<s>
In	O
September	O
1987	O
,	O
MIDnet	B-General_Concept
was	O
the	O
first	O
NSFNET	O
regional	O
backbone	O
network	O
to	O
become	O
fully	O
operational	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MIDnet	B-General_Concept
initially	O
connected	O
Iowa	O
State	O
University	O
,	O
Kansas	O
State	O
University	O
,	O
Oklahoma	O
State	O
University	O
–	O
Stillwater	O
,	O
the	O
University	O
of	O
Kansas	O
,	O
the	O
University	O
of	O
Missouri	O
,	O
the	O
University	O
of	O
Nebraska-Lincoln	O
,	O
the	O
University	O
of	O
Oklahoma	O
,	O
and	O
Washington	O
University	O
in	O
St.	O
Louis	O
with	O
56	O
kbit/s	O
DDS	O
leased	O
telephone	O
lines	O
in	O
a	O
ring	O
topology	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
MIDnet	B-General_Concept
ring	O
was	O
originally	O
connected	O
via	O
a	O
56	O
kbit/s	O
DDS	O
leased	B-Architecture
telephone	I-Architecture
line	I-Architecture
from	O
the	O
Nebraska	O
node	O
to	O
the	O
NSFNET	O
backbone	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MIDnet	B-General_Concept
transitioned	O
from	O
a	O
university-based	O
organization	O
to	O
non-profit	O
status	O
in	O
1992	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Two	O
years	O
later	O
,	O
Global	O
Internet	O
,	O
a	O
Palo	O
Alto	O
,	O
California	O
start-up	O
,	O
acquired	O
MIDnet	B-General_Concept
and	O
its	O
name	O
was	O
changed	O
to	O
Global	O
Internet	O
Network	O
Services	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
original	O
board	O
of	O
directors	O
of	O
MIDnet	B-General_Concept
were	O
reorganized	O
as	O
the	O
MIDnet	B-General_Concept
Research	O
and	O
Higher	O
Education	O
Advisory	O
Council	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MIDnet	B-General_Concept
,	O
Inc	O
.	O
is	O
now	O
a	O
private	O
foundation	O
with	O
a	O
focus	O
on	O
data	O
research	O
and	O
development	O
of	O
information	O
for	O
the	O
research	O
and	O
education	O
networking	O
community	O
.	O
</s>
