INK provides Kansans equal access to the data they need through their own computer and the Internet. Through its unique melding of the private and public sectors, INK has emerged as the national model for public information networks. It is an innovative program charting a bold course into the 21st century. Early in the 1990 Kansas legislative session, Senate Bill 678, otherwise known as the Information Network of Kansas's Enacting Legislation was introduced. Hearings were conducted in the Senate Economic Development and House Economic Development committees, with both reporting the bill favorably.
INK sets policies, approves areas of activity and contracts, and regulates pricing for the network.
KIC, on the other hand, furnishes the capital and staff necessary to develop and operate the network. In this way, KIC is motivated to satisfy its customers, the subscribers, and also the state agencies who benefit from being relieved of the burden of managing information access. It is a government service administered for the good of the public, while benefiting from the entrepreneurial spirit and efficiencies found in private business. Agencies may recover actual costs incurred by providing such assistance. Currently, there are State agencies similar to INK in Nebraska, Indiana, and Arkansas.