Internet Track at UniForum '95 Offers Guidance

Commercial ventures, selecting a provider will be covered

For those hungering for the latest information on the Internet, UniForum '95 is offering, as one of its ten conference tracks, "The Internet/Information Highway." The main conference and exhibition, scheduled for March 14-16, is part of UniForum Week in Dallas. The main conference will be preceded by seminars and tutorials beginning March 12.

Jacobson says his presentation will include examples of successful and unsuccessful business operations on the Internet, and an analysis of what makes them work or not work. He will also describe how these ventures attract users. His best advice to companies is, "Think about getting user interaction - that's it," he says. "That's the one thing, because your big competitive advantage with the Internet is that you now can talk directly to your customers." Jacobson's panel will include an attorney, Henry Dinger of Goodwin, Proctor, and Hoar, of Boston.

He'll also warn of the dangers involved, including examples of how other ventures have gone awry. Sometimes companies don't understand how the laws of interstate commerce apply, or fail to interact with their customers, Jacobson says. "The Internet is not a place to publish, it's a place to interact," he believes. "If you assume that your model is publishing, people will get bored quickly and will not look at your site."

Jacobson expects his audience to include companies that have realized they should be on the Internet, but aren't sure exactly how to proceed and don't know all the issues.

Companies and individuals who want to start looking for an Internet access provider will be interested in Maloff's session, in which he plans to point out the qualities to look for in a provider. Different providers provide very different services, he notes. "Before you contact a provider, it's important to understand that accessing the Internet is like saying you want to buy a car. Do you want a Yugo or a Maserati? What do you want to accomplish?" Maloff will describe the types of Internet accounts, including serial line internet protocol (SLIP), point-to-point protocol, and the various bandwidths of dedicated access.

"I think it's critical that when you contact an Internet access provider, you know what you're asking for, and that you want to know about the pricing for a SLIP account or for a 56-kbs dedicated access," Maloff says. "You'll ask what services are provided as part of that SLIP package, and whether they provide a user interface like Mosaic or Netscape."

Maloff also will cover the differences between what he calls "garage shops" providing access and large companies like MCI. "What's the difference between all these and what should you be looking for? We'll try to address those issues." It's important to discuss individual as well as business access because many individuals need a dial-up account at home or an 800 number service to call while traveling, Maloff points out.

Other panelists with Maloff include Glee Cady of Netcom, a representative of MCI, and others not yet confirmed.