Date of Award

1996

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Business Administration

Department

Business

First Advisor

Daniel W. Kemper

Second Advisor

Patrick Akers

Third Advisor

Laura DeRigne

Abstract

This thesis will focus on the development of the information superhighway and its impact on the nation.

Ten or twelve years ago, a minor revolution occurred when personal computers became common. Visionaries talked about computers as information appliances. Users could use the home or the office computer to connect to the national news services, get stock reports, do library searches, even read professional journals or literary classics, but, at the time, these were far-reaching ideas.

With the Internet, networking has come to age. The information resources that visionaries talked about in the early 80's are not just research topics that a few advanced thinkers can play with in a lab - they are real-life realities that users can tap into from their homes. Once they are connected to the Internet, they have instant access to an almost indescribable width of information and most of it is available for free.

Through electronic mail and bulletin boards users can use a different kind of resource: a worldwide supply of knowledgeable people, some of whom are certain to share the users' interests, no matter how obscure.

Many people view Internet as the Interstate Highway System for information. Internet provides a way of meeting others and sharing information. The science teacher can access a NASA-funded computer that provides information - past, present, and future - about space science and the space programs. Internet is a catalog of information sources which has something for everyone.

This research supports the hypothesis statement that growing businesses need to invest in the Information Superhighway to remain competitive. The Internet allows businesses to access leading edge information in technology and allows data to flow within, as well as in and out of companies at a rapid pace. Without network communications, like E-Mail, companies would lack speedy turn-around time on requests. In today's society, immediate response is critical to prevail competitively in the marketplace. The Information Superhighway is the ultimate way to share information .

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