| This comprehensive tome explores all aspects of the latest technology craze-Internet programming. Programmers will turn to the proven expertise of the Unleashed series for accurate, day-and-date information on this hot new programming subject.
Today, the Internet and intranets are exploding like wildfire. The article, "VISA Moves to Intranet System," in the January 29, 1996, issue of Information Week states that "two thirds of all large companies either have an internal Web server installed or are thinking about it, and industry analysts believe that soon internal Web servers will outnumber external servers by a margin of 10 to 1. Forrester Research predicts the intranet server business will hit $1 billion by the year 2000." The daily announcements about new venture agreements, new application products, and new technology validate this prediction. In the nearly 30 years that I have worked in the computer industry, I cannot remember such an explosive period.
With all the excitement, one tends to forget that individuals laid the foundation for today's events in the late 1960s. The next three sections of this chapter look at the history, future, and fundamentals of the Internet, networks, and intranets. Then we devote four sections to the basics of TCP/IP networking. The chapter ends with a brief discussion of various applications, plug-ins, and applets. |
