Ken Uchikura Newsletter Vol. 210 December 2022 Special PSPINC’s Internet Business Beginnings: Part 1
Dec
7
December 2022 Special PSPINC’s Internet Business Beginnings: Part 1
I registered my company, Pacific Software Publishing, Inc., back in 1987 in Mercer Island, Washington. At the time, we exported English software packages, translated English software into Japanese, and sold and published Japanese versions of English software through distributors in Japan. From 1995 to 1996, when the business was at its most successful, the Internet, or rather, PC communications such as CompuServe and America Online, began to attract attention in the United States.
I began with a simple question: “What is the Internet?” I left the work to my competent staff and began researching with a manager. I read technical books but had no idea what they could do. I was a CompuServe user, so I accessed the Internet through CompuServe and proceeded with my investigation. But I never got any answers. Not only that, but the bill CompuServe served me after using it for a month cost me $800.
The next thing I investigated was Internet Service Providers (ISPs). There were several ISPs in Seattle at the time, so I talked to them a few times, but they were wary of me. They explained their services to me, but no one would tell me anything at all about what equipment they used or how they provided the service. Now, we know the answers about ISPs, but at the time, it was a secret.
The big break came while we did our research. At the time, a company called SprintLink provided the backbone of the internet in the US. In 1986, we talked to a technical salesman from SprintLink and he answered our questions in terms we could understand. We then decided to get a dedicated T1 line, a high-speed leased line at the time, from them for our office. At this point, we had no idea what we were going to do with a T1 line. Instead, we were just trying to figure out what we could do with it in our office.
In 1996, I remember a T1 line costing $6,000/month. Some staff members at the time wondered it if was worth spending that much money on an unproven internet connection. But I decided to move forward. Next, I had to think about what we could do with this T1 line. Naturally, one option was to become an ISP, but I didn’t see that as a sustainable business at the time.
In my next newsletter, I’ll tell you what I actually ended up doing with that T1 line. Enjoy!
Kenichi Uchikura
President / CEO
Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.
ken.uchikura＠pspinc.com
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