to our clients’
computers using a software package called ‘Communicate’.

Ad. M.: OK ... Well, sounds fine. What's the problem?

C. Eng.: Well, the weak link is the line. As you know a lot of our clients
are overseas and we are having problems with the lines. The
files are being transmitted but they are not arriving in the same
form. The data are being corrupted.

Ad. M.: What does that mean?

C. Eng.: Well, say we send a 10 page contract to a client in France.
We make the connection, start transmitting and then there's a
fault on the line and they receive the contract with some
parts missing, or parts they can't understand

Ad. M.: That sounds bad.

C. Eng.: Even more serious is that it's costing us a lot of money in call
charges. Call charges on international lines are high and each
time we send a report or contract - let's say 10 pages long - it
takes up to'S minutes to transmit - longer if we have problems
with the line.

Ad. M.: Yes, that is serious. So what do you suggest?

C. Eng.: Well, I think we should use an electronic mailbox.

Ad. M.: How does that work?

C. Eng.: Very simply really. We subscribe to a service called

DIALCOM. We send our files to a central computer. The files
are stored there and our clients can get the file out when they
want. We use. our existing equipment and so we only have to
pay for the subscription and the call charges.

Ad. M.: How expensive is it?

C. Eng.: It's cheaper, but more important - the system uses a data
network, not the normal telephone lines; so transmission is faster
and more reliable - there's less chance of the data being
corrupted.

Ad. M.: Alright, I think we should go ahead.