In This Issue

What is the Internet: Pg 1-2

FastSwitch 10/100 AG from Grand Junction: Pg 3-4

Northwest Computer Show Infor: Pg 2

New Addition to KMJ: Pg 4

What is the Internet?

By MARJORY JOHNSON

The Internet is a network of networks. Unlike other public telecommunications networks, it is not managed by a single corporation, government agency, or other entity. Rather, it is a cooperative interconnection of many such single-entity networks. The Internet grew out of a government-funded network with restricted access. Beginning in 1989, it began the evolution to commercial status, and many of today's Internet providers are for-profit businesses.

According to an article from Data Communications January 1991, a major networking paradigm has emerged-an interconnection model so powerful it will entirely transform the face of networking before the year 2000. Gone will be the proprietary architectures like IBM's SNA and Digital Equipment Corporation's DECnet. Gone will be the tight linkage between computing and networking purchases. Gone will be the traditional ties between a vendor's network applications and the underlying communications infrastructure.

The use of the Internet was initially for scientific and academic research. As the Internet began to migrate to commercial status, it also became a vehicle for business research. The Internet now provides access to literally thousands of information sources on topics ranging from economic indicators to government regulations.

In the early 1990's, the use of the Internet still required a high level of technical expertise, and did not represent a viable option for mainline business activities. Recent innovations have made the Internet fully accessible to nontechnical individuals, and are unleasing a new wave of business applications. The World Wide Web (WWW) is one such innovation. Information made available via the Web can be rich and multi-sensory; it can include not only plain text, but colors, multiple fonts, high quality graphics, sound, and even video clips. This information can be made accessible in ways that tailor it to each user of the information.

There are basically three ways of participating in the Internet. These are not mutually exclusive, and some enterprises will require all three.

1. Individual Use

An individual personal computer (PC) may be connected to the Internet via normal dialup telephone lines. To obtain full Internet capability appropriate software needs to be installed on the PC.

Internet Service Providers offer various dialup services for both...

See Internet on page 2.