Dissecting the Net
The PC
To access the portion of the Internet known as the World Wide Web, one must have a fast personal computer and a piece of software known as a browser. Netscape Communications is the dominant supplier of browsers, but Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, Oracle’s Power Browser, and the browers that America Online and Prodigy provide for their members are all in the hunt. Browsers cost little or nothing, but they are nonetheless strategically important for Internet software companies. In the future, browsers will often be built into other software products.
The Communications Link
Those who connect to the Internet via a dial-up phone line can do so through an Internet service provider or a commercial online service. Netcom, Uunet and PSI are among the major national ISPs, and there are dozens of small local operators in most major cities. Online services such as America Online, Prodigy, and CompuServe offer Internet access as well. In the future, AT&T; and the regional Bell telephone companies are likely to dominate the Internet access business.
The Server
The Internet is essentially a network of servers--powerful computers that house databases of information and communications with other servers. Anything from a fast PC to a mainframe can function as a server. Workstations from Sun Microsystems, Hewlett-Packard and IBM--generally running the Unix operating system or Microsoft’s Windows NT--are popular choices, as are Apple Power Macintoshes. Server software is a crucial battleground: Netscape hopes its dominance of the browser business will give it an advantage in selling server software. But Microsoft, Oracle, Apple and many smaller companies are fighting hard.
The Language
On a World Wide Web site, information is formatted according to a standard specification known as HTML (hypertext markup language). Any browser can read any HTML document, but Netscape in its server software has implemented HTML extensions that can be read only by Netscape browsers. Microsoft, Netscape and others have software for formatting Web pages. Sun Microsystems has developed a programming language known as Java that is especially well-suited to creating Web content--as opposed to be merely formatting it--and Java has gained broad industry support. Microsoft will license Java but also compete against it with a new technology known as “Blackbird” and another language called Visual basic.
The Content
An immense range of companies, from publishers to entertainment firms, banks to computer companies, are offering information and services over the Internet. Many individuals have their own home pages. And the major online providers offer a wide range of services for their subscribers. Microsoft is now spending heavily to build its own content for the Internet, as are established companies such as Time and Viacom and start-ups such as Starwave, C/Net and Hot Wired. Advertisers are expected to pay much of the freight.
