Subject: New Century Network From: davem@staff.pnpa.com (Dave Morgan) Date: Tue, 25 Apr 95 08:46:15 EDT

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Some thoughts on the earlier questions about the plans of the New Century 
Network partners.

>1) Are they less than serious about a single standard, and by implication 
>the whole project?
I don't think that they are less than serious.  However, when they speak of 
standards, I believe that their focus is as an advertising and syndication 
platform.  They don't have to all be running on identical platforms.  There 
is a single standard if all systems can be interlinked from the top and sold 
in one buy.  I believe that the CEO's are selling the concept of a standard 
of cooperation, not a standard form of implementation.
>2) Are they trying to get technologies that might compete with whatever
>standard NCN chooses off the market by buying them all up?
I doubt it.  They are separate entities far more driven by their own 
businesses than by the recent announcements.  Buying web tools and web 
experience is probably just part of each company's strategy to launch 
themselves into this new media as strongly and as quickly as possible.
>3) Do they instead plan on combining aspects of the two platforms in some
>useful manner?
I am sure that as individual companies, and as parters in various ventures 
(including NCN), they will try to make the most of their various assets, 
including these platforms.  I would be suprised if they tried to dictate the 
standards from on high (particularly this early).  It seems more likely that 
they will encourage the creation and deployment of various technologies and 
shepard along those that they believe best serve their network goals.
>4) Do they have no clue what they are doing?
I suspect that they have many clues; but, like everyone else, have few answers.
>5) Do I (alone) have no clue what they are doing?
I think that we are all in the same boat.  However, looking for clues in 
many ways presumes that comprehensive plans exist or that someone is 
creating them.  I doubt that they do or are (at least not in the way that we 
might think).  In many ways, the NCN partners are just starting the ball 
rolling.  They have set the stage, given the players some general direction, 
and are eagerly awaiting the show (just like the rest of us).

_______________________________________
Dave Morgan
Director of New Media Ventures
PA Newspaper Publishers' Assoc.
davem@staff.pnpa.com
717-234-4067 x222


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