The sample size for the evaluation was also affected to some extent by the downtime on the system. In a distributed and networked environment there is a greater risk of failure somewhere along the line. The difficulties encountered during the field trial were more likely to stem from network faults themselves rather than failure of the ENQUIRE system components. When the network was functioning there was no evidence that delays affected users who accessed the system from LBS more than those on the local area network at City University.