Executives from Cisco Systems and Yahoo Participate at Internet Anniversary

Covad Communications Group, Inc. (www.covad.com) and the Commonwealth Club Silicon Valley, last night hosted an event noting the 35th Anniversary of the Origins of the Internet at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California.

"The power of the Internet has just begun to scratch the surface, we are beginning to see new applications emerging, such as VoIP and wireless connectivity, which will continue to transform communications as we know it," said Charles Hoffman, president and chief executive officer for Covad.

The evening focused on a panel discussion of the past, present and future of the Internet. The discussion included the vision behind the Internet's initial design, the growth of corporate networks and their role in today's business environment, the current trend toward convergence of voice and data, the impact the Internet has had on consumer behavior, and predictions for the future.

Panelists included: Charles Hoffman, president and chief executive officer, Covad Communications; Charles H. Giancarlo, senior vice president and chief technology officer, Cisco Systems, Inc.; Geoff Ralston, chief product officer, Yahoo! Inc.; Dr. Leonard Kleinrock , Professor of Computer Science at UCLA; and moderator Steve Yoder, The Wall Street Journal, west coast bureau chief.

"What began as a distant vision 35 years ago, the Internet today is an essential service few can live without," said Geoff Ralston, chief product officer for Yahoo!. "The Internet is still in its early stages, and we believe that the future of the Internet and Yahoo! is the powerful integration of search, community, personalization, and content."

Covad is a nationwide provider of broadband voice and data communications. The company offers DSL, Voice Over IP, T1, Web hosting, managed security, IP and dial-up, and bundled voice and data services directly through Covad's network and through Internet Service Providers, value-added resellers, telecommunications carriers and affinity groups to small and medium-sized businesses and home users.