Introduction

This document is an attempt to outline the network services activities being undertaken in August 1995. Much of the work is being done on an iterative basis. A cycle of trying out alternatives, implementing the best one, and then trying next step alternatives is repeated. A detailed plan does not exist.

These activities are being driven by University of Toronto Management and the Information Common Implementation Committee, in particular. Many decisions are based on input received from the recently tabled Academic Task Force Report and the Library Task Report.

Overview

Our main goal is to provide software tools to all members of the University community for access to Campus and Internet resources. To accomplish this goal our main activities in August 1995 are to extend the institutional electronic mail service (UTORmail) to more members of the University community, to permit people to obtain software tools they need through the network (UTORdist), and to provide alternative access to the institutional electronic mail service from places where personal computers are not available (UTORlogin). These are covered in more detail in this document.

This document does not cover the concurrent and major efforts to increase network accessibility to members of the University. More buildings continue to be connected and there is a project this summer to provide a new dial-in service for network and terminal use. The new dial-in service's project is covered in a separate document, "Framework for Dial-In Phase II" by Lee Oattes.