The 1970s and 80s
During the next decade, ARPANET became popular and more widely used, and the potential
for its misuse grew. In December of 1973, Robert M. "Bob" Metcalfe, who is credited
ARPANET Program Plan
June 3, 1968
In ARPA, the Program Plan is the master
document describing a major program. This plan, which
I wrote in 1968, had the following concepts:
1. Objectives —Develop Networking and Resource
Sharing
2. Technical Need —Linking Computers
3. Military Need —Resource Sharing -Not Nuclear
War
4. Prior Work —MIT-SDC experiment Effect on
ARPA —Link 17 Computer Research Centers,
Network Research
5. Plan - Develop IMP's and start 12/69
6. Cost —$3.4 M for 68-71
VANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY
Washington, D. C. 10301
Program Plan No.7ZL__. Date: 3 June 1968
RESOURCE SHARING COMPUTER
NETWORKS
A. Objective of the Program
The objective of this program is tivofoldi (I) To
develop techniques and obtain experience on
interconnecting computers in such a way that a very broad
class of interactions are possible, and (2) To improve and
increase computer research productivity through resource
sharing. by establishing a network tying /PT's resea rih
centers together, both goals are achieved. In fact, the most
efficient way to develop the techniques needed for an
effective network 1. by involving the research talent at these
centers in prototype activity.
Just as time-shared computer spite!ms have
permitted group. of hundreds of individual users to share
hardware and software resources with one another,
networks connecting dozens of such systems will permit
resource sharing between thousands of users. Each system,
by virtue of being time- shared, can offer any of its services
to another computer system on demand. The most important
criterion for the type of network interconnection desired isthat
any user or program on any of the networked computer.