A requiem for AT&T

The July issue of IEEE Spectrum contains a pretty complete retrospective on AT&T. [via IP]

It's unlikely that an equivalent research organization will ever again be assembled. The question is, do we need that kind of organization in this age of unfettered network communities? There certainly were benefits accrued to society by the Bell Labs inability to capitalize on some of its most world changing inventions.

It's an interesting question to ponder as we watch AT&T disappear into SBC.