By 1986 we were comfortably dispersed into distributed computing. A network of VAXes connected administrative users throughout the district. At that time about 1/5 of the administrative desktop units were micros, the rest terminals. Administrative computing applications were distributed on the network of VAXes.
Faculty and students were using, typically, microcomputers. For the most part these were stand-alone systems, not connected to the VAX network, nor networked to each other. In that sense academic computing in 1986 was "dispersed" computing. In 1986 there was, perhaps, only one local area network, in which the chief advantage was a shared laser printer.
In the period of time 1986-1993 several developments have taken place. Fueled by funds from the 1984 bond, the colleges have made enormous investments in technology.
Among the most important developments, early in this time-frame, were improvements in our technology infrastructure. We invested in an Ethernet backbone at each college, rewiring each building to give improved voice and data access to each office and classroom. Broadband systems were installed to provide video delivery across the colleges. And a microwave network for voice, data and video was built to improve the speed and quality of communications among the colleges.
The Internet Connection at MCLI is
Alan Levine --}
Comments to alan.levine@domail.maricopa.edu
URL: http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/river/river6.html