XIWT Press release

[David Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>]

                       PRESS RELEASE


For Immediate Release      Contact: John R. Garrett
December 13, 1993                   703-620-8990


CROSS-INDUSTRY COALITION TO ADDRESS TECHNICAL
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE NATION         AL INFORMATION
INFRASTRUCTURE


Washington, D.C. -- Today, twenty-eight U.S. corporations announced
the formation of the Cross-Industry Working Team (XIWT), a
multi-industry coalition committed to defining the architecture and key
technical requirements for a powerful and sustainable National
Information Infrastructure (NII).


"By fostering the development and application of technologies that cross
traditional industry boundaries, XIWT hopes to significantly contribute
to the development and deployment of a world-class NII," said Robert
E. Kahn, president of the Corporation for National Research Initiatives
(CNRI) under whose auspices XIWT is organized.  "XIWT members
are providers of emerging NII technologies and applications from
several key information industries.  By creating a common forum for
technology discussions, and by pooling their diverse skills and
experience, XIWT members will facilitate the conversion of the NII
vision into real-world implementations."


The NII is a major initiative supported by the Clinton-Gore
Administration and a broad range of U.S. industries.  As envisioned, the
NII will integrate modern communications and computing technologies
to revitalize and reengineer education, health care, manufacturing,
life-long learning, and government, as well as enhance the
competitiveness of U.S. industries.


"The NII will provide the foundation for a national transformation to an
information and knowledge-based society, a key element for the U.S. to
sustain leadership in the world economy," said Vice President Al Gore.
"It is gratifying to see the XIWT bringing together many of the most
knowledgeable technologists in the country to help create a technical
vision for the NII.  The Administration plans to work closely with the
XIWT participants in making the NII a reality."


Among its activities, XIWT will


     * Create and sustain an open, cooperative networked
     environment for the members to exchange technical ideas,
     interests, and information;


     * Develop common technological and architectural approaches
     that bridge industry gaps and match the evolution of information
     technologies while providing for openness, heterogeneity,
     interoperability, scalability, and ease of use;


     * Plan information infrastructure pilot projects that leverage
     industry capabilities and state-of-the-art research;


     * Foster ongoing experimentation and development of
     technology and cross-industry applications and skills;


     * Promote cross-fertilization of technology and stimulate
     advanced infrastructure development;


     * Create and maintain an open forum for dialogue among
     representatives of key U.S. stakeholder communities in the
     private and public sectors;


     * Organize NII technology forums to discuss and disseminate
     XIWT results and sponsor periodic publications of white papers
     on specific technology issues, the first of which is planned for
     early 1994.


XIWT is coordinating its efforts with the 21st Century Infrastructure
Project being undertaken by the private sector Council on
Competitiveness and is cooperating with other industry groups working
on NII issues.  "Information highways and skyways must provide the
paths to U.S. leadership in tomorrow's global marketplace," said George
M.C. Fisher, chairman of the Council on Competitiveness. "The
Cross-Industry Working Team is building a framework for a truly
cooperative approach by industry, academia and government in
developing the infrastructure."


"The XIWT is an important complement to these and other
policy-related efforts," said Kahn. "By focussing on technical issues that
cross traditional industry boundaries, the XIWT will provide an
organizational framework for critical cross-industry, cross-disciplinary
collaboration in defining and solving the technological problems in
creating a robust and efficient NII."


To date, XIWT's primary members include: Apple Computer Co.;
AT&T Communications, Inc.; Bell Communications Research, Inc.;
BellSouth Telecommunications, Inc.; Cable Television Laboratories,
Inc.; Citicorp; Digital Equipment Corporation; GTE Laboratories, Inc.;
Hewlett-Packard Company; IBM Corporation; Intel Corp.; MCI
Communications Corporation; McCaw Cellular Communications;
Motorola, Inc.; NYNEX, Inc.; Pacific Bell; Silicon Graphics, Inc.; Sun
Microsystems; and Southwestern Bell Technology Resources, Inc.
Associate Members include: CBEMA; cisco Systems, Inc.; Financial
Services Consortium, Inc.; Hughes Network Systems, Inc.; Science
Applications International Corporation; Sprint Communications; 3Com
Corporation; West Publishing Company; Xerox Corporation.