[8279] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
MCC/Sprint MEC Award
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Robert D. Collet Sprint GSD)
Fri Nov 12 17:31:43 1993
Date: Fri, 12 Nov 1993 17:55:06 +0000
From: "Robert D. Collet Sprint GSD" <rcollet@icm1.icp.net>
To: com-priv@psi.com
Cc: rcollet@icm1.icp.net
CORP.RELATIONS
Fri, Nov 5, 1993
8:27 AM
TO:sprint.news
CC:(C:USA,ADMD:TELEMAIL,PRMD:LANGATE,O:SMDALLAS,OU:MOKCMTPO1,SN:SPRINT.NEWS)
(c:usa,a:telemail,prmd:langate,o:smnosup,ou:north-supply,sn:ccmail)
BC:
RE:Sprint To Provide Electronic Link
Forwarded message:
Contacts: Janice Langley, (O) 202-828-7427; (H) 703-533-3322
Evette Fulton, (O) 202-828-7411; (H) 301-230-0978
For Immediate Release
SPRINT TO PROVIDE ELECTRONIC LINK FOR MANUFACTURERS CHOSEN
BY GOVERNMENT IN DEFENSE CONVERSION PROGRAM
WASHINGTON, Nov. 4, 1993 -- Sprint will provide the
electronic backbone for the Manufacturers EnterCorp, one of the
first defense conversion projects to receive a federal grant under
the Clinton administration's Technology Reinvestment Program. The
award has a potential value of $11 million to Sprint over five
years.
The MEC is a consortium of mid-Western manufacturers
that will use Sprint's electronic network to share specialized
manufacturing services with smaller defense contractors, serving
the TRP goal of stimulating job growth by encouraging defense
contractors to also develop commercial technologies.
Using the network, the MEC will share capabilities the
smaller companies would not otherwise have in all areas of product
realization, design, prototyping, shared manufacturing, analysis
and testing, and training.
The MEC project initially will be available to some 5,000
small and medium-sized manufacturers in Missouri, Kansas and
Eastern Colorado involved in electronics, metal fabrication,
rubber and plastics, industrial machines, weed, transportation
equipment, instruments and related products.
SprintLink(SM) -- Sprint's commercial Internet service --
will connect companies participating in the project. It will be
enhanced with the directory, security, advanced electronic mail
and remittance services of Microelectronics and Computer
Technology Corp.'s EINet. The combined service will allow users
to exchange multimedia (text, graphics, video) electronic messages
as well as locate information and services on any of the more than
15,000 networks worldwide connected to the Internet.
Using a high-speed data connection to the network,
manufacturers can use SprintLink to exchange computer-aided
design and manufacturing -- or CAD/CAM -- drawings. Sprint also
will provide enhanced 800 telephone service to connect business
customers with MEC organizations through MEC-provided regional
technical centers. Customers also will interface with MEC
organizations via direct data connections to their workstations.
Other partner organizations in the MEC project -- each of
which will provide cash-in-kind resources to match the federal
award -- include Allied Signal, The Colorado State University
Center for Business Innovation, Day & Zimmermann Inc., DeMaTec
Foundation Inc., Kansas Manufacturers Association, Kansas State
University, Mid-America Manufacturing Technology Center, Kansas
Technology Enterprise Corp., Metropolitan Community Colleges,
Pittsburg State University, University of Missouri-Kansas City,
and the University of Missouri-Rolla.
Sprint is a diversified international telecommunications
company with more than $10 billion in annual revenues and the
United States' only nationwide all-digital, fiber-optic network.
Its divisions provide global long distance voice, data and video
products and services, local telephone services to more than 6
million subscriber lines in 19 states, and cellular operations
that serve 42 metropolitan markets and more than 50 rural service
areas.
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