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From: smith@cos.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Re: COS goes with TCP/IP
Message-ID: <335@cos.COM>
Date: Fri, 19-Jun-87 17:00:13 EDT
Article-I.D.: cos.335
Posted: Fri Jun 19 17:00:13 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 20-Jun-87 09:54:07 EDT
References: <8706172248.AA21271@jupiter.bellcore.com>
Reply-To: smith@cos.UUCP (Steve Smith)
Distribution: world
Organization: Corporation for Open Systems, McLean, VA
Lines: 42


Phil - 

Thanks for posting the Data Communications article.  I got a good
laugh out of it.

As the "COS researcher" quoted in the article, perhaps I should
respond.  For starters, the "quote" is, in fact, a rather clumsy
paraphrase.  In general, the author of the article seems to be more
concerned with being clever than with getting his facts right.
("renegade transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP)
set", forsooth!)  He is right that we are using TCP/IP now.  A
"political gaffe"?  No.

The key fact, which I think most everybody will agree on, is that if
you want something *now*, you have to go with what you can get *now*.
There's *always* something better due out in six months.  Right *now*,
you can buy off the shelf TCP/IP products from a large number of
vendors that usually work together most of the time.  The fact that a
few vendors have "OSI transport/internet" products is a good start,
but you can't make a network with two layers.  Without all seven
layers, you simply don't have an OSI network.

Within a year, however, you will be seeing a large number of *real*
OSI products (not "conformant with OSI model" or "IEEE 802.3/Ethernet
compatible" but full seven layer OSI) appearing.  There are also a
couple of "full OSI" products available *now*.  (Sorry, guys, no free
advertising.)

A couple of other items.  This is being posted through the COS
internal network, which has been running for a couple of weeks now
(not "within the next few weeks").  COS officials didn't "decline
further comment", they weren't asked.  It seems that the reporter
wasn't listening too well to my discussion on migration strategies.
Our internal network is designed for the easiest possible migration,
as soon as the appropriate OSI software is available.

Ah, well.  Such is journalism, especially when the reporter is feeling
sarcastic.

                        -- Steve
                           smith@cos.com