In Practice 20: 463-465 (1998)
© 1998 British Veterinary Association

Vets on the Net. 1. In the beginning . .

¹ University of Strathclyde

THE Internet is a multimedia communications network which spans 100 nations across the globe and incorporates 61,000 individual computer networks. Currently undergoing explosive growth, the Internet is expected to reach an audience of 100 million by the end of this year. Clearly, given the level of usage, the possibilities for commerce are vast and the veterinary profession, as a collection of small businesses, stands to gain from what the Internet has to offer. In a series of three articles, Dr Bill Gerrard looks at how veterinary practitioners have adapted to using the Internet in their everyday working lives and reviews the tools and services that it offers. Here, by way of introduction, he traces the remarkable history and development of the Net