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From: 09998WAS%MSU@PUCC.PRINCETON.EDU ("Bill.Simpson")
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Re: Internet/NSFnet to be run by IBM -- call to action!
Message-ID: <9010301940.AA10654@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: 30 Oct 90 19:40:16 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 51
X-Unparsable-Date: Tuesday, 30 October 1990 11:36am ET

> Christopher Raczka <chris@ecdnt5.enet.dec.com> writes:
>
>         I also think the "other side" of the story does need to be told
>         and this much I do know...  Sometime in September, Merit, IBM
>         Corp, and MCI established Advanced Network and Services Inc.
>         (ANS) ANS, a NOT FOR PROFIT organization, is to manage and
>         operate the NSFNET backbone under subcontract to Merit
>
> Funny to see the NOT FOR PROFIT emphasis.
>
> Wasn't NYSERNET also started that way?
>
> /jordan

First, the new structure (as I understand it) is pretty strange:
   Merit holds the NSFnet grant
   --> ANS holds a sub-contract to manage the grant
       --> Merit was hired by ANS to operate the network

Looks to me that ANS is a rather unneccessary intermediary!  This is IBM's
point of control.

Second, note the incorporation of ANS.  Merit is a Michigan academic
non-profit consortium.  MCI is also a Michigan company.  But ANS is
incorporated in New Jersey (near IBM).  The new president was hired
directly from IBM (a former VP there).  As far as I can ascertain,
ANS exists solely to pay this fellow's salary.

Third, when I suggested a few months ago that NIS.NSF.NET be moved to
to a more capable machine (because of problems accessing the RFCs
stored there), I was informed that IBM wouldn't allow the use of
non-IBM equipment in the NOC.  It seems to me that IBM is already
firmly in (political) control.

Fourth, has anyone actually looked at the ANS incorporation charter?
Is ANS *really* a non-profit?  By what definition?  How are the
corporate directors selected?

Fifth, I've heard of the NYSERnet/PSI debacle, but don't know the history.
Could someone take the time to post a summary of events to this group?

Sixth, I'll go read the com-pri archive at PSI.com, but believe this
discussion is appropriate to this group, as the general network
administration/questions base.

Bill Simpson
   09998was@msu.bitnet
   09998was@ibm.cl.msu.edu

[ANS is usually pronounced the same as the bodily orifice -- a particularly
bad choice of acronym.  Of course, ANSI was already taken....]