World Wide Web for Internet Services on NICNET INFO HIGHWAY

The Minister of Commerce and Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Mr Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated C-WEB, Centre for World Wide WEB Service through NICNET, on January 14, 1995. This has opened up a new and unique way of accessing the world of information, for every Indian.

Taking the World by Storm

Internet is a network of networks, which has made the concept of Global Village come true faster than imagined by science fiction writers. Already spanning the entire globe, Internet is growing at the rate of one million users every month. Deemed to be the predecessor of Super Highways, this network has woven the whole world into a close-knit web known as the World Wide Web, or by its acronym WWW. Till recent times, Internet was thought to be the exclusive preserve of academic and research institutes. However, with its opening up for commercial applications, this network of networks is on the verge of ushering in a digital gold rush. It now not only delivers its usual fare of education and health care services, electronic shopping and entertainment, and access to legal and medical databases; but has also made electronic commerce a reality. World Wide WEB servers have made it easy for its users to access data and information located on any of the computers connected to the Network. Friendly hypermedia user interfaces which allow one to browse through documents, images and audio files at the click of a button makes it the most attractive proposition. The Universal database of knowledge is at your command!

Access to Internet with Basis Web allows Users the facility of a wide range of unique features

  • Browsing: Mosaic and Cello among the standard access and browsing tools from the clients
  • Searching: Full-text queries from hypertext anchors, navigation through retrieved documents; phrase and proximity searching, intelligent search assistants
  • All made possible by the Free Keyword Retrieval feature of Basis Plus, synergizing with the versatile navigation feature of the Web Server.
  • Display: Hit-to-hit scrolling feature for display with a mere click of a button
  • Publishing: A new way to publish intelligent document repositories of rich information on Internet together with advanced capabilities for retrieval and management.
  • Data Management and Validation: Data integrity (part document loading) in updates and easy management of large repositories of retrieved documents.
  • Basis Plus Accessibility: Direct access to Basis Plus files
  • Other Internet Services: Telnet, FTP, Archie, WAIS, Gopher and Hytelnet
  • Truly a browsing and searching Web that allows one to explore a seamless worldwide digital web of information

Access to WWW: A new Proposition

Once again the National Informatics Centre has emerged a leader in bringing WWW to India. In collaboration with Information Dimensions Incorporation, the makers of BASIS PLUS, NIC has installed a basis web server, one of the most advanced in World Wide Web Server Technology, on its National Info Highway. Thus, Users in India have not only been provided with access to Internet's WWW, but also have an access methodology at their disposal which incorporates every conceivable means of tapping the information.

The implications are wide-ranging. NICNET has the widest reach in the Country with its more than 750 nodes, and also has a large number of Internet Users. Through its Ku band-based Info Highway, NICNET now makes multimedia access possible for its Users. It is the coming together of two entities for the maximum benefit to the maximum number. For on one hand WWW gives access to a wide range of information and services as never before, while on the other hand, NICNET reaches out to the nooks and corners of India providing its Users a wide range of access methodologies to the information treasure trove of Internet.

Boost for Electronic Commerce

for commercial users by harnessing the great potential of Internet. NICNET's connection to internet now makes Electronic Data Interchange, Electronic Funds Transfer and access to Trade Data Banks possible for its Users. NICNET Users will now have multimedia access to distributed Geographical Information Systems (GIS), legal information system and medical databases among others. And all this on a global basis! The establishment of the Basis Web Server adds a new dimension to EDI and Bibliographic services on NICNET. Internet is poised to become the prime carrier for electronic commerce. And NICNET has the most widespread access to Internet, for Indian Users.

In his inaugural speech, Mr Pranab Mukherjee summed it thus: It gives me great pleasure to be associated with yet another milestone, the launching of C-WEB, the World Wide Web Server on NICNET Info Highway. This is the first Web Server which has been commissioned in the Country. It is also one of the most sophisticated Web Servers in the world, because it represents a synergy between imported know-how and NIC's own research and development. The Basis Web

Server is based on the hypermedia navigation. The Web on NICNET has redefined the concept of information management not only for research and academic community, but also for commercial users.

For further information, please contact: C-WEB, National Informatics Centre A-Block, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi - 110 003. Ph: 91-11-4364874, Fax: 91-11-4362489 Email: root@www.nic.in