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From: steve@panews (Steve DeJarnett)
Newsgroups: comp.mail.misc
Subject: Re: What I know about PROFS (damn little, but every little bit helps)
Message-ID: <1991Mar20.071413.12985@ibmpa.awdpa.ibm.com>
Date: 20 Mar 91 07:14:13 GMT
References: <1991Mar15.035407.24666@supernet.dallas.haus.com>
Sender: news@ibmpa.awdpa.ibm.com (news id)
Reply-To: steve@qe2.awdpa.ibm.com (Steve DeJarnett)
Organization: IBM Personal Systems Programming, Palo Alto
Lines: 25

In article <1991Mar15.035407.24666@supernet.dallas.haus.com> cluther@supernet.dallas.haus.com (Clay Luther) writes:
>IBM has a fantastic internal network.

	Extensive is a better word for it.

>IBM *is* connected to the outside world.  Hearsay has it that the IBM site in
>the Triangle, NC, is the IBM network gateway.

	As has been previously mentioned, IBM sites on what most people call
PROFS (kinda similar to refering to the Internet as 'mailx' :-), which is more
appropriately called VNET, can get email access to the Internet by getting a
(electronic) signature from their manager.

	Certain sites around (specifically IBM Research and the groups working
on Unix -- AWD and Personal Systems Programming) have Real(TM) Internet 
connections (although not everyone has direct access, for various reasons).
Access, again, requires a manager's approval.  A few other sites, I believe, 
have various UUCP connections.

>Las Colinas, I had to "apply" for a external-email-allowed account.  Without
>it, I could neither send or receive email from external nets.
>
>I understand that this process continues today. 

	To some extent.  Depends where you are...