...No, they're not using multiple high-speed modem lines.
If you said that they're all using X.25 networks, you deserve a 10!
X.25 networks are used by these companies and by most other major Online Information Providers. Connecting a host to an X.25 network such as Sprintnet™ (U.S.), Datapac™ (Canada) or Transpac™ (France) is the best way to go if you're planning to reach users on a large scale such as nationally or internationally, with instant mail and file transfers. These networks offer such niceties as local access (no long distance fee) in more than 500 cities located in 30 countries, and multiple connections on a single line! Depending on your X.25 line speed (most commonly from 19.2K to 56K), and the users' access speed (up to 9.6K), you can accept up to 64 users at a time. Known as Packet Switching Data Networks (PSDN), they also offer the best security for the transfer of data from one point of the planet to the other.
Most international X.25 networks are connected to each other. For example, a host connected to Sprintnet in the U.S. can be easily reached from Montreal in Canada, using a local X.25 network, such as Datapac.
hi-BBS offers the same possibilities as these major Online Information Providers and lets you connect to any X.25 network. Using the XBR's Gate 25 Nubus card and an X.25 modem (normally rented from the phone company) is all that's needed to start building your international Online Information System. To take advantage of the X.25 NB card, we use our in-house developed X.25 CTB Connection Tool that will accept multiple simultaneous connections from the X.25 network. And we can back-up our claims with real working installations and a true knowledge of the X.25 protocol (used in more than one product). The many parameters needed to connect a system on an X.25 network are not for the faint of heart and our technical support people are a guarantee that you'll get it done smoothly.
To give you the processing power needed by such powerful communication capabilities, version 1.5 of hi-BBS offers distributed processing capabilities which lets you add as many networked Macs as you care to buy to build your BBS. Multiple networked computers will be able to answer calls for a centralized Mac, using as many lines as you will install on each. This approach gives you vast expanding capabilities that can rival mainframe based systems.
Evidently, X.25 network usage has a cost, but so do long distance calls... Your line parameters can be set so that you accept remote callers and pay the bill. You can also have a closed user group where each user is billed on his account for each connection. You could also use hi-BBS' billing function to automatically send an invoice to your users that connect through X.25, then reducing or completely eliminating the costs of your X.25 line.
If you need the features described above, you can rest assured that hi-BBS can provide them whenever you're ready. With hi-BBS, the whole World can be at your door!
