From: Michael Tiemann <tiemann@cygnus.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 1996 04:14:45 +0800
To: rpowell@algorithmics.com
Subject: Re: what's up with GROW?
In-Reply-To: <96Jul10.113046edt.20484@janus.algorithmics.com>
Message-ID: <199607101536.IAA19557@cygnus.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


To follow up further...we are very interested in deeply embedding
network security in all software components we deliver as "enterprise
solutions".  This is the commercial analog (I believe) of what
cypherpunks want in their personal space.  Our approach right now is to
view Kerberos as a solution to two problems (user authentication and key
management), and to extend basic services such as web servers, web
clients, etc., with Kerberos to build a coherent solution.

We believe that Java has effectively solved one of the problems that
GROW was intended to address: ubiquitous extensibility.  While some may
argue the finer points of just how powerful the Java model is compared
to the scheme model, there is a market momentum that argues for a level
of ubiquity that we could not have hoped to achieve through Scheme.

That said, perhaps it would be worthwhile to compare notes on current
Cygnus and Cyberpunks projects and approaches, to see if there are any
good synergies to tap.  Mark Eichin (our long-time V5 technical lead)
will be visiting from our Boston office the week of 7/22 for the Usenix
network security conference.  Perhaps we could have a mini meeting of
minds around that time.  Mark is eichin@cygnus.com.

Michael

P.S.  If the above sounds like more smoke than cyberpunks are accustomed
to, let me know in private email, and I'll continue follow-ups among
those who give me a positive response.