Subject: Re: Future of Internet access providers? From: Rex Ballard Date: Thu, 13 Jul 1995 00:32:26 -0400 (EDT)
How the Web Was Won
Subject: Re: Future of Internet access providers? From: Rex Ballard Date: Thu, 13 Jul 1995 00:32:26 -0400 (EDT)
In-Reply-To: <3462@harrison.win.net>
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Rosalind,

You are welcome to use my postings with proper attribution.

McGraw-Hill preferrs that we not Identify ourselves as spokesmpeople for 
McGraw-Hill.

For attribution purposes, refer to me as "Rex Ballard, Electronic 
Publishing Analyst and advisor to over 4500 on-line publishers."

My actuual title is:

	Rex Ballard
	Director of Electronic Distribution.
	Standard & Poor's/McGraw-Hill
	Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect
	the Management of the McGraw-Hill Companies.

I have also been Manager of DowVision Distribution at Dow-Jones.

In addition to responsibility for Internet technologies, I am responsible 
for CD-ROM, Wire Feed, and Tape distribution.

On Thu, 6 Jul 1995, Rosalind Resnick wrote:

> Rex -- I really enjoyed your posting to online-news and would like
> to include it in the upcoming issue of my newsletter, Interactive
> Publishing Alert (with proper attribution, of course). 
> 
> Let me know,
> 
> Rosalind Resnick
> Editor and Publisher
> Interactive Publishing Alert
> 305-920-5326 (voice)
> 
> P.S. - What is your title at S&P, by the way?
> 
>  
> >
> >Another 2 cents:
> >
> >ISPs are a bit like clothing stores.  There will always be K-Mart and 
> >Sears for the general population, but there are also about 200 clothing 
> >franchises and another 20-30 specialty stores within a few miles of 
> >almost every metropolitan area shopper - why?
> >
> >While K-Mart and Sears offer a good selection at a competitive price, the 
> >smaller stores and franchises offer more interesting selection and a much 
> >more higher level of service.  If you want some advise on how best to
> >match your weekend attire, you can go to "Chess King" and an attractive
> >sales-clerk will give you fashion advise.
> >
> >Service is also the distinguishing factor in restaurants (imagine if 
> >there were ONLY McDonald's).
> >
> >Even if Microsoft becomes the "McDonald's" of the internet, there are so 
> >many service factors that come into play with an ISP, that it actually
> >may be common to have accounts with several ISPs just to have some of the
> >special services they offer.  I come into digex from my mgraw-hill 
> >connection because digex offers me certain service advantages. (more 
> >newsgroups, mail readers, ...)
> >
> >There are many services available on the internet.  Connectivity is the 
> >smallest part of the issue.  As the deregulated telcos and cable 
> >companies vie for residential and small-business internet users, the need 
> >for the modem bank shops will deminish.  We will start seeing FRADs 
> >(Frame Relay Access Devices), CoDecs (Coder/Decoders for phone->frame),
> >ISPs that provide Internet voice to Analog phone service, and other
> >4-wire to ethernet type connections.
> >
> >You want to have access to a News server (so you can share News), and a
> >mail-box (so you don't have to leave your machine on-line all the time).
> >You may want to have a web page or two.  Even with your own server, there 
> >are some "features" that are nice to delegate to other "expert servers".
> >
> >Just about the time everyone thinks they have it "figured out", a whole 
> >new crop of services will start popping up.  Just as SoftWin became 
> >obsolete with the advent of Mosaic and Netscape, Netscape will eventually 
> >take a back-seat to someone elses "better server/client".
> >
> >
> >       Rex Ballard
> >       Standard & Poor's/McGraw-Hill
> >       Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect
> >       the Management of the McGraw-Hill Companies.
> >
> >
> >
> 
> 



From rballard@cnj.digex.net Thu Jul 13 01:37:20 1995
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