[8589] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
CommerceNet Press release
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Allan M Schiffman)
Wed Nov 24 21:32:28 1993
Date: Wed, 24 Nov 93 18:31:27 PST
From: ams@eit.com (Allan M Schiffman)
To: com-priv@psi.com
For Immediate Release
Smart Valley CommerceNet Consortium Wins Federal TRP Grant
MENLO PARK, Calif., November 24, 1993 -- Smart Valley, Inc.
(SVI) and Enterprise Integration Technologies (EIT) today announced
their receipt of a Federal Government grant for CommerceNet, an $8
million project designed to help Silicon Valley businesses make
commercial use of the coming "Information Superhighway."
Half of the funds for CommerceNet will be provided by the
Federal grant made under the government's "Technology Reinvestment
Program" (TRP) which is sponsored by the Defense Department's Advanced
Research Projects Agency (ARPA), the National Institute of Standards
and Technology (NIST), the National Science Foundation (NSF) and other
government agencies. Matching funds will be provided by the State of
California and participating companies.
CommerceNet's goal is to make public computer networks, such as
the Internet, "industrial strength" for business use. CommerceNet will
address issues including low-cost, high-speed Internet access using
newly deployed technology such as Integrated Services Digital Network
(ISDN) services and multimedia software. CommerceNet will support a
range of commercial network applications such as on-line catalogs,
product data exchange and engineering collaboration. It will also
offer outreach services such as technical assistance to small- and
medium-size businesses that want to access public networks.
The CommerceNet consortium is sponsored by Smart Valley, Inc.
and the State of California's Trade and Commerce Agency. Enterprise
Integration Technologies, a local high-tech company specializing in
electronic commerce, will lead the effort. Joining forces on the
project are two organizations associated with Stanford University:
WestREN, the operator of the Bay Area Regional Research Network
(BARRNet), and Stanford's new Center for Information Technology (CIT).
There are more than 20 industrial participants including Apple
Computer, Hewlett-Packard, Lockheed, National Semiconductor, Pacific
Bell, and Sun Microsystems.
"The funding of CommerceNet is the first major success for
Smart Valley," said Dr. Harry Saal, president of Smart Valley.
"Putting our business community on-line will be a great competitive
edge for our region and the national economy."
"CommerceNet will enable local companies to take advantage of a
revolutionary new medium. Awareness of the Internet's potential is
growing among the business community, but there are still many
obstacles to its use -- we're going to work with local users and with
network and information providers to eliminate the barriers," said
Allan Schiffman, EIT's chief technical officer.
Smart Valley, Inc. is a nonprofit organization chartered to
create a regional electronic community by developing an advanced
information infrastructure and the collective ability to use it. Smart
Valley's mission is to facilitate the construction of a pervasive,
high-speed communications system and information services that will
benefit all sectors of the community: education, healthcare, local
government, business and the home. Smart Valley, Inc. is affiliated
with Joint Venture: Silicon Valley, a broad based grass roots
coalition of initiatives begun in 1992.
Enterprise Integration Technologies (EIT) is a three-year old,
Palo Alto-based R&D and consulting company specializing in information
technology for electronic commerce, collaborative engineering and agile
manufacturing. EIT is a recognized leader in software and services
that promote commercial use of the Internet. EIT's clients include
government agencies, aerospace and electronics companies and publishing
firms.
Contacts:
Allan Schiffman
Enterprise Integration Technologies
Phone: (415) 617-8000
Fax: (415) 617-1516
Internet: ams@eit.com
Geoff Kerr
Cunningham Communication, Inc.
Phone: (408) 764-0746
Fax: (408) 982-0403
MCI Mail: 621-8412
