Monday, December 2, 1996
TECHNOLOGY:
Advent of worldwide network causing industry boomBy Phillip
Hong
Daily Bruin Contributor
Before a packed audience in the Ackerman Grand Ballroom,
Microsoft Corp. Chief Executive Officer Bill Gates discussed the
increasing power of computers and the movement of society toward a
new era of digital communication with the UCLA community.
"The computer is becoming the most powerful communications tool
of all time, and the implications of this are pretty incredible,"
he said. "(People) didn’t really think the computer would ever be
comparable with these advances in communication that I’m showing
here: the printing press, telephone, radio, television, and yet
that has become evident now."
Gates attributes the rapid development of computer technology to
Moore’s Law, which states that every two years computers get twice
as powerful, a fact computer buyers are painfully aware of after
their top-of-the-line machine becomes outdated in just a few
months.
Intel CEO Andrew Grove celebrated the 25th anniversary of the
microprocessor, but also looked into the future, saying that in 15
years, chips that are 1,000 times faster than what exist today will
be a realistic expectation.
However, Gates explained that it is the Internet that is really
fueling the information superhighway.
"It is the Internet that has in the past year restructured the
world’s view of the computer," he said. "The Internet has taken
advantage of the power of computers and transformed them into
agents of mass communication and public discourse.
"It really is a phenomena like no other, because the attention
that is being paid to this by the world at large is unbelievable.
The number of new startups, the amount of new money being funneled
in, the very high expectations  there’s no doubt we’re at
critical mass."
Critical mass can refer to the heavy traffic on the Internet,
and the slow connections to the Internet for the home user.
Essentially, it is this very issue of connection speed to the
Internet that is the thorn in the side of all developers of
mass-market Internet technology.
"One of the things that makes (the Internet) tough is the speed
of connections. A few years ago, people thought that interactive TV
would just sweep the world. And phone companies were promising
quick delivery for millions of homes," Gates said. "Well, it turned
out not to be economic to run all that optic fiber. So rather than
the TV-centric approach, we’re going to have a more PC-centric
approach, where Internet speeds will get richer and richer."
Faster modems are a necessity for the ambitious goals of
interactivity Gates is trying to deliver to millions of homes
within the next few years.
However, for users logging on to the Internet from within UCLA
 either at Powell, the Office of Academic Computing or the
residence halls  their direct access to the Internet is
termed broad-band, which Gates called "the ultimate."
"In a university campus where you have great density, running
that optic fiber and handing video data rates for high-quality
video is very possible. Some universities will get out in front on
this, and over time the world at large will have broad-band."
This puts UCLA years ahead of society in the era of digital
communications, allowing college students to use their personal
computer as more than just a word processor and game box. Their PCs
become fundamental tools for researching papers, communicating to
friends and family across the globe, and surfing the World Wide Web
at blazingly fast speeds.
"I believe that (the Internet) will certainly redefine
education," Gates predicted. "Nobody knows exactly how. Will we
still need such big university campuses? Will we have the on-line
collaboration where you can get the experts in the field and see
what they’re saying in a better way? (There is) lots of
experimentation to be done there."
Microsoft has had numerous interactions with UCLA, according to
Vice Chancellor of Research Kumar Patel, who explained that
Microsoft has helped build information technology with the Anderson
School of Management and interacted closely with the faculty from
the School of Medicine in health care activities. There exists also
very strong links between the linguistics department and Microsoft,
Patel added.
Experimentation in the area of technology and education is being
done at UCLA, according to Patel, who also sees Microsoft as a
likely partner in exploring this new field.
"They (Microsoft and UCLA) both continually seek new ways of
thinking about problems at hand. And in this framework, Microsoft
and UCLA have begun discussions to enhance already existing
relationships," Patel said.
Gates appears to agree, pointing out that the atmosphere of a
collegiate setting is conducive for the generation of creative
ideas in computing technology.
"The kind of things that you’re doing when you’re creating great
software, you want the same sort of nice surroundings that you’ve
had as a student, it’s what you’re used to and it’s a great
environment," he said.
In addition, UCLA fosters a good relationship with Microsoft by
sending off accomplished graduates to the Microsoft campus in
Redmond, Wash.
"We’re looking for people who are excited about being involved
with great software. Certainly we’ve been lucky enough to have lots
of excellent UCLA graduates to join Microsoft. We’re mostly looking
for a real aptitude and energy."
Many UCLA students fitting this criteria may wish to take Gates’
lead and bypass their college education altogether in order to
pursue a career in the industry.
"If you think you have a whole new approach that no one else has
ever thought of, that’s going to build a gigantic company, if you
really feel that way, and it’s very time-critical, then maybe you
should pursue that. For 99.9 percent of the people, it’s probably
better to finish school, and get a chance to get work experience in
a great company and see how they do things, and then strike out,"
Gates said.
"College is a great thing  it’s fun. You get to learn a
lot, there’s all sorts of people to do things with. They feed you
every day. It’s hard to beat college," he said.
However, when asked if he misses school, Gates replied, "I have
such an incredible job, that I’d say I’m having even more fun than
I had in college."
PATRICK LAM/Daily Bruin
Microsoft CEO Bill Gates speaks before a sellout crowd Wednesday
in Ackerman Grand Ballroom.