Questions about valuation: a consortium is being formed:
Internet research group formed to counter e-hype
NEW YORK (AP) - Representatives from leading Internet firms are forming a research group to counter e-hype. The Internet Policy Institute wants to warn policy makers, businesses and the public about Internet services that tout themselves as the next best thing. The group hopes to provide independent research to balance self-promotional claims.
Membership includes executives from rivals Microsoft Corp (NasdaqNM:MSFT - news). and America Online Inc (NYSE:AOL - news). The new institute, announced Tuesday, will research such topic as e-commerce, taxation, law enforcement and democracy.
"If you do a survey of everybody's expectations, you get numbers that are probably not realistic," said Esther Dyson, interim chairwoman of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, the group managing much of the Net.
George Vradenberg, America Online's senior vice president for global and strategic policy, said understanding the Internet's social and economic impact is important.
"It is large enough to matter, he said, "and young enough and early enough in its stage for us to shape it."
Jim Barksdale, former chief executive of Netscape Communications Corp., noted how little hard data is available for policy makers tackling critical decisions.
The initiative brings together companies with competing agendas. Microsoft has had spats with both AOL and Netscape. A browser war between Microsoft and Netscape led to a judge's finding Friday that Microsoft is a monopoly.
Kimberly Jenkins, president of the new group, said the diverse membership will help keep the research independent.
The board will also include representatives from academia and nonprofits. Funding will come from foundations and corporations, including AT&T, MCI Worldcom, AOL and the Nasdaq stock exchange (AMEX:QQQ - news).
The group, which will have offices in Washington, will not lobby lawmakers or endorse bills, officials said.
Bob Herbold, Microsoft's chief operating officer, said it will instead focus on promoting an Internet where users have "the best opportunity to take advantage of this incredible capability." ¸ The Canadian Press, 1999 |
