Profile;For'FatheroftheInternet,'NewGoals,SameEnergy

ByKATIEHAFNER
Published:September25,1994
CALLitluckorcallitprescience.ButVintonG.Cerf,acomputerscientistascomfortableinanacademicsettingasheisinprivateindustry,
seemstomakeasuccessofnearlyeverythinghetouches.AndwhenhereturnedtoMCIinJanuaryafteraneightyearabsence,hewas,byhis
ownaccount,eagertobuildsomethingagain.
Morethanadecadeago,whenthecommercialprospectsforelectronicmailwerefarfromcertain,Dr.CerfwastheprincipalengineerofMCI
Mail,nowoneofthenation'slargestEmailsystems.NowDr.Cerf,knownthroughouttheindustryastheprimaryforcebehindthedevelopment
oftheInternet,ishelpingtheMCICommunicationsCorporationinanambitioussixyear,$20billionprojectcallednetworkMCI.
ThemanwhobroughtDr.CerfbackintotheMCIfoldisJ.RobertHarcharik,whoworkedwithDr.CerfonMCIMail.AfterMr.Harcharik
returnedfromretirementayearagoasMCI'sgeneralmanagerfordataservices,hewastednotimeseekingoutDr.Cerf.Butpryinghimloose
fromtheCorporationforNationalResearchInitiatives,anonprofitorganizationthathehelpedstartwithRobertE.Kahnin1986,wasn'teasy.
Dr.Cerfwassteepedinthedesignofanexperimentalnational"informationinfrastructure,"atermcoinedbyDr.Kahn.
Afterseveralmonths,Mr.HarcharikfinallypersuadedDr.Cerftoreturn."Afteralotofsoulsearching,"saidDr.Cerf,whois51,"Iconcluded
therightthingtodowasgobackintotheprivatesectorandtakeallI'dlearnedaboutinformationinfrastructureandturnitintosomething
peoplecoulduse."
LuringDr.CerfbackwasapublicrelationscoupofsortsforMCIasitstartedpositioningitselftotakeadvantageoftheconvergenceofvideo,
voiceanddata.ThebuildingofnetworkMCIinvolvestheinstallationofhighspeedswitching,fiberopticandwirelesstransmissionsystems,with
theeventualaimofmeldingexistinglongdistancevoiceanddataserviceswithanewlocalphonenetwork.
AlthoughMCIhasrevealedfewspecificsaboutnetworkMCI,somepiecesarefallingintoplace.Earlierthismonth,thecompanyannounceda
personalcomputerbasedservicethattakesMCIbeyondlongdistanceserviceandintomultimediasoftware.CallednetworkMCIBusiness,the
WindowsbasedpackageallowsuserstosendEmailandfaxes,gathernews,conductvideoconferencing,createelectronicsalescataloguesand
gainaccesstotheInternet.
MCIispouringmillionsintoadvertisingnetworkMCI,withitsmostvisiblespokeswomanthe12yearoldNewZealandactressAnnaPaquin,who
wonanOscarforhersupportingrolein"ThePiano."Inaseriesofrecenttelevisioncommercials,Annaisseenonarockyshoreandinsnowy
woods,dressedinaflowingblackcape,offeringverbalpuzzlerslikethis:"Therewillbearoadthatwillnotconnecttwopoints.Itwillconnectall
points."Andthis:"Therewillbenomorethere.Wewillallonlybehere."
Thetelevisionspotsmayseemabstrusetosomeviewers,butnottoDr.Cerf.WhatAnnaPaquinsays"makesalotofsense,"saidDr.Cerf."When
you'reinafullynetworkedenvironment,thereisn'tmuchinthewayof'there.'"
Dr.Cerf'spresenceatMCIhasattractedanumberoftalentedsystemdesigners,severalofthemfromtheInternetcommunity'stechnicalinner
circle."TherearepeoplecomingherejusttospendafewyearsworkingwithVintCerf,"Mr.Harchariksaid.
Dr.Cerf,whoseofficialtitleisseniorvicepresidentfordataarchitecture,overseesagroupofengineerswhohelptoshapethecompany'sdata
services,bothexistingandplanned.HealsospendsagreatdealoftimetravelingtheglobetospeaktoindustrygroupsandmeetwithMCI's
sundryforeigncustomersandbusinesspartners.
"Peopleareincreasinglymixingtogetherservices,"Dr.Cerfsaid."Peopleinbusinesswouldliketobuyaveryfatpipethroughwhichtheypump
everythingvoice,data,video,Emailandfaxesratherthanusingseparateconnections."
DesigningthatpipeandmakingitworkisDr.Cerf'sjob.HisgroupatMCIisresponsiblefordeterminingwhenandhowvariousservicescanbe
madetoworktogether.Bywayofexample,Dr.Cerfpointedtoanewdataservicethatallowspeoplewithmodemstoplugintocellularphones
andconnecttoMCI'sdatanetwork.Dr.Cerf'sgroupisworkingonaddingInternetaccesstothisservice.
Histaskisn'teasy.Sincetheearlydaysofnetworking,thecompetitionhasgrownfierceamonglongdistancecarriers,cablecompaniesand
regionalphonecompaniesforapieceoftheinformationsuperhighway.MCI,BellAtlantic,Ameritech,PacificTelesisandTimeWarnersaythey
plantospendatotalofnearly$100billionover15yearsonbuildinganadvanceddatanetwork.
ButMCIhashadsomeearlybreaks.InFebruary,theNationalScienceFoundationsaiditintendedtoselectMCItobuildakeycomponentinan
upgradeofitsdatanetwork.Theservice,whichwilllinkthenation'sfivesupercomputercenters,willinitiallyrunat155megabitsasecond,fast
enoughtotransmittheentireoeuvreofIsaacAsimovinonesecond.MCIispositioningtheserviceasthebackbonefortheInternetinthenext
century."TheInternetisrunningonalleightcylinders,"saidRichardT.Liebhaber,MCI'schiefstrategyandtechnologyofficer."Nowweneedto
figureoutwhatthe16cylinderenginelookslike."
DR.CERFisperhapsbestknownfortheworkhehasdonedevelopingtheInternet.Mostindustryinsiderssayhiseffortstodevelopglobal
Technology
Home Timestopics MemberCenter
Copyright2013 TheNewYorkTimesCompany PrivacyPolicy Help ContactUs WorkforUs SiteMap IndexbyKeyword
standardsfortransmittingdatahaveprovedindispensabletotheInternet'sgrowth.HehasbeencalledtheFatheroftheInternet,andtheKing
oftheInternet.
"TherehavebeenmanypeopleresponsibleforthedevelopmentoftheInternetandinternetworkingtechnology,butitsimplywouldnothave
occurredwithoutVint,"saidTonyRutkowski,executivedirectoroftheInternetSociety."Fornearly18hoursaday,everydayforthepasttwo
decades,Vinthasdevotedconstantenergytomakingithappen."
Dr.Cerf'sfriendstellofseeinghimhoundedforhisautographatcomputerconferences.But,characteristicallyhumble,Dr.Cerfresiststaking
solecredit."TosayI'mpersonallyresponsibleforwhattheInternethasbecomeisnotafaircharacterization,"Dr.Cerfsaid."Anumberof
people,inthethousandsbynow,havehadsomekindofimpactonit."
SeeingtheexplosivegrowthofEmailisparticularlygratifyingtoDr.Cerf,whosehearinghasbeenseverelyimpairedsincebirth.Althoughthe
losshasbeenlargelycorrectedwithhearingaids,whichhehaswornsinceage13,telephoneconversationscanbeawkward."SometimesImiss
thenameorsomeoneexpectstoberecognizedbyvoice,"hesaid."Imayflounderabitandoftenresorttotrickstofigureoutwhotheheckitis."
NotricksarerequiredwithEmail.Theabilitytocommunicateoverthecomputer,Dr.Cerfsaid,hashelpedhimimmeasurably."Emailhasbeen
vitaltomeforprojectsIhavebeeninvolvedinsinceabout1970,"hesaid."Isometimeswonderwhetherthisaspectofnetworkinghaskeptme
closetothefieldforthelast25years."Eversincethe1970's,Dr.Cerfhasworkedtoencouragedeafpeopletousepersonalcomputersthat
handleEmail.
Dr.Cerf'sworkinnetworkingdatesto1969,whenhewasagraduatestudentincomputerscienceattheUniversityofCaliforniaatLosAngeles.
Hewasoneofahandfulofyoungprogrammersandhardwareengineersinvolvedintheinstallationofthefirst"node"oftheoriginal,fournode
ARPAnet,theprecursortotheInternet.
Hehasbeeninvolvedinnetworkingeversince,hisworkintensifyingwiththeevolutionoftheInternet.Dr.Cerf'sprincipalcontributionhasbeen
hisworkonTCP/IP,thecommonlanguagespokenbycomputersthroughouttheInternet,alanguageDr.CerfdevelopedwithDr.Kahn.Dr.
Cerfrecallsthatthefirstworkonthatlanguagecamefrom"literallysketchingtheideaoutonthebackofanenvelope"inaSanFranciscohotel
in1973whileheandDr.Kahnattendedacomputerconference.
Dr.CerfworkedforyearstogetTCP/IPadoptedasastandard."ThemagicofInternetisthatallthecomputersintheworldusethisverysimple
protocol,"saidMr.Liebhaber."AndthemagicofVintCerfisthathecajoledandnegotiatedandarguedusercommunitiesintoadoptingit."
THEbluejeanstypicalofengineersarenotforDr.Cerf;heisseldomseeninanythingbutathreepiecesuit.Heisknownforhisdry,self
deprecatinghumor,andforhisskillsasapeacemaker.Ata1992meetingthatmarkedapivotaljuncturefortheInternetProtocol,engineers
wereatoneanother'sthroatsoveracontroversialissue.Dr.Cerftookthepodiumandannouncedthathehadsomeinformalremarkstomake,
andproceededtostrip."Iremovedmycoat,waistcoat,tieandfinallymydressshirt,"herecalled.HestoppedwhenhereachedaTshirt
emblazonedwith"IPonEverything,"aninsidejokereferringtotheubiquityoftheInternetProtocol.Theaudience,hesaid,"wentnuts,"and
thetensiondissolved.Onememberoftheaudiencerushedtothepodiumandplaceda$5billinDr.Cerf'swaistband.
Dr.CerfcontinuedhisworkinnetworkswhileanassistantprofessoratStanfordintheearly1970's,andin1976wenttoworkfortheDefense
AdvancedResearchProjectsAgency,leavingin1982toworkforMr.HarcharikonthedesignofMCIMail.
AsaconditionforreturningtoMCI,Dr.Cerfinsistedonretaininghispostaspresidentofthe4,000memberInternetSociety,aglobal
organizationthatdevelopsstandardsandadministersnetworkactivities.AlthoughMCIhasmoveditsdataservicesdivisiontoDallas,Dr.Cerf
chosetostayintheWashingtonarea;heworksataBritishTelecombuildinginReston,Va.
Knownforhisunflaggingenergy,Dr.Cerfmaintainsafreneticschedule,doingsomeofhisbestwork,hesaid,between3and5a.m.Theburden
ofconstanttravelislightenedbyhisloveoffoodandfinewines.Histripsareoftenpunctuatedbyaluxuriousmealwithfriendsfromthe
Internetcommunity."TherearerestaurateursallovertheworldwhohugVintCerfwhentheyseehimcoming,"saidMr.Harcharik.
DuringarecenttriptoSanDiego,Dr.Cerfandhisfriendswereabouttoleaveatonyrestaurantafterdecidingthewinelistwastooweak.Atthis,
theownerdrovehomeandretrievedsomebottlesfromhisprivatecellarandreturnedwithanarmfulofchoicevintages.Thegroupstayed.
ThebreathlesspaceoftheInternet'sgrowth,Dr.Cerfsaid,continuestoastoundhim."It'sawfullyhardtokeepupjustwiththeproducts,"he
said."Ispendmyweekendshackingaround,configuringInternetsoftware.Andit'snoteasy.I'mgoingtogetabadgethatsays,'It'sstillrocket
science.'"VintonG.CerfBorn:June23,1943;NewHaven.Education:B.S.,mathematics,Stanford;M.S.andPh.D.,computerscience,U.C.L.A.
Family:Heandhiswife,SigridL.Thorstenberg,havetwosons,aged15and21.Idealvacation:LongcruisearoundtheCaribbeanorSouth
Pacificwithanunlimitedsupplyofsciencefictionbooks.Lastbookreadforpleasure:"Mars,"byBenBova.Drives:JaguarXJ6.
KatieHafnerisworkingonabookonthehistoryoftheInternet.