Riding The Crest Of The Wave Part 2 And The Rise of the Internet

CREATED BY PRITESH GANATRA Published: 06/05/2025 @ 09:00AM #90sBusiness #BTInternetEmergence #ShowroomClosure #CallCentreLife #DialUpDisks

In 1997, the showrooms were closed and I went into the business call centre. The first dial-up disks were beginning to emerge that allowed customers to have a BTconnect (later BTinternet) email address. So, the Internet was becoming a thing ...

Crest of the wave soars, Gliding towards the shoreline, Nature's steady dance

BT were a trialist for Barclaycard, and we had access to an experimental Shopping Mall called Barclay Square. I was able to shop online to test and measure early cybersecurity for online payments and how to build a secure gateway. My main purchases were sending flowers via Interflora on my lunch break from the comfort of my desk in the office.

Here is an article from 2016 if you want to read more. Later, Indio Square was launched. Also, in 1998, BT showed us case studies and one of the most memorable for me was how a butcher from Yorkshire was able to sell his locally produced Black Pudding into Japan as he had commissioned BT to build him a website.

His sales were through the roof, and the butcher's exports
were way above the cost of the website!

We were on a roll. Yahoo was the main home page for BT Internet customers, and we all had a Yahoo.com email address. We saw the launch of Google in 1998, now one of the biggest Tech companies in the world, dominating not only the Internet search market (we all say, "Just Google it!"), but also a 50% market share in mobile phone operating systems, in the form of the Android OS.

Then came the incremental surge in registering domain names as having an online presence became increasingly important to be ahead of the game. Some unscrupulous people were registering some obvious domain names to sell at a profit, before the practice of domain squatting became something to be frowned on by the law.

Amazon had been an online book retailer, launching in 1994, but we really didn't hear of them until the late 90s/early noughties, as the UK was just embracing the internet and the USA were a few years ahead with this way of doing business.

Look at them now: £3.1 billion in online sales
in the UK alone in 2023!

I have been fortunate to have been on the front line (the proverbial 'crest of the wave') in lots of ways, and I am still in the industry. Another area where I have seen a massive change is in the mobile phone arena. In 1996, when I was selling hardware and contracts for BT Business, Nokia and Motorola were once the King and Queen of the hardware market, with Ericsson a very close third in the Market.

Did you know, Motorola is widely credited for manufacturing the first portable phone in 1973, however, Ericsson had designed and made a suitcase-sized car phone, weighing 40 kilos, way back in 1956!

1997 was the transition from analogue mobile phone technology to digital, SIM-card-based GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), and international roaming became a thing! You didn't have to run around trying to find a pay phone in France when your car had broken down was the plus side; obviously, early costs for International Roaming were quite high compared to these days.

And all of a sudden, we had Blackberry
dominating the Global market!

There are many videos on YouTube about the rise and fall of Blackberry, one of the most secure email systems in the world, which is no longer with us! To be continued ...

Until next time ...

PRITESH GANATRA
Your technology problem solver

Share the blog love ...

Buffer Facebook Twitter Linkedin Pinterest WhatsApp #90sBusiness #BTInternetEmergence #ShowroomClosure #CallCentreLife #DialUpDisks

About Pritesh Ganatra ...
The word 'Technology' has too many connotations in today's world! Where do we start? Simple terms like 'IT' and 'Telecoms'? or terms that appear NOT to have an actual meaning at all!, e.g. 'Internet of Things (IoT). Technology also encompasses specialist products and services like 'Rugged' and 'Tough' android devices, Lone Worker Software, panic alarm devices, smart energy devices, low energy lighting, credit card terminal (PCI DSS) security, indoor/ outdoor Wi-Fi systems, Ultrafast Gigabit internet connectivity, access control systems, industrial IoT circuit controllers. BTS UK can consult from simple solutions to the most complex, provide some of the products through a wholesale channel, bring together a multi-disciplined 'Task Force' to deliver and implement complete Technology 'projects'. I am your technology problem solver and I look forward to helping you.

More blog posts for you to enjoy ...
		Datacentres demand power and water: how will AI affect our resources? As the ascent of datacentres keeps accelerating, driven by advancements in generative AI and quantum processors, the demands for electricity and water are growing alarmingly. This surge not only strains resources, but also ha...
		The Essential Role of Two Factor Authentication in Preventing Hacking Attacks In our digital age, safeguarding personal information is crucial. Two Factor Authentication (2FA) stands out as a vital security measure, offering a robust layer of protection against hacking. By requiring an additional piece...
		Choosing the right business technology rather than blindly trusting AI Choosing the right business technology is not about chasing the latest AI promise. It is about matching mobile networks, fibre, Wi-Fi, IoT and software to the real task. In practice, a sensible technology strategy still beats...
		Fraud, Fraud, Fraud! What's The Cost To Your Business? Did you know that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for 99.9% of the businesses in the UK? At the start of 2023, there were estimated to be 5.6 million private-sector businesses ......
		Do You Test Your Email Systems Regularly? I recently sent an email to someone I had previously corresponded with. When I got a bounce-back, I thought I had the wrong address or made a typo. I doubted myself, as that is my nature, but seeing the email address in my ‘h...
		What's Your Back Up Strategy? Here is the irony of the situation. It was inevitable that it would happen one day; that I would be caught out on the very thing I always preach to my clients. In two words: data backup ......
		The Importance Of Being Earnest I still believe in the notion that 'people buy from people', however, we seem to be in a world where people are being pressured into buying technology for the fear that their business will fail or be left behind if they don't...
		About The Security Of Your Core Business Network The roots of technology, especially in the telecommunications industry, go back to 1837 with the introduction of the Morse code telegraph over copper wires. Prior to that, a written message would need to be handed to a horsem...

Other bloggers you may like ...
		Why 24-hour lead capture matters for small business growth Posted by Steffi Lewis on https://www.yourbot.uk Potential customers no longer browse websites only during office hours. Whether they're researching suppliers during a lunch break, comparing services ...
		Why small business owners should stop doing everything themselves Posted by Sarah Hannaford on https://blog.sarahpasolutions.co.uk Running a business often begins with wearing every hat yourself. From answering emails and managing accounts to marketing, customer service and admini ...
		New dividend disclosures for close company directors explained Posted by Helen Beaumont on https://blog.essendontax.co.uk Dividend disclosures on the new SA102 boxes can feel fiddly at first, but the key point is simple. If the person is a director of one close company, t ...
		What happens if nobody notices you're out of action? Posted by Steffi Lewis on https://www.yourping.uk Living alone offers freedom, independence and privacy, but it also raises a question many people would rather avoid: what happens if nobody notices yo ...