  Numerous systems for dissemination, retrieval, and archiving of documents
have been developed in the past. Those systems often focus on one of these
aspects and are hard to extend and combine. Typically, the transmission
protocols, query and filtering languages are fixed as well as the interfaces to
other systems. We rather envisage the seamless establishment of networks among
the providers, repositories and consumers of information, supporting
information retrieval and dissemination while being highly interoperable and
extensible.
  We propose a framework with a single event-based mechanism that unifies
document storage, retrieval, and dissemination. This framework offers complete
openness with respect to document and metadata formats, transmission protocols,
and filtering mechanisms. It specifies a high-level building kit, by which
arbitrary processors for document streams can be incorporated to support the
retrieval, transformation, aggregation and disaggregation of documents. Using
the same kit, interfaces for different transmission protocols can be added
easily to enable the communication with various information sources and
information consumers.
