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CIX (website)
CIX (originally Compulink Information eXchange) is an online conferencing service developed by CIX Online Ltd. Founded in 1983 as a FidoNet bulletin board system, it is one of the oldest British Internet service providers.
Founded in 1983 by Frank and Sylvia Thornley, it began as a FidoNet bulletin board system but was relaunched commercially as CIX in 1987. At the core of the service were thousands of "conferences" — groups created by users to discuss specific topics. These were conceptually similar to newsgroups but limited to CIX subscribers, who sometimes refer to themselves as "Cixen". These conferences still exist today,[when?] although the CIX service has since expanded to include many additional features. The service is funded through a monthly subscription fee rather than advertising.
In 1988, CIX provided the first commercial internet email and Usenet access in the UK. The service grew rapidly, reaching a peak of over 16,000 users in 1994, before starting to lose customers to newly established internet service providers that offered free access to the mass market using 0845 dial-up. These included providers such as Demon (founded by Cixen Cliff Stanford, whose CIX nickname was "Demon"), Pipex, AOL, and Freeserve. By 2011, CIX still had nearly 9,000 users.
In its heyday,[when?] CIX was one of the UK's premier online platforms for both technical and social interaction. It hosted several official online support areas for companies such as Borland and Novell and counted many of the UK's technology journalists among its subscribers (some of whom were provided with free accounts), ensuring regular mentions in the computing press.
The Liberal Democrats have used[when?] CIX as a conferencing system, with a branded version of the offline reader Ameol provided for their use.
In 1996, the Thornleys decided to expand CIX's services to include full 0845 dial-up internet access, branded as CIX Internet. However, uptake was limited, possibly due to its above-average cost, despite being technically rated for many years as one of the best internet providers in the UK.
In March 1998, a management buy-in backed by Legal & General Ventures was successfully completed. The buy-in team, none of whom had previously worked at CIX, included Doug Birtley as Managing Director, Niels Gotfredsen as Finance Director, Graham Davies as Sales and Marketing Director, and Lisa Pennington. Frank and Sylvia Thornley agreed to remain with the company for a minimum of three years.
In 2000, CIX was sold to Telenor, a Norwegian telecommunications company. It was rebranded and merged with XTML of Manchester and Norsk Data of Newbury to form the UK arm of Nextra, Telenor's internet subsidiary in the UK.
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CIX (website)
CIX (originally Compulink Information eXchange) is an online conferencing service developed by CIX Online Ltd. Founded in 1983 as a FidoNet bulletin board system, it is one of the oldest British Internet service providers.
Founded in 1983 by Frank and Sylvia Thornley, it began as a FidoNet bulletin board system but was relaunched commercially as CIX in 1987. At the core of the service were thousands of "conferences" — groups created by users to discuss specific topics. These were conceptually similar to newsgroups but limited to CIX subscribers, who sometimes refer to themselves as "Cixen". These conferences still exist today,[when?] although the CIX service has since expanded to include many additional features. The service is funded through a monthly subscription fee rather than advertising.
In 1988, CIX provided the first commercial internet email and Usenet access in the UK. The service grew rapidly, reaching a peak of over 16,000 users in 1994, before starting to lose customers to newly established internet service providers that offered free access to the mass market using 0845 dial-up. These included providers such as Demon (founded by Cixen Cliff Stanford, whose CIX nickname was "Demon"), Pipex, AOL, and Freeserve. By 2011, CIX still had nearly 9,000 users.
In its heyday,[when?] CIX was one of the UK's premier online platforms for both technical and social interaction. It hosted several official online support areas for companies such as Borland and Novell and counted many of the UK's technology journalists among its subscribers (some of whom were provided with free accounts), ensuring regular mentions in the computing press.
The Liberal Democrats have used[when?] CIX as a conferencing system, with a branded version of the offline reader Ameol provided for their use.
In 1996, the Thornleys decided to expand CIX's services to include full 0845 dial-up internet access, branded as CIX Internet. However, uptake was limited, possibly due to its above-average cost, despite being technically rated for many years as one of the best internet providers in the UK.
In March 1998, a management buy-in backed by Legal & General Ventures was successfully completed. The buy-in team, none of whom had previously worked at CIX, included Doug Birtley as Managing Director, Niels Gotfredsen as Finance Director, Graham Davies as Sales and Marketing Director, and Lisa Pennington. Frank and Sylvia Thornley agreed to remain with the company for a minimum of three years.
In 2000, CIX was sold to Telenor, a Norwegian telecommunications company. It was rebranded and merged with XTML of Manchester and Norsk Data of Newbury to form the UK arm of Nextra, Telenor's internet subsidiary in the UK.