I received a great deal of helpful advice from several people on this list. I also received a few repeated questions from several individuals, as follows:

Q. Why not use IMMARSAT? The ship is likely already equipped with it.

A. The cost is $12 per minute. That is not feasible for class demonstrations.

Q. How big is the ship? Is it a sailing vessel?

A. The ship is 25,000 tons (a medium-sized cruise ship), and definitely NOT a sailing vessel.

Q. How can I arrange such a trip?

A. The Semester at Sea is open to faculty in other institutions, and business professors are in high demand. They look for some international experience and "successful undergraduate teaching." If you are accepted, you must negotiate being away from yo ur school for the complete fall or spring. If you’re lucky, you can shift your teaching a bit and not impact your salary too much. To compensate for any lost wages, Semester at Sea pays $7,000 and requires you to teach 9 credits at the undergraduate level . The courses are expected to involve field projects for 20% of the grade, and students work on them while at port.

Q. Is there room for me?

A. Only if I leave my wife and/or 2 girls at home!

Again, see information at http://www.pitt.edu/~voyage

In response to my query, I received two types of messages. Some were (1) helpful personal messages and others were (2) messages of general interest that I post below.

I’d like to thank the following (listed in order of their replies) for their kind personal messages with leads to other individuals, kind words, offers of connection via their universities, or offers of inquiry to Iridium officials:

Cynthia Beath, Southern Methodist University

Gerardine DeSanctis, Duke University

Phillip Ein-Dor, Tel-Aviv University

Sirkka Jarvenpaa, University of Texas, Austin

Nava Pliskin, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Mark Fuller, Baylor

Michael Ginzberg, Case Western Reserve University

Lawrence Sanders, Buffalo

Dina Rateb, American University of Cairo

Dov Teeni, Bar-Ilan University

I’d also like to thank the following (listed in order of their replies) for their kind, generous help. Some spent significant time looking up locations and access number lists, and contacting others who followed up promptly. These messages were received from:

Enrique Dans, UCLA

Ram Krishnan, Carnegie Mellon

Bernadette Szajna, Texas Christian University

Kevin Crowston, Syracuse University

Alan Dennis, University of Georgia

Sheizaf Rafaeli, University of Haifa

Roger Clarke, The Australian National University

Sue Conger, Southern Methodist University

Ron Murch, University of Calgary

Mark Ginsberg, Berkeley

Tom Worthington, Australian Computer Society

Josep Valor, IESE – Barcelona

Mike Uretsky, NYU

Justin Smart via Roger Clarke

Tan Wui Gee, Singapore

Miguel A. Morales, Interamerican University of P.R.

Anton van Reeken, Universitair Hoofddocent Informatiemanagement

Pierre Buhler

Hi Dennis!

This is what you have with CompuServe (Yes: local number, No: no access numbers in that country, Not local: access through some other city in the country). But the Iridium idea sounds exciting!

Vancouver, BC - Yes

Kobe, Japan - Yes

Hong Kong - Yes

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam - No

Penang, Malaysia - Yes

Chennai, India - No

Suez; Not local

Haifa, Israel - Yes

Istanbul, Turkey - Yes

Civitavecchia, Italy - Not local

Casablanca, Morocco - No

Port Everglades, FL - Yes

Regards, Enrique Dans

edans@anderson.ucla.edu

and his later follow-up:

------------------------

Hi Dennis!

The only reason why I'm keeping my CompuServe account is because it allows me to get a plain connection almost everywhere (in fact, I only use it when I travel or when the university server is too crowded). The WinCim software is huge and almost useles s, but in fact you don't even need to install it. You only need to keep the connection settings in your Dial-up folder and a list with all the access numbers, and you are set (well, is better if you also take with you one of these kits with all the models of telephone and electric plugs...) They use to give you access to their proprietary network, and Internet access was a separated thing, but now everything goes through the Internet, and once you are connected, you can use your email programs, telnet or whatever. Don't rely in getting a speedy connection everywhere, in some places their nodes are still 9,600.

Regards,

____________________

Enrique Dans

edans@anderson.ucla.edu

____________________________________________________________

Dennis,

Here are some suggestions.

2. Forward your email to web accessible email server. Pop is inefficient for these purposes. This way you can access email using your web browser. One possibility is to get a hotmail account and forward your email to hotmail (or any such free email ser vice on the web).

Sounds like a fun experience.

Cheers!

Ram Krishnan

*********************

Ramayya Krishnan

Professor of Management Science and

Information Systems

The Heinz School of Public Policy and Management and

Institute for Complex Engineered Systems

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA 15213

email: rk2x@cmu.edu

____________________________________________________________

Bernadette Szajna

szajna@ibm.net

And in a later message:

-----------------------

Good luck to you... it sounds like a really fun experience!! If the phone

jacks in the Far East are anything like those in Europe, you'll need an extra

suitcase

____________________________________________________________

For option 3, I use IBM net (www.ibm.net) and it seems to have a lot of dialups around the world. I've found it pretty reliable overall. (Even if you work out #1 or #2, you'll probably want an ISP as a backup.)

I scanned through their list and found #s for

Vancouver, BC; Kobe, Japan; Hong Kong; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Haifa, Israel; Istanbul, Turkey; Rome, Italy; Miami, FL

Sounds like a great trip!

Kevin Crowston

Syracuse University

School of Information Studies

4-206 Centre for Science and Technology

Syracuse, NY 13244-4100

____________________________________________________________

IBM Global network is the ISP I use (and love them - and I never thought i'd say that about IBM). IBM claims to have access from more than 50 countries.

or more generally:http://www.ibm.net/

Alan Dennis,

Associate Professor

Department of Management, Phone: 706-542-3902

Terry College of Business Fax: 706-542-3743

University of Georgia Home: 706-613-7807

Athens, GA 30602 USA Email: adennis@uga.edu

WWW Home Page: www.cba.uga.edu/~adennis

Telecom Textbook: www.wiley.com/college/dennis/datacomm6e

HICSS: www.hicss.hawaii.edu

ICIS: www.icisnet.org

____________________________________________________________

Hello!

I have run into similar needs in the past, and had to rely on internet cafe's throughout Europe, Central America, etc. So your note struck a chord

...

Prof. Sheizaf Rafaeli

Graduate School of Business

University of Haifa

sheizaf@earthlink.net

Co-Editor, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication (JCMC)

Tel. +972-4-8249578

Fax +972-4-8249194

____________________________________________________________

G'day Dennis

>> >3. Failing that, does anyone know of a global ISP that has local dial-up

>> >numbers world-wide? AT&T has (or used to have) a proprietary network

>> >product called "Access" with world-wide dial-ups, but their service was not

>> >TCP/IP 5 years ago when our Flex MBA program used it.

I last looked at this in October/November 1997. With the assistance of one colleague, I've updated the list to the following:

Two wholesalers that sell wide-area connectivity to retail ISPs (including the giants):

An example (among a few) of a specific ISP's implementation thereof:

AT&T's 'Global Roaming' service, at:

I look forward very much to your collation back to ISWorld! (*Before* you sail off into the sunset).

Regards ... Roger

Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd, 78 Sidaway St, Chapman ACT 2611 AUSTRALIA

Tel: +61 2 6288 1472, and 6288 6916

Visiting Fellow, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology

The Australian National University Canberra ACT 0200 AUSTRALIA

Information Sciences Building Room 211 Tel: +61 2 6249 3666

____________________________________________________________

Hi Dennis,

Sue

____________________________________________________________

Dennis:

I just came back from a sabbatical in the UK and I used IBM's Global Network to access all my mobile computing needs. AT&T appears to have purchased the IGN Division but I have noticed no change in service. They have 2 plans. In Canadian funds, the y are $9.95/month for 10 hours and 29.95 for 100 hours access then each has a surcharge for "extra hours". I used the 100-hour one while in England and then switched to the 10-hour one after. It has been fine.

I also think you could look at a global cellular service (slow at 9600 CDPD but it still might work OK for you from various ports) or Inmarsat services. How about taking your own satellite dish?? If they can broadcast and "do Internet" from Everest, yo u ought to be able to do the same.

Ron Murch

Faculty of Management, University of Calgary

On Sabbatical July, 1998 to August, 1999

Presently based in Calgary

Internet: murch@ucalgary.ca

____________________________________________________________

Your point 3: IBM GLobal Network has many global (local) dial up numbers. People at St Gallen (Swz) had a choice of 4 local no's in Hawaiian islands, so it must be pretty comprehensive.

They got a PPP from dialup then they "replicated" their swiss mail to their local laptops using Domino.

Iridium digression (stop me if you've heard this): Upkar Varshney told a great story about Iridium at HICSS.

Originally the # satellites in orbit (planned) equalled the atomic number of iridium. But, the management pulled back to 66 satellites. That's dysprosium! Bad name. So they tried a new name, Iridium-66, but then got a threatened lawsuit from Philips-66 ! Now it's just Iridium again... but think "dysprosium".

-mark

*-------------------------------------------------------------------------*

* Mark Ginsburg

* Haas School, Berkeley (new) F432 MC1930 Haas School (new)

* Berkeley, CA 94720-1930 ginsburg@haas.berkeley.edu (new)

* phone: (510) 643-0625 (new) fax : (510) 642-2826 (new)

*-------------------------------------------------------------------------*

____________________________________________________________

Roger Clarke passed on your request for help:

>Date: Fri, 15 Jan 1999 16:48:29 -0500

>From: "Dennis F. Galletta" <galletta@vms.cis.pitt.edu>

>To: ISWORLD@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE

>

>It looks pretty certain that I will be spending a mini-sabbattical

>(September through December 1999) on board Semester at Sea ...

You have made thousands envious around the world, including me. ;-)

>>There are three things I'd like some advice on:

>>

>>1. Does anyone know anybody influential at Iridium? ...

Had a visit from an Iridium VP a few months ago, will see if I have their card at work. Iridium did seek expeditions to provide units to for PR purposes (one was a sled-trek to the South Pole). Might also be worth trying Motorola and Samsung (?), who s ell the handsets and would want to promote it.

However, I haven't seen any announcements of data adaptors for Iridium and my cursory examination of the technology was that it didn't particularly suit Internet type applications, as it is really designed for voice. It should only work about as well a s Internet via GSM.

>>2. Failing that, is anyone aware of any Internet Cafes that allow a person

>>to plug in a notebook? ...

You might like to consider GSM as one option. However, it is really only suitable for e-mail, text web browsing and the occasional up-load. It should work when the ship is in port or just off the coast of a GSM equipped country. See comments on GSM and Internet on the move at:

Other options might be:

* IMMARSAT: The ship is probably equipped with it already. You would have the problem of interfacing and usage costs perhaps more than Iridium. IMMARSAT also works with laptop sized terminals, as well as ship mounted units . IMMARSAT or one of the termianl companies may be interested in marketing. IMMARSAT is re-sold by various telcos around the world.

* AMATEUR RADIO: I would be surprised if there wasn't an amateur radio operator on the ship. They may have HF or satellite facilities. A packet radio unit for data over radio costs about $US200, if they haven't already got one. The advantage would be t hat communications costs would be free.

>>3. Failing that, does anyone know of a global ISP that has local dial-up

>>numbers world-wide ...

One technique I have used is to contact the nearest University or research organization and ask to use their network connection. Works if you have an interesting story to tell (which you do).

ps: My only experience of ship-based Internet was logging on to the Australian Defence Force Academy from the USS Blue Ridge during a military exercise. They use a 3m dish and multi-mbyte links:

Immediate Past President, Australian Computer Society PO Box 13

Director, Internet Society of Australia Belconnen ACT 2617

----------------------------------------------------------------------

____________________________________________________________

Hi Dennis,

No clue about Iridium or a network of cafes, but IBM Global Network is very cheap and has local access number almost everywhere. Colleagues of mine have logged in from Shangai to Delhi with great ease and reliability.

By the way, take along some motion sicknes pills!.

Josep Valor

IESE - Barcelona

____________________________________________________________

I have used IBM Global Network around the world without any problems. Cheap also. Try cutting a deal with them for the publicity.

Mike Uretsky 212-998-0844

NYU 212-995-4228 (F)

44 West 4th Street

New York, NY 10012

____________________________________________________________

>Date: Sun, 17 Jan 1999 17:05:12 +1100

>To: Roger Clarke <Roger.Clarke@anu.edu.au>, ica@cmis.csiro.au

>From: Justin Smart <jsmart@one.net.au>

>Subject: Re: Semester at Sea: Internet access? (help needed)

>Cc: ica@cmis.csiro.au

In response to Dennis' query about global access services - Dennis may want to try AT&T again. I was working with a global team travelling through Asia earlier this year and investigated the same problem. From memory (and I'll admit that's hazy at the best of times) AT&T was the only ISP I could find that offered one user account for global POP's on their own network. I'm sure they'd be fully compliant with standard technologies now days, although I can't confirm that for sure.

>

>Regards

>

>Justin Smart

____________________________________________________________

Hi Dennis,

I don't really know whether this is helpful to you. Singapore is a major telecom hub in the South-East Asian region and you may be able to make internet connection via the facilities available here. Perhaps you might want to pose some questions to the people at www.singnet.com.sg

Cheers,

Wuigee

Singapore

____________________________________________________________

Hi:

No matter if you get "Walkie Talkies" or Smoke Signals plese post this experience to the ISWORLD List. I want to know how was it.

For your problem I beleive that you can write a proposal to Iridium (www.iridium.com) and tell them this idea of Global Teaching with the Advertisement they are looking for. I believe they have true global access (i mean, the celular phone does not get the signal in Hong Kong or some other interference problems) and a phone conected to your Laptop via modem can be the best thing. Good Luck.

Prof. Miguel A. Morales, M.B.A., M.I.S.

Coordinator

Management of Information Systems

Interamerican University of P.R.

Ponce Campus

Mercedita Sta.

Mercedita, PR 00715

mmorales@ponce.inter.edu

tel. 787-284-1912 x.2077, 2079

fax.787-841-0103

____________________________________________________________

Dennis, cann't you use what all these sailing ships use to navigate and operate their races from one part to another part of the world?

Kind regards,

Anton van Reeken, Universitair Hoofddocent Informatiemanagement

Universiteit Maastricht

Bedrijfseconomie

Postbus 616

6200 MD Maastricht, Nederland

tel. +31.43.3883693

email: A.vanReeken@berfin.unimaas.nl

via HappyMail!

____________________________________________________________

I received copy of your note about communicating at sea. You need to go on the internet where several authors address the issue. The nature of what you do on your computer will require a more expensive solution. On line satellite access would r equire a terminal between $1,400 and $3,000 (depending on which Imarsat you use) and between $1.5 to $3.5 per minute. I am not sure how to connect to an ISP behind Imarsat.

The usual way sailors connect is through SSB but you only get Email through an intermediary server and at low transfer speed (1,200bps).

I will try to find out the Internet addresses and forward them to you.

Regards and good wind,

Pierre