RSCS directly influenced both Internet development and user acceptance of networking between independently managed organizations.

He began graduate studies with networking pioneer J. C. R. Licklider, but, impressed by the groundbreaking computer work being done nearby at the IBM Cambridge Scientific Center (CSC), he joined their staff in March 1968.

For several years, MIT used Hendricks version of “Spacewar!” at their Annual Open House, making it possibly the first video game ever to be seen (and played) by the general public.

A key problem with this new software architecture was finding a way to expand the functions of the system without significantly increasing the size of the hypervisor (control program).

Hendricks developed the concept of a service virtual machine,[2] implemented in a simple communications system named CPREMOTE.

[5] Meanwhile, in the fall of 1974, IBM announced Systems Network Architecture (SNA) as its official communications strategy.

Later that year in September 15–19 of 75, Cerf and Hendricks were the only two delegates from the United States, to attend a workshop on Data Communications at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, 2361 Laxenburg Austria where again, Hendricks spoke publicly about his innovative design which paved the way to the Internet as we know it today.

Turing Award winner Jim Gray, then at IBM, thought the VNET/ARPAnet linkup would be "absolutely wonderful -- with no downside except security risks, which were containable.