Spreading the word: CompuLink BBS and the Internet
In 1992 Compupress launched CompuLink the largest and more sophisticated Bulletin Board System Greece had ever known. Initially CompuLink was just a large SCO UNIX-based BBS running CoSy (the same well-known system used by the British CIX) soon though it added a number of unique facilities for its users. The CompuLink team developed and/or purchased on-line services for various target-groups relating to the various computer magazines Compupress was publishing at that time. Amongst its services was a full-text searching facility for a large number of Greek magazines (apart from Compupress' own), a number of on-line games (most notably Air Warrior and Federation II), an online database with scientific and business news, online access to a daily newspaper custom-made according to each users' preferences etc.
CompuLink was initially designed as an Athens-based system with maybe 100 local telephone lines and (for that time period) state-of-the-art modems at 2,400 - 9,600 baud. It quickly became apparent that the success of the venture would lead on to a more widespread presence. Soon local PoPs appeared all over Greece and CompuLink Network was born.
CompuLink was essentially the way most Greek computer users came to have their first on-line experience. At that time it seemed to be a runaway success and nobody can really tell what its future would have been were it not for the rise of the Internet. In April 1994 CompuLink Network became the first Greek commercial dial-up Internet provider. This area however proved to be extremely competitive as, in the following years, a number of major players (Otenet, FORTHnet etc) entered the market. In 1999 Compupress decided to exit the Internet provider arena and sold CompuLink Network to a group of investors.
Unfortunately the new management failed to lead CompuLink Network to safe harbour and a few years later the fledgling company declared bankruptcy.
