Date   : Fri, 18 May 1990 13:36:00 MDT
From   : "Frank J. Wancho" <WANCHO@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL>
Subject: SIMTEL20 Status

Since 1983, SIMTEL20 provided access to network mailboxes for various
users without their own network host.  We offer this service to Army,
other DoD services and agencies, and federal agencies, and their
contractors.  Until recently, it was possible to provide access to our
actively maintained software collections via FTP and on tape because
we already had that paying customer base to support.

For the past year or so, our paying customer base has dwindled.  The
anticipated separate funding for the Ada Software Repository did not
materialize.  The local backup funds has finally been exhausted due to
severe cutbacks.  Thus, we had to cancel the excellent contractor task
support provided by Rick Conn and Keith Petersen for the maintenance
of our Ada, MSDOS, MISC, CP/M collections and the tape copy service.

This cutback will not affect the independently maintained Unix/C and
Macintosh collections.  Access to our collections via conventional
ANONYMOUS FTP and LISTSERV/TRICKLE will also continue.

We always follow up leads on potential new customers.  Unfortunately,
none show much promise lately, due to similar severe funding cutbacks
in the respective organizations.  We have also been searching for
sources of institutional funding without success.

We understand that many of you consider SIMTEL20 to be a valuable
national and international resource.  We planned to greatly expand the
available disk space and improve access to this system through a
proposed connection to NSFNET through WESTNET.  We now need your help
in finding unconnected paying mailbox customers and potential
sponsors.

Specifically, we need to provide evidence to our management and
potential sponsors that this service has a real return on investment
and is a valuable resource to the government.  Because this is an Army
facility, we need documented proof from those in the Army first.  In
particular, we need to know how access to our collections has saved a
tangible amount of money or time to do your job.  Be specific, please.
Other DoD services and federal agencies are encouraged to contribute
their proof as well.

If you are a researcher or support researchers on government funded
tasks, can you document savings in cost or time because of your access
here?  If you work for a government contractor, check with your
management to see if they would be willing to support similar
documentation.

Please send your statement on your official letterhead and signed by
someone in top management, if possible.

Mail to:

Mr. Elwood Baas
Chief, Operations and Systems Integration Division

Address:

Commander, ISC-White Sands
ASQNC-TWS-S (Bldg. 1408, E. Baas)
White Sands Missile Range
New Mexico  88002-5506


Frank J. Wancho
System Administrator
WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL


End of INFO-CPM Digest V90 Issue #87
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