"After proving survivability Baran and his team needed to show proof of concept for this design such that it would be able to be built. [...] construct a network that leveraged this new insight of redundant links.
The result of this was one of the first store-and-forward data layer switching protocols, a link-state/distance vector routing protocol, and an unproved connection-oriented transport protocol. [...]
The design flew in the face of telephony design of the time, placing inexpensive and unreliable nodes at the center of the network, and more intelligent terminating 'multiplexer' devices at the endpoints. In Baran's words, unlike the telephone company's equipment, his design didn't require expensive 'gold plated' components to be reliable."
He certainly had a disruptive idea:
"After proving survivability Baran and his team needed to show proof of concept for this design such that it would be able to be built. [...] construct a network that leveraged this new insight of redundant links.
The result of this was one of the first store-and-forward data layer switching protocols, a link-state/distance vector routing protocol, and an unproved connection-oriented transport protocol. [...]
The design flew in the face of telephony design of the time, placing inexpensive and unreliable nodes at the center of the network, and more intelligent terminating 'multiplexer' devices at the endpoints. In Baran's words, unlike the telephone company's equipment, his design didn't require expensive 'gold plated' components to be reliable."