Mon, 29 Aug 1994 10:55:07 EDT

id <[email protected]>; Wed, 24 Aug 94 14:01 EST

with BSMTP id 5259; Wed, 24 Aug 94 20:04:30 EST

FRMOP11.CNUSC.FR (LMail V1.2a/1.8a) with BSMTP id 6622; Wed, 24 Aug 1994 20:04:30 -0500

If this:
< The problem you face in this situation is typical of many networks. <It is very difficult to compete, economically and technically, with <commercial e-mail services. The networks can only be successful by <providing value-added services that users find really valuable, is a general statement, I tend to agree.

If you refer to the REDID situation, I am afraid you got the whole picture wrong and forgot the information I gave you and/or you got incorrect additional information. Let me clarify again, restate the deal with you and conclude.

REDID vs CODEMAIL

1. REDID "market" is exclusively reserved to non-profit institutions linked to research (universities, NGOs, GOs and IOs).

2. REDID and CODEMAIL are run by the SAME SYSTEM and so REDID takes profit of all the level of service/reliability/dependability of Codemail. What are then the differences? See below:

The additional fee per Id in REDID is here to reinforce the university to build their own LAN (with a LAN, they can have as many user as they want in one REDID Id).

(2): Access + have effectively a new Windows compatible version. Yet it is the only option to get into Codemail. Most user prefer MULBRI, but let's say the preference between MULBRI and Access+ is arguable.
What is not arguable is the freedom for the REDID user to use whatever UUCP compatible he/she desires (Pegasus, ...), and the obligation for the Codemail user to go Access+. Why not you try Access+? I have one installed here (not the windows version).

(3): On the top of any added value service the migration to TCP-IP is the main objective of REDID. REDID is working hard on that.

(4): Yes, Codemail has added value for communication and it is perfect like that. REDID is NOT in competition with Codemail and WILL NOT. Redid beneficiate from a generous agreement from Codetel where the argument was to help Codetel develop its market (leaving the REDID segment apart). That said, yes, REDID is developing and planning added value services (mainly in the information access direction). The question here is not technical nor in term of ideas, it is in term of ressources (people and money). If you got the budget together with your offer to help REDID go added-value, you will be extremely welcomed.

If you analyze the picture you may wonder why one having the good luck to deserve access to REDID would pay for CODEMAIL (Codetel knows well the situation and agreed to loose a tiny part of his market for the benefit of the whole growth -I could send you a documented analysis of the deal impact, if you'll take the time to read it). Yet, there is very rare situation where a user prefers to pay for what he/she can have almost free. This is freedom of choice... As for UNPHU, they have a big plan for networks related to distance education. I wish them good luck (no irony).

3. As I said, REDID high priority is to get full Internet access, and nobody is doing it today around here.

4. As I said, REDID objective is not to compete with commercial offerings, but to offer at THE LOWEST PRICE acces to the information and communication technology to the researcher around here.

5. The subscription fee hardly cover the administrative and institution costs. As for Cornell, REDID would be more than happy to make it take advantage of the very low cost network, but, I doubt an additional 300 $ will change the future of REDID (which is growing at an approximate rate of 3 new institutions per month).

<...time with IGC-PeaceNet I was involved with creating value-added services, <and my experience may be useful to you. I guess you mean to REDID. Thanks for the offer. I am not the REDID manager. The President of REDID is Pavel Isa (cieca1!cries), and very soon REDID will have an appointed manager (which salary is provided by the subscription fees). I am sure they will be interested in listening to you.

THE DEAL WITH J. KATZ

Considering your objective of systematic evaluation, I recommanded to REDID to facilitate to you a REDID e-mail, without going thru the normal procedure and fee, so that to ease a task I considered of general interest. The recommandation was accepted and you were installed in the REDID net begenning of April 94.

CONCLUSIONS:

Before I conclude, I would like to get clarified and confirmed your relationship with the involved parties:

1. Are you a member of APC staff? Or are you a freelance consultant having worked for APC?
   
2. Please could you provide me with the name and adress of the project manager back in Cornell?

1. Subscribe to Codemail as a commercial client.
2. Try with the second academic network in the country (I told you, in our 25/3 meeting, about RUDAC from PUCMM: ask Rhadames Mejia, Vice Rector PUCMM, Santo Domingo, [email protected]).
3. Ask Cornell Univ. to become a member of REDID, using the normal procedures.

In any case, REDID and FUNREDES would be very interested to get copy of your final report if it is possible.

Looking forward to meet you,
Hope you had a good stay here.