Riding the Technology Wave.

This paper presents an overview of information technology development. The first section sets the scene, comparing the first WAN (Wide Area Network) and Intel processor to current technology. The birth of the microcomputer is described in the second section, including historical background on semiconductors, microprocessors, and the microcomputer. The creation of the Internet from 1962 to 1998 is addressed in the third section. The next section outlines where we are today, including uses for the Internet. Issues to consider related to the Internet are summarized in the fifth section, and the sixth section suggests new Internet applications. A concluding section considers the future in regard to information technology development. (MES)