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␈↓ ↓H␈↓α␈↓ ∧9ELECTRONIC MAIL AS A PRODUCT

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_Most␈α
people␈α∞who␈α
have␈α
examined␈α∞the␈α
ideas␈α∞have␈α
concluded␈α
that␈α∞an␈α
electronic␈α∞mail␈α
system
␈↓ ↓H␈↓will␈αreplace␈αmost␈αof␈αthe␈αservices␈αof␈αthe␈αU.S.␈α Postal␈αService␈αwithin␈αten␈αor␈αso␈αyears.␈α They␈αenvisage
␈↓ ↓H␈↓a␈αnew␈αelectronic␈αmail␈αsystem␈αspreading␈αacross␈α
the␈αcountry,␈αfirst␈αwith␈αonly␈αbusiness␈αsubscribers␈α
and
␈↓ ↓H␈↓finally␈αextending␈αto␈αhomes.␈α They␈αconcern␈αthemselves␈αwith␈αthe␈αquestion␈αof␈αwho␈αwill␈αoperate␈αsuch
␈↓ ↓H␈↓system,␈αthe␈α
Postal␈αService,␈αA.T.&T.,␈α
an␈αexisting␈αlarge␈α
firm␈αlike␈αIBM,␈α
a␈αnew␈αgovernment␈α
sponsored
␈↓ ↓H␈↓private␈αcorporation␈αanalogous␈αto␈αComsat,␈αone␈αof␈αthe␈αexisting␈αcommercial␈αnetworks␈αlike␈αTelenet,␈α
or
␈↓ ↓H␈↓perhaps a variety of competing networks with different specializations or emphases.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_All␈αthese␈αprognostications␈αmiss␈αan␈αimportant␈αpoint.␈α There␈αis␈αno␈αneed␈αfor␈αa␈αnew␈αnetwork␈αor
␈↓ ↓H␈↓new␈αservice.␈α Electronic␈αmail␈αcan␈αbest␈αfunction␈αas␈αa␈αproduct␈α-␈αnot␈αas␈αa␈αservice.␈α Two␈αproducts␈αare
␈↓ ↓H␈↓required: an electronic mail terminal and an electronic mail connection for computer systems:

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓αElectronic␈α
mail␈α
terminal␈↓.␈α
 This␈α
is␈α
a␈α
microcomputer,␈α
plus␈α
a␈α
storage␈α
medium␈α
such␈α
as␈α∞cassettes␈α
or
␈↓ ↓H␈↓floppy␈α∪disk,␈α∩plus␈α∪a␈α∩CRT␈α∪and␈α∩keyboard␈α∪terminal␈α∩and␈α∪an␈α∩optional␈α∪hard␈α∩copy␈α∪printer.␈α∪ It␈α∩is
␈↓ ↓H␈↓connected␈α∞to␈α
the␈α∞ordinary␈α
dial-up␈α∞telephone␈α∞network␈α
in␈α∞a␈α
standard␈α∞way.␈α
 Here␈α∞are␈α∞examples␈α
of
␈↓ ↓H␈↓how it is used.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓1. A user types

␈↓ ↓H␈↓NIGHT MAIL GEORGE: Arriving UA 314 tomorrow.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_The␈αmicrocomputer␈αlooks␈αup␈αthe␈αtelephone␈αnumber␈αof␈αGeorge's␈αmail␈αterminal␈αon␈αits␈αfloppy
␈↓ ↓H␈↓disk,␈α⊂waits␈α⊃until␈α⊂after␈α⊃11pm␈α⊂for␈α⊃cheap␈α⊂telephone␈α⊃rates,␈α⊂then␈α⊃telephones␈α⊂George's␈α⊃number␈α⊂and
␈↓ ↓H␈↓delivers␈α
the␈α
message.␈α
 When␈α
George␈α
looks␈α
at␈α
his␈αscreen,␈α
the␈α
message␈α
is␈α
there␈α
-␈α
being␈α
short␈α-␈α
unless
␈↓ ↓H␈↓so␈αmany␈αmessages␈αhave␈αbeen␈αreceived␈αthat␈αthe␈αmessages␈αthemselves␈αhave␈αhad␈αto␈αbe␈αreplaced␈αby␈αa
␈↓ ↓H␈↓list of them which can be read in turn.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓2. The user types

␈↓ ↓H␈↓MAIL.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_The␈αmicrocomputer␈αthen␈αprompts␈αhim␈αfor␈αaddressee,␈αwhich␈αmay␈αbe␈αa␈αlist␈αand␈αother␈αoptions
␈↓ ↓H␈↓such␈αas␈αwho␈α
gets␈αcopies,␈αwhether␈α
to␈αwait␈αfor␈α
night␈αrates,␈αetc.␈α
 He␈αis␈αthen␈α
given␈αthe␈αfacilities␈α
of␈αa
␈↓ ↓H␈↓display␈α
based␈α
text␈α
editor␈α
to␈α
compose␈α
his␈α
message.␈α
 His␈α
lists␈α
may␈α
include␈α
people␈α
who␈α
will␈α
receive
␈↓ ↓H␈↓the␈α⊂message␈α⊃via␈α⊂U.S.␈α⊃Mail␈α⊂and␈α⊃via␈α⊂a␈α⊂mailing␈α⊃service␈α⊂that␈α⊃puts␈α⊂the␈α⊃message␈α⊂in␈α⊃an␈α⊂addressed
␈↓ ↓H␈↓envelope.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_The␈αcomputer␈αmail␈αfacility␈αis␈αa␈αsimple␈αaddition␈αto␈αexisting␈αtime-shared␈αcomputer␈αhardware.
␈↓ ↓H␈↓The␈α⊂computer␈α⊂is␈α⊂equipped␈α⊂with␈α⊂telephone␈α⊂dialers␈α⊂and␈α⊂modems␈α⊂just␈α⊂like␈α⊂the␈α⊂stand-alone␈α⊂mail
␈↓ ↓H␈↓terminal.␈α Logged␈α
in␈αusers␈αcan␈α
mail␈αto␈αindividuals␈α
who␈αhave␈αmail␈α
terminals␈αor␈αwho␈α
receive␈αmail
␈↓ ↓H␈↓through␈αcomputer␈α
systems.␈α In␈α
addition,␈αprograms␈α
can␈αgenerate␈α
large␈αnumbers␈α
of␈αsuch␈αmessages␈α
as
␈↓ ↓H␈↓bills.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_It␈αis␈αimportant␈αnot␈αto␈αlimit␈αthe␈αcomputer␈α
mail␈αcapability␈αto␈αanalogs␈αof␈αpaper␈αmail.␈α Here␈α
are
␈↓ ↓H␈↓some non-standard uses:
␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ εH␈↓ 91


␈↓ ↓H␈↓1.␈αThere␈αmay␈αbe␈αa␈αcentral␈αstorage␈αof␈αcurrent␈αaddresses,␈αso␈αthat␈αif␈αan␈αaddress␈αhas␈αnot␈αbeen␈αused␈α
in
␈↓ ↓H␈↓a␈αlong␈α
time␈αor␈α
if␈αthe␈α
number␈αdoesn't␈α
answer,␈αand␈α
inquiry␈αcan␈α
be␈αmade.␈α
 A␈αperson␈α
or␈αbusiness␈α
that
␈↓ ↓H␈↓moves can thus update its address in a single message.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓2.␈α∂Many␈α∂messages␈α∂are␈α∂inquiries,␈α∂and␈α∂the␈α∂reply␈α∂can␈α∂go␈α∂back␈α∂on␈α∂the␈α∂same␈α∂telephone␈α∞connection.
␈↓ ↓H␈↓These␈α
include␈α
times␈α
of␈α∞arrival␈α
of␈α
airplane␈α
flights,␈α∞telephone␈α
numbers,␈α
credit␈α
verification.␈α∞ If␈α
the
␈↓ ↓H␈↓inquiry␈αinvolves␈αinteractions␈αwith␈αthe␈αhuman␈αat␈α
the␈αterminal,␈αwe␈αare␈αapproaching␈αthe␈αuse␈α
of␈αthe
␈↓ ↓H␈↓mail terminal as an interactive terminal.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓3.␈α
For␈αsome␈α
messages␈αauthentication␈α
is␈α
important.␈α Unless␈α
the␈αtwo␈α
parties␈αhave␈α
been␈α
in␈αprevious
␈↓ ↓H␈↓communication,␈αsome␈αuse␈α
of␈αa␈αthird␈α
party␈αauthentication␈αagency␈α
is␈αprobably␈αneeded,␈αalthough␈α
this
␈↓ ↓H␈↓can be a once-only reference.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓4. Privacy can be assured by encryption when this is needed.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_The␈α∂essential␈α∂advantage␈α∞of␈α∂using␈α∂the␈α∞existing␈α∂telephone␈α∂network␈α∞is␈α∂that␈α∂it␈α∂makes␈α∞getting
␈↓ ↓H␈↓started␈α∞easy.␈α∞ A␈α
manufacturer␈α∞can␈α∞begin␈α
selling␈α∞terminals␈α∞immediately␈α
and␈α∞businesses␈α∞can␈α
begin
␈↓ ↓H␈↓advertising␈αthat␈α
they␈αhave␈αthem.␈α
 The␈αfirst␈αmanufacturer␈α
can␈αestablish␈α␈↓↓de␈α
facto␈↓␈αstandards.␈α If␈α
they
␈↓ ↓H␈↓are well done, they will probably be universally adopted.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_We␈α∂see␈α∂a␈α∂rapid␈α∂improvement␈α∂in␈α∂terminals.␈α⊂ For␈α∂a␈α∂long␈α∂time,␈α∂the␈α∂40␈α∂year␈α⊂equipment␈α∂life
␈↓ ↓H␈↓sought␈α⊂by␈α⊂telephone␈α⊂companies␈α⊂will␈α⊂be␈α⊂irrelevant.␈α⊂ Improved␈α⊂software␈α⊂will␈α⊂offer␈α⊂new␈α⊂features.
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Better␈α
displays␈α∞and␈α
keyboards␈α∞will␈α
become␈α
available.␈α∞ Systems␈α
will␈α∞grow␈α
to␈α∞accomodate␈α
personal
␈↓ ↓H␈↓files.  Terminals the size of a cassette recorder will become available for travellers.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓αCosts

␈↓ ↓H␈↓α1.␈αAt␈αpresent␈αrates,␈αthe␈αtelephone␈αcosts␈αare␈αas␈αfollows:␈αNight␈αmail␈αacross␈αthe␈αcountry␈αcosts␈α$.22
␈↓ ↓H␈↓αfor␈αone␈αminute.␈α A␈αstamp␈αcosts␈α$.13␈αand␈αwill␈αincrease␈αrapidly.␈α The␈αnight␈αmail␈αrate␈αis␈αat␈αmost
␈↓ ↓H␈↓α$.14␈α
within␈α
California.␈α
 This␈αwill␈α
buy␈α
the␈α
first␈α
minute␈αwhich␈α
is␈α
enough␈α
to␈α
send␈α7200␈α
characters
␈↓ ↓H␈↓αat␈α∀the␈α∀1200␈α∀baud␈α∀rate␈α∀of␈α∀moderate␈α∀price␈α∀modems.␈α∀ 9600␈α∀baud␈α∀is␈α∀already␈α∀used␈α∀by␈α∪some
␈↓ ↓H␈↓αtelecopiers,␈α
and␈α∞will␈α
soon␈α∞be␈α
available␈α∞at␈α
a␈α
reasonable␈α∞cost.␈α
 The␈α∞one␈α
minute␈α∞connection␈α
will
␈↓ ↓H␈↓αpermit␈α∪data-base␈α∀enquiries,␈α∪so␈α∀that␈α∪sometimes,␈α∪the␈α∀$.22␈α∪will␈α∀eliminate␈α∪two␈α∀stamps.␈α∪ The
␈↓ ↓H␈↓αdaytime␈α
cross-country␈α
minimum␈α
is␈α
$.54␈αand␈α
$.64␈α
within␈α
California.␈α
 If␈α
telephone␈αcompanies
␈↓ ↓H␈↓αreduce␈αfurther␈αthe␈αminimum␈αlength␈αof␈αcall,␈αas␈αis␈αdone␈αin␈αEurope,␈αelectronic␈αmail␈αbecomes␈αyet
␈↓ ↓H␈↓αcheaper, since most messages will be short.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓α2.␈αLike␈αa␈αtelephone-answering␈αmachine,␈αa␈αmail␈αterminal␈αcan␈αpiggyback␈αon␈αthe␈αuser's␈αexisting
␈↓ ↓H␈↓αtelephone␈αconnection.␈α This␈αwill␈αnot␈αincrease␈αthe␈αbusy␈αtime␈αof␈αthe␈αtelephone␈αmuch␈α
unless␈αthe
␈↓ ↓H␈↓αuser␈αstarts␈αusing␈αit␈αfor␈αinteractive␈αuse␈αof␈αsomeone's␈αcomputer␈αsystem␈α-␈αe.g.␈αfor␈αplaying␈αgames
␈↓ ↓H␈↓αor␈α
reading␈αthe␈α
news.␈α Then␈α
he␈α
will␈αwant␈α
to␈αorder␈α
another␈αtelephone␈α
connection.␈α
 A␈αcombined
␈↓ ↓H␈↓αmail␈αterminal␈αand␈αvoice-type␈αtelephone␈αanswerer␈αcan␈αbe␈αmade␈αin␈αwhich␈αthe␈αcall␈αis␈αdiverted␈αto
␈↓ ↓H␈↓αthe␈α∂mail␈α∂processor␈α∞when␈α∂suitable␈α∂beeps␈α∂are␈α∞recognized␈α∂and␈α∂is␈α∞otherwise␈α∂recorded␈α∂on␈α∂a␈α∞voice
␈↓ ↓H␈↓αtape.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓α3.␈α_The␈α_present␈α_retail␈α_price␈α_of␈α_a␈α_suitable␈α_display␈α_and␈α_keyboard␈α_is␈α_$900.␈α_ A␈α_suitable
␈↓ ↓H␈↓αmicrocomputer␈α
system␈αincluding␈α
cassette␈αis␈α
about␈α
another␈α$1,000.␈α
 The␈αprice␈α
of␈α
modems␈αnow
␈↓ ↓H␈↓αdepends␈α
sharply␈α
on␈αperformance,␈α
with␈α
a␈α
low␈αspeed␈α
modem␈α
costing␈αabout␈α
$200␈α
and␈α
very␈αhigh
␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ εH␈↓ 92


␈↓ ↓H␈↓αspeed␈α∩modems␈α⊃several␈α∩thousand␈α∩dollars.␈α⊃ The␈α∩high␈α⊃speed␈α∩modems␈α∩now␈α⊃have␈α∩a␈α∩very␈α⊃small
␈↓ ↓H␈↓αmarket, and one can expect all costs to reduce.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓α␈↓ α_We␈αestimate␈αthat␈αa␈αcomplete␈αmail␈αterminal␈αoriented␈αat␈αa␈αmarket␈αof␈α2,000␈αmight␈αsell␈αfor
␈↓ ↓H␈↓α$2,000,␈α∂aimed␈α∂at␈α⊂a␈α∂20,000␈α∂market␈α⊂$1,500␈α∂and␈α∂at␈α∂a␈α⊂200,000␈α∂market␈α∂$1,000.␈α⊂ Fundamentally,␈α∂the
␈↓ ↓H␈↓αamount␈αof␈αelectronics␈αin␈αa␈αterminal␈αis␈αless␈αthat␈αthat␈αof␈αa␈αcolor␈αTV␈αset,␈αso␈αprices␈αcould␈αgo␈αinto
␈↓ ↓H␈↓αthe␈α∞range␈α∞of␈α∞a␈α∞few␈α∞hundred␈α∞dollars␈α
rather␈α∞quickly.␈α∞ Because␈α∞no␈α∞new␈α∞type␈α∞of␈α
manufacturing
␈↓ ↓H␈↓αcapability␈α∞is␈α∞require,␈α
e.g.␈α∞no␈α∞color␈α∞picture␈α
tube,␈α∞and␈α∞all␈α
components␈α∞are␈α∞already␈α∞produced␈α
in
␈↓ ↓H␈↓αsubstantial quantities, these costs should be realized much sooner than they were for color TV.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓α␈↓ α_The␈α
present␈αlegal␈α
situation␈α
for␈αmail␈α
terminals␈α
is␈αjust␈α
fine.␈α
 There␈αis␈α
no␈α
guarantee␈αthat
␈↓ ↓H␈↓αsomeone,␈α
e.g.␈αWestern␈α
Union␈α
or␈αthe␈α
Postal␈α
Service,␈αwon't␈α
try␈α
to␈αget␈α
national␈α
or␈αstate␈α
legislation
␈↓ ↓H␈↓αor␈α⊗FCC␈α⊗or␈α⊗public␈α⊗utility␈α⊗commission␈α⊗decisions␈α⊗restricting␈α⊗this␈α⊗competition.␈α⊗ The␈α⊗best
␈↓ ↓H␈↓αprotection␈α∂against␈α⊂this␈α∂is␈α∂a␈α⊂prompt␈α∂start␈α∂before␈α⊂new␈α∂monopolies␈α∂are␈α⊂created␈α∂so␈α⊂that␈α∂many
␈↓ ↓H␈↓αpurchasers and marketers of terminals will act to protect their interests.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓α␈↓ α_Electronic␈α⊂mail␈α∂is␈α⊂now␈α∂being␈α⊂technologically␈α∂assesed␈α⊂by␈α∂various␈α⊂government␈α∂agencies
␈↓ ↓H␈↓αand␈α∂think␈α∂tanks.␈α∂ The␈α∂winner,␈α∂however,␈α∂will␈α⊂be␈α∂the␈α∂company␈α∂that␈α∂realizes␈α∂that␈α∂the␈α⊂time␈α∂to
␈↓ ↓H␈↓αmarket a mail terminal is now.