In spite of this, droves of corporate users are flocking to the Internet. Perhaps above all, fear of missing the boat underscores the decision of many companies to go online. But most of all, several company officials said, the Internet is a worthwhile investment if it puts the company in closer contact with its customers.

Today's Internet is a global resource connecting millions of users that began as an experiment in the 1960's by the U.S. Department of Defense. While the networks that make up the Internet are based on a mutually agreed upon method of communication, the Internet has interfaces to a wide variety of networks types and vendors.

Resources on the Internet
The Internet provides access to information and services. One of the problems with a global network, however, is that finding and getting access to the information can be extremely difficult. Information is provided in a number of ways, including files and databases as well as tools for searching for information. Services include routing services for network packets and messaging services for electronic mail.

The range of information available on the Internet can be overwhelming. It is provided by colleges and universities, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private corporations. One can find information on virtually any topic imaginable. Census data, government publications, SEC filings, research reports, product information are just a few of the types of information that are available. In addition to information, many sites provide source and binary code for many different types of applications. Unfortunately, this information is poorly organized, lacks global indexing, and is hard to navigate. While this problem is being addressed, as in Netmation's NCAP product, it remains one of the biggest challenges to the Internet community.

To a large degree, these services and information are available at no cost. However, as the value of the services and information increases, avenues are being explored for putting the Internet to work for commercial purposes. Once frowned upon, commercial traffic and involvement are seen as vital to the growth and sophistication of Internet services.

Internet Tools
Internet tools for finding and retrieving information have been steadily improving. In fact, the explosive growth of the Internet can be attributed as much to the tools and applications as it can to the availability of any particular source of information or service that is available. Applications, particularly applications with graphical interfaces, have made the Internet much more approachable for average users and have made it easier to navigate through trillions of bytes of information.

Java
Java, a programming language created by Sun Microsystems enables developers to create applets which will reside on the Internet. Thus automating much of the tedious distribution and installation procedures involved with traditional software. Software companies will no longer have to mail upgrades; clients can simply connect to a company's site with a Java browser and automatically load the new or upgraded applications.

The concept of developing either company internal applications or applications to be made available freely on the Internet will become a significant development trend over the coming years. Though Java was the first to capitalize on this concept others are available and Netmation has consultants available to assist you in developing such applications.

Netmation Services
Netmation provides the following tools and services to enhance your exposure to the Internet.

• NCAP search tools along with custom databases of valuable Internet information.
• Custom developed tools within NCAP for your business.
• Internet provider services: FTP sites, World Wide Web sites.