Introduction

0.7     Personal Comments

Not being an educated historian, or a professional writer, I decided to organize this book around two concepts: excerpts from eighty interviews I would conduct and transcribe, and a hypertext format that would enable one to read the book in a way he or she found most interesting, and that might not be the time-stamp format I have imprinted on the material. I hope this book eventually becomes a high level index into the larger database this history rests upon: interviews; company information including business plans, IPO documents, financials, public information; market research, especially Dataquest, Datapro and Yankee Group; and trade and financial press reports. Every individual, corporation, social organization, and technology would then be a “link” into a larger set of data. Such an extension could also permit other individuals with the companies I write about, companies I do not mention, market researchers, academics, policy makers, anyone to add data, or views, and make for an even vastly richer explorations of this very important time in human history. A list of those interviewed is in Exhibit I.1

What do I mean by hypertext? I have subdivided this history into roughly two-page “hypertext” increments covering a specified timeframe and addressing an idea, an individual or a firm. These hypertext increments are then aggregated into chapters representing a larger time period for one or more sectors of computer communications: Data Communications, Networking, or Internetworking. Since the sector histories overlap in time, each chapter reconstructs one sector history for a certain number of years before the next chapter jumps back in time to bring another sector history roughly to the same year. This structure gives you the freedom to read the story of one firm, for instance, from beginning to end by selecting the appropriately labeled hypertext increments. Using Codex Corporation by way of example, three hypertext increments in Chapter 1 cover 1956-1968, four increments in Chapter 3 cover 1969-1972, four increments in Chapter 5 cover 1973-1978, and so on. In addition to each chapter being subdivided into hypertext increments, chapters begin with one-page Overviews and ending summaries labeled In Perspective. A flow of the chapters by sector is in Exhibit I.2

This historical reconstruction can also be read at any of five levels of observation: macro conditions, ideas or technology, individuals, firms, or populations of firms. The following table gives examples of some of the possible reads for each level:

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The book sets 1968 as the year computer communications begins, although since every history builds on all that has come before it, it will be necessary to look back to the 1950’s for the beginnings of certain stories. Nevertheless 1968 was the crucial year for a number of reasons, the most important being: the Carterfone Decision, funding of ARPANET, the introduction of the first 9600 bps modem and time-division multiplexer, the rush of minicomputer start-ups, a hot IPO market, and funding of Intel Corporation.

The book ends in 1988 for two good reasons and one arbitrary reason. In 1988, the Enterprise Networking Event and Interop successfully demonstrated internetworking software. Computers from different vendors running different operating systems could share data over a wide variety of communication networks. What had been the goal for nearly two decades had been accomplished. The arbitrary reason is that I started interviewing people in 1988 and was interested in a history book, not a predictive book. I wanted those interviewed to know that I was only interested in the past. Most of the people I interviewed have a role in this history and all had a role in educating me how that history unfolded.

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This next section of thanking people will be completed when the book goes to print. Those of you who have been helpful know who you are, and others will be so before this book is finished. I am not sharing the names to protect the kind reviewers

And. Of course, I take full responsibility for any errors.

Thank you.

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