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Alumni PennNet Service

By Alfred C. D'Souza

What happens to graduating Penn students who enter the real world without access to PennNet and the Internet? For those who remain in the Philadelphia area, this need not be a problem, thanks to the Alumni PennNet Service (APS), launched recently by Data Communications and Computing Services (DCCS) in conjunction with the Office of Alumni Relations. And, for those graduating in May, APS is available for half price.

What services are provided?

APS is a service very much like eniac, mail.sas, and dolphin - offering access to e-mail, NetNews (including all upenn newsgroups), World-Wide Web, Telnet, and FTP, and eventually a site for personal home pages. Both command-oriented software (Elm, Tin, Lynx) and graphical desktop clients (NewsWatcher/Trumpet, Netscape/Mosaic) are supported. APS, a successor to the Alumni E-mail Service developed last year by the former University Data Center, also includes access to the standard PennNet 14,400 bps modem pool; an additional charge will apply for use of the new 28,800 bps pool to be available by July 1.

Are there any restrictions?

The purpose of APS accounts is to foster an ongoing relationship between Penn and its alumni. Graduates active in alumni affairs, fund raising, student recruiting, arranging internships - and job hunting - should find APS especially attractive. Use of these accounts for commercial purposes, however, is strictly prohibited. Alumni who need access to the Internet as an integral part of their business activities should obtain service through local or national commercial providers, or through freenets.

APS includes access to Franklin, the Library's online catalog, which is freely available to any Internet user. However, because of commercial licensing provisions, APS does not provide access to most of the other Library services, such as MEDLINE, Dow Jones News/Retrieval, and LEXIS/NEXIS.

How much does it cost?

The annual fee for APS is $275 per year, plus applicable taxes, payable in advance. For 1995 degree recipients (undergrad, grad, or professional) who purchase the service by June 30, the fee is $137.50. DCCS will attempt to maintain a graduate's network ID, e-mail ID, e-mail folders, and alias file, if desired. This can be guaranteed for students now on Dolphin. For ASC, SAS, SEAS, and Medicine, DCCS will provide recommendations and procedures to enable students to transfer e- mail folders to their new accounts. All account holders must also sign an acceptable use policy.

Whom should I contact?

If you want to purchase an account during the special discount period, call the PennNet Help Desk at 215/898-8171. For specific, detailed information about this new service, send e-mail to help@dccs.upenn.edu, access the URL http://www.upenn.edu/DCCS/APS, or call the PennNet Help Desk.