Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!ncrlnk!ncr-sd!hp-sdd!hplabs!ucbvax!BEAR-MOUNTAIN.NYSER.NET!schoff
From: schoff@BEAR-MOUNTAIN.NYSER.NET ("Marty Schoffstall")
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Re: U.S. Air Force Award of the ULANA Contract
Message-ID: <8810061419.AA03978@Bear-Mountain.nyser.net>
Date: 6 Oct 88 14:19:00 GMT
References: <12436099307.19.BILLW@MATHOM.CISCO.COM>
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 21



    One should be somewhat more realistic.  The number of vendors that you
    can go to and say "I'd like to buy 5000 IP routers, 4000 TCP terminal
    servers, and 1000 miles of assorted interconnecting cables over the
    next 5 years, and by the way, I expect you to install, interconnect,
    maintain, and train our personnel in their use..." is approximately 0.

    Thus some large company like TRW, who has experience in handling such
    large bids, replys, and THEY send people to Interop and realted shows
    to pick out routers, terminal servers, cable, modems, and so on.
    Trying to grow a huge network one or two pieces at a time can be a
    bad idea.  (Trying to plan a huge network in one fell swoop can also
    be a bad idea...)

And now for a philosphical question:  Is this the shape of things
to come?  Will future tcp/ip acquisitions (and possibly iso/osi
acquisitions when it becomes real vs when GOSIP specifies) be so
large and complex that only large companies will be able to bid?

Marty