Currently, both Internet and the telephone network are running out of addresses for their subscribers. In the case of the Internet, a likely outcome is a major change in the protocol suite that will affect millions of computers. Providing the ability to evolve gracefully in any number of dimensions is essential to the successful commercialization of the Internet and its integration into a larger NII.
There are many possible visions for an NII … Such a network should be capable of carrying information services of all kinds, from suppliers of all kinds, to customers of all kinds, across network service providers of all kinds, in a seamless, accessible fashion.
To a large extent, the NII will be a transformation and extension of today’s computing and communication’s infrastructure … 1994 is a critical juncture … Meeting the challenge of “wiring up” the nation will depend on our ability not only to define the purposes that the NII is intended to serve, but also to ensure that the critical technical issues are considered and that the appropriate enabling physical infrastructure is put in place.
Give us a break! Must we have “hooter cancer survivors?”
People in information technology will need a business background to understand the business side as well as the changing nature of the field. “We’re actors and scriptwriters of the future.”
[We see a] convergence of technologies – powerful desktop computers; powerful, inexpensive “mainframes;” high-speed networks; standards; interoperability; and open systems, for example – that will reach a state of maturity in 1994.
Soon, digital video servers will transmit “on-demand” television programming.
How [do we] operate a network consisting of non-homogeneous software, incompatible hardware, and diverse communication links without excessive labor costs?
To function in a distributed/decentralized environment, client-server or peer-to-peer, organizations must develop an Information Constitution … to avoid bickering about whom and to whom information and responsibility rest.
You will soon use a computer, television, or phone to pay your bills – transferring electronic funds directly from your bank or credit card to Sears or the electric company.