An inter-university network of computer centers, the "Because It's Time NETwork" (BITNET), is described. Specific guidelines and format requirements for using BITNET, with sample commands, are presented. More than 1,800 computers at over 600 institutions of higher education and research centers in Europe, Asia, and North America are linked in this "store-and-forward" network. Users must have access to a main-frame computer located in a BITNET member institution. Users share information via real-time terminal messages and electronic mail. Other applications of BITNET include document transfer, program sharing, data exchange, and access to BITNET data services. Four maps of regional BITNET nodes in the United States and other parts of the world are included. (SLD)