The Telenet Report JL ® " Telenet Communications Corporation, 1050 17th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036. (202)637-7900 Volume 3, Number 1, February 1976 Profile of TelenetSubscribers: Wide Range of Computer Systems Sign Onto Telenet's Public Network Who is a typical Telenet subscriber? tions. Some have extensive networks graphic databases which theircustomers What kind of computer system does he which currently operate in parallel with may access through Telenet. Lockheed's have and how is he using public packet Telenet's, while others utilize no other Dialog" service, for example, permits switching service? network facilities. There are hosts con- searching files containing millions of ab- Thelogical mapof the network on page nected to the network by means of a stracts of technical, educa- 2 shows the particular host computers singleasynchronous communication tional, social, agricultural and business that have been connected to the Telenet line, or multiple asynchronous direct literature and retrieving selected items. network in our first six months of opera- channels into a Telenet Access Con- SUNY's biomedical information retrieval tion. Several dozen additional hosts are traileron theirpremises. There are other scheduled for service during the first hosts that are connected by means of quarterof 1976, and network expansion synchronous communication lines em- both within Telenet Central Offices and ploying powerful network access proto- into new cities is also underway. cols. Most Telenet subscribersare using the Most subscribers made no changesto network to provide remote terminal their systems when connecting to the access to their host computer, but the network, while others either installed range of systems and applications are Telenet-furnished network interface soft- diverse. Some subscriber systems, such ware, or wrote their own. as MlT's IBM 370/168 are very large, Services Offered while others are low-cost minicomputers. Significantly, the network is accommo- A number of hosts are offering commer- dating a wide range of quite different " cial computer services, computer while others are remote-access applications, using Telenet solely for in-house applica- Several subscribers maintain biblio-

Packet Nets Agree on Standard Interface

Substantial progress has been made The X-25 interface protocol is very in reaching worldwide agreement on a similar to the current Telenet host inter- Medical researchers can access "Medline" standard host interface to public packet- face specification. It is based on the con- through Telenet and instantly retrieve bib- switched networks. cept of virtual connections whereby no liographic references on any topic in their A major toward field. Severalcomputer systems connected effort this end has been actual channel capacity is utilized except to Telenet provide this valuable medical undertaken by the CCITT (Consultative when datais being sent. data base service. Committee on International Telephone The new protocol is currently being and Telegraph].Continuing theprogress implemented by both Telenet and the service, to gov- made at the last CCITT meeting in Sep- Trans-Canada System and should be available academic and tember, the major countries involved in available to customers by mid-1976, ernmentorganizationson a membership basis, also permits packet networks have jointly prepared Telenet's current host interfacewill, how- search and retrieval of medical, educational, biological and agreed upon a complete detailed ever, continue to be supported by and the psychological interface specification. Labeled "X-25," network. literature abstracts. At this writing, bibliographic theprotocol has been formally submitted An internationally agreed upon stand- another information offered by Systems to the CCITT by the United Kingdom and ard is seen as a major step in retrieval system, De- forward velopmentCorporation, France with the concurrence of Telenet providing guidelines forcarriersand is also scheduled data to make through and the Trans-Canada Telephone Sys- processing equipment its service available manufacturers Telenetfacilities. tern. It will be discussed at the organiza- and in hastening the development of tion's meeting in Geneva in late February. worldwidepacket-switching service. (continued on 2) Telenet®and _L ''areregistered service marks Telenet Communications Corporation "Copyright 1976 Telenet Communications Corporation

scientific,

page of Profile of Telenet Opens New Telenet Subscribers: Markets to Time-Sharing Systems " Regional time-sharing systems that want to become national in scope are typical of many Telenet subscribers. Two northeastern computer services-one commercial, the other non-profit-illus- trate how and why public networking fits into theirfuture growth plans.

DartmouthTime Sharing System "We're more computer specialists than communications managers." That, ac- cording to Gene Fucci, Assistant Direc- tor of the Kiewit Computation Dartmouth College, is why it makes more sense to let Telenet handle networking for its computer time-sharing system (DTSS). Located in Hanover, New Hampshire, Dartmouth has for several years shared its exceptional computer resources and uniquedatabanks with othereducational institutions in the northeast. Some 50 This logical map shows the kinds of host computers using Telenet service, as of the end of January. colleges are connected to DTSS over a network of leased lines and frequency (continuedtrom page D ing services through Telenet facilities division multiplexers. With the advent of Several large commercial computing Programmed Business Systems of Min- Telenet, it has becomepractical for DTSS service companies with extensive nation- nesota, offering accounting-oriented ser- to offer its services to universities and wide private networks of their own also vices and systems implemented on a schools in distantparts of the country as utilize Telenet. Scientific Time Sharing Prime 300 mini-computer, utilizes the well, without the necessity of installing Corp., one of Telenet's earliest subscrib- network to provide remote access to its and maintaining leased lines. One of its ers and a leader in the development and specialized service. One mini-computer first users via Telenet is the National use of the APL programming language, Prime Computer Inc., Opinion Research Council at the Uni- offers its APLplus® service through Tele- Telenet's principal supplier of computer versity of Chicago. net. Data Resources Inc., headed by equipment, saw yet another possibility. Fucci equates Telenet with being able Professor Otto Eckstein, well-known Their field salesmen have used the net- "to buy communications by the ounce Harvard economist, offers an econo- work to conduct live customer demon- rather than by the pound." He points out metric modeling service utilizing a large strations of the Prime 300 interactive that the'resulting lower communications file of economic data. By supplementing system from remote locations. costs will now make it more economical their own nationwide networks with Tele- In-house computer departments, such forremotesmaller collegesto gainaccess net STSC and DRI are able to as that of Shawmut Bank in Boston, are to the "big systems" like Dartmouth's more easily accommodate rapid growth finding Telenet service an advantageous Honeywell 6000 equipment and to take and provide backup for their own net- way toobtain network capabilitieswithout advantage of the many education-ori- workfacilities as well. requiring the capital investment, long ented computer programs developed at A numberof otherTelenet subscribers delays, and maintenanceburdens asso- Dartmouth over thepast decade. whohave offeredcommercial computing ciated with developing and operating a Thecoast-to-coastavailabilityof Telenet services primarily on a regional basis are private network. local dial-in numbers is also an important now able to market their services nation- The latter advantages are of particular plus for Dartmouth's own faculty and wide. Among them are Interactive Sci- value to universities which seek to have students, 93 percent of whom use com- ences of Braintree, Mass., First Data the computer resources at all academic puting in their academic work. Since the Corp. of Waltham, Mass, and Computer and research centers available to any college operates on a four-semestersys- Sharing Inc. of Denver. individual faculty member or student. tern, many of the faculty are likely to be Operatorsof minicomputer-basedsys- These are but a few of the ways that off campus at any one time. Now they terns are benefiting by the network too. different organizationsare using Telenet. can conveniently continue their com- National Computer Network of Chicago, As other novel applications of the net- puting work from any part of the country using a small-scale Honeywell 1648 sys- work emerge, these will be reported in by dialing into a nearby Telenet Central tern, offers low-cost interactive cornput- future issues of the Telenet Report. Office, (continuedon 4)

Center,

manufacturer,

facilities,

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page Telenet will intr Jial-in service for jps terminals this spring. It will be " available in selected Telenet C tral Offices based on the needs ofterminal jsers for this higher operating speec At the present time network users can jperate at 1200 bps and higher over private dial and leased channel ports at fixed monthly rates, and. several sub scribers have chosen this option. Host computers connected to the net work by means of the network interface protocolwill be ableto handle dial-in 1 200 bps terminals immediately without any changes. Hosts connected by means of Telenet Access Controllers must be equippedwith 1 200 bps subchannels (at Barry Wessler, at right, goes overnew developments with two members of his systems engi- neering staff, Rich Hovey, at left, and Mike Ford. per month) to handle 1200 bps terminals Systems Engineers: Tariff rates for service are presently being finalized. Contact your Telenet rep resentativeforfurther information regard ing rates and availability As an end-to-endcommunications ser- neering from the University of Utah in Telenet promises total communica- additiontoßSEEand MSEE degreesfrom pport. Part of this package is MIT. With the company since 1973, he Also in the second quarter, Telenet hnical consultation, costing analysis was a key figure in the design and devel public dial ports will accommodateIBM's and systems design -all wrapped up in a opmentofthe network. Like many others new 3767 communicationsterminal and multi-talented group of people calledsys- in the company, he grew up with packet 5100 desk-top computer, operating in terns engineers. switching technology as a research pro 2741 mode. The 3767 will be supported " Inateameffortunique amongcommon grammanagerin the Advanced Research at 300 bps, while the 5100 will be sup- arriers, a systems engineer and a Tele- Agency (ARPA) of the Department of ported at both 134.5 and 300 bps. The net sales representative work with each which operates the first US 3767 is a keyboard/printer intended to subscriber right from the start to plan packet-switching network, theARPANET. ultimatelyreplace the IBM 2740and 2741 out his communicationsrequirements. A senior member of the group terminals. It offers higher transmission HowmuchwillTelenetcost^Howmuch Richard Hovey, whoplayed a major role and print speeds and local buffering. The will it save? What type of interface is best? in designing the host computer interface 5100 is a small computer available with Howcan Telenetimproveor complement to the network and in developing and the APL and/or BASIC programming an existing private network'? The systems testing terminal handling procedures. His languages. engineers are prepared to analyze each Harvard degree in engineering and ap- company's existing facilities and require- plied physics combined with an MBA Karp in San Francisco and Allen Piatt in ts, recommendatechnicalapproach from Dartmouth's Amos Tuck School of Los Angeles. Associated with Bell Labs and put together a detailed costing Business, plus several years of practical for seven years, Peggy became a spe- analysis. experiencepenence with computers, highlightthe cialist in packet-switching technology The systems engineer also works with dual business and technical orientation when she served as technical advisor to each new subscriber in setting up train- that Telenet systems engineers bring to ARPA in the early 1 970'5. Afterreceiving ing procedures, tailoring network func- theirjobs an MS degree in information science at tions, preparing userdocumentation,and Also located in Washington is Technical the University of Chicago, she continued other tasks for a successful Manager Larry who joined Telenet in thePhD program in computer science conversion to Telenet. After that, he co- with 16 years experience in the design at Stanford University. ordinates installation with Telenet's Oper- and implementation of many telecom- Her associate,Allen Piatt, has had over ations Department and continues to municationand dataprocessing systems, a decade of experiencein software man- stand by whenever technical assistance for both industry and government. His agement as appliedto time-sharing com- is needed. professional background is supplesupple- puter systems, both in England and the Telenet is fortunate to have gathered mentedby a degree in business adminis- United States. As a former management an extremelycapable and diversified tration from Fairleigh Dickinson Univer- consultant, he specialized in evaluating, groupofmen and women for its growing sityand graduatestudies at the University selecting, and configuring computer systems engineering staff. of Southern California. hardware, terminals, data communica- " The group is headed by Dr. Barry Wess- In the western part of the country sup- tions facilities and communications ler, who holds a PhD in electrical engi- port is provided by people like Peggy software, (continuedon 4)

$50

vice,

Defense,

necessary Cole,

page Network Expands to

Ten new cities will be connected to Telenet by May, making service locally accessible in 26 cities coast to coast. Locations of the Telenet Central Offices scheduled for spring installation are: Anaheim, Baltimore, Denver, Miami, Milwaukee, Phoenix, Portland, San Jose/Palo Alto and Seattle. The initial seven-city network included Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Washing- ton, D.C. In late 1975 nine additional switching centers were put into service in Atlanta, Detroit, Houston, Minneapolis, Newark, Philadelphia, Pitts- burgh and St. Louis. New Central Offices will be added on a continuing basis and by early 1977, the network will connect some 60 cities in the U.S. Coming Events If you are attending any of thefollowing conferences this spring, we invite you to visitthe Telenet exhibit and meetwith our representatives. March 29-21, Data Communications INTERFACE '76, Miami Beach Conven- tion Center May 2-7, ICA Annual Wash- ington Hilton, Washington, D.C. June 7-10, National Computer Confer- ence, New YorkColiseum In the coming months Telenet staff members will also be taking part in sem- inars and programs planned by various organizations in the United States and overseas. A partial list includes: February 19, Data Communications Conference (lEEE), Baden-Baden, Ger- many. A paper on "Telenet-Network Features and Interface Protocols" will be given by Dr. Holger Opderbeck, Director of Network Design (prepared jointlywith Richard Hovey, Senior Systems Engineer). February 25, lEEE Com- puter Society, San Francisco. Peggy Karp, Systems Engineer, will be guest speaker on the subject, "Communica- tions Network Interfaces." March 3, Computer Law Association, Washington, D.C. Philip Walker, Vice President and General will dis- cuss tariff concepts relating to data com- municationsservices.

Cincinnati,

Cleveland,

Conference,

COMPCON,

Counsel, NewPublications Telenet Opens New Markets Funds (continued page 2) Telenet:The IntelligentNetwork . . . The Intelligent Choice First Data Corporation next. And additional DEC equipment is for Network Manager of Program- being installed in Waltham to the A 1 2-page booklet that as an in- Bob handle serves ming, Data, Waltham, Mass, cites company's increased business. troduction to networkservices and pack- First Expansion entry key Initially, et-switching technology. low cost" as a factor in this First Data connected its com commercialtime-sharing firm's decision puter facilities to the network through an Received How to Use Telenet: Information for to expand into a national market via eight-line Telenet Access Controller. " Terminal Users Telenet. Based on their users' favorable experi- A step-by-stepguideto accessing Telenet, In its first five years of operation, First ence with the network, the companyand Telenet received million in addi- prepared for terminal users operating in Data had concentrated on selling its ser- Swithers invested their time in implement- tional equity financing during the latter real terminal mode. vices primarily to governmentand private ing Telenet's versatile network interface part of 1 975. The five organizations that customers in the northeast and has built protocol in their system and it will be one earlier in the year invested million, If you would like to receive copies of a private network in the Boston-New of the first in operation with DEC also participated in this second phase of either of these new Telenet publications, York-Washington area. equipment. Telenet's planned equity capitalization pleasefill out the enclosedreply card. When Telenet became operational, it A privately-owned corporation with a program. presented an excellent opportunity for staff of over 100, First Data provides Dr. Lawrence G. Roberts, president of First Data to market its services all over facilities management for such clients as the company, said that the moneywill be Telenet Directory the country. Telenet's distance-indepen- the National Institutes of Health, and its used for continuing expansion of the dent charges in effect data management, packet-switching network. Corporate Headquarters traffic made the services include base company cost competitive matter engineering applications, financial Telenet is an 1050 17th NW no affiliate of Bolt Beranek where potential customers located. models, statistical programs and and Newman Inc., Cambridge, Mass., Washington, 20036 were an ex- D.C. This January, First Data opened stock market base dating one of the investors in current 202/637-7900 an tensive data the financ- office in Chicago. A West Coast office is back to 1968 ing. The other investors include Time, Inc., the publishing concern; Sales Offices diversified Bessemer Securities Corporation and Boston 617/899-4478 The Palmer Organization, leading ven- Los Angeles 213/477-2048 ■UaJdfHIIJ&TTJ ture capital and Lehman Brothers, (CA) Inc., Telenet's investmentbanker. Menlo Park 415/854-5845 uniJfl H__^M New York 212/594-6644 Washington 202/637-7900

CustomerService 202/347-2424 Network Dial-In Access Numbers " Atlanta 404/577-8911 Systems Engineers: Baltimore 301/962-5010 Boston 617/338-1400 The Human Chicago 312/372-4901 Cincinnati Interface to Telenet. 513/621-7017 (continued page 3) Cleveland 216/241-0940 Dallas 214/748-0127 These EDUCOM members talked tocomputers 3000 miles awayat Telenet's demonstration of In the northeastern part of the country, Denver 303/623-0876 a prototypenetwork foreducational institutions. Telenet's subscribers have the services Detroit 313/961-5115 of Harvey Baumel and Mike Ford of the Houston 713/224-3380 New Yorkoffice in addition to staff mem- Los Angeles Colleges Explore Nationwide Edunet' bers at the Washington corporate offices. Downtown 213/624-5230 In the next few years a historian in terminals at the meeting site with com- An engineering-physicsmajor at Cor- West 213/937-3580 North Carolina may be able to obtain puterfacilities at three east coast univer- nell, Harvey was associated with MlT's Miami 305/374-6400 bibliographic references from a data sities: Dartmouth, MIT and the State Uni- Laboratory for Nuclear Science and the Milwaukee 414/271-2560 bank at Stanford while at the same time versity of New York. Computer centers at Programming Development Minneapolis 612/339-0150 an economist in Chicago might run a all three universities were among the where he was assistant to the director. Newark 201/623-6818 computer-based forecasting model at first subscribers to the Telenet and are While at MIT, he also served as technical New York 212/736-7205 the Wharton School in Philadelphia. already actively sharing their educational liaison to the New England Regional Philadelphia 215/574-0620 an association of computer data bases and computer resources Computing Program (NerComp). Phoenix 602/257-1552 specialists representing more than 200 through our public network The newest member of the Mike Pittsburgh 412/765-2681 colleges and universities, is looking Packet-switching technology em- Ford, also comes from MIT where he Portland 503/243-2800 closely at a national educational network ployed by Telenet has erased many of earned his degree in electrical engineer- St. Louis 314/231-8800 that will give scholars like these access to the technical and economic barriers to ing/computer science. Later, as chief San Carlos 415/595-0360 thebest ofacademic computerresources institutions forming common interest net systems programmer at the Laboratory San Diego 714/231-1922 coast to coast. works of this kind. Supported by a grant for Nuclear he served as pro- San Francisco 41 5/362-6200 Just how the network might operate from the National Science Foundation, jectadministratorfor several ERDA-spon- Santa Ana 714/558-6061 was demonstrated by Telenet at the fall EDUCOM will begin development of a soredARPA network experiments. These out Seattle 206/624-9780 meeting of EDUCOM in Portland, Ore- network simulation model this spring projects were carried using MlT's "/ Washington, D.C. 202/347-1400 gon. The prototype network linked data MULTICS system.

from

Swithers,

$1.3

$2.1

Street,

firms;

STATE

from

Office,

EDUCOM, staff,

Science,