Contrasting approaches aim at similar network goals.

At any node on the network implementation timeline, whether in the first planning stages or after the bottom-line benefits are stacking up, networking is a compelling idea. So compelling, with flexibility, cost-cutting results and strengthened community resources, that it extends its influence into the future of the organizations it serves. Two institutions, University Hospital in Denver and the Medical Center of Delaware in Wilmington, Del., illustrate networking's tempting benefits. University Hospital disabled its mainframe, switching to an Ungermann-Bass Access One smart hub in January of this year. Their systems are added to the network one-at-a-time, with plans for complete integration once everything is working online. In contrast, the Medical Center of Delaware shifted to networking in 1987, following a five-year implementation plan. The completed, integrated network is now a strategic tool for containing costs an MCD.