Subject: IBM/3Com/Bay Agreement

From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 23 May 96 09:36:04 EST

Wayne, I see you were looking at a reporter's "scoop" on the   
Bay, IBM, 3Com announcement.  Hopefully, by now you've had a   
chance to see the actual announcement.  It is available at     
http://www.raleigh.ibm.com/netmsg43.html.                      
                                                               
The announcement describes an agreement among three vendors to 
help ensure interoperability of their new LAN and switched     
subnet protocols.  It is not meant to replace or displace the  
AIW's role as the forum for cooperation on APPN architecture   
and implementations.  There is little overlap between this     
work and the AIW.  As with any agreement between vendors, the  
AIW may want to consider the output of this joint effort in    
future decisions about how to best support or exploit          
switching, VLANs, or I-PNNI in APPN.                           
                                                               
It should be clear that the true intent of this new agreement  
is to work together to make submissions to industry standards  
bodies, not to subvert any existing agreements.  The AIW       
continues to be the place for APPN standards work and remains  
open to anyone wishing to join.                               

Ralph Case                    [email-masked]    (919)254-1882  
APPN/APPC Architecture                                             
IBM Networking Hardware Division