Impact of CompuServe on Central Ohio Tech Community Continues Even as Company Gears Down

Little visible evidence of CompuServe remains as the company this summer closed its Upper Arlington headquarters and relocated its few remaining employees to Dublin.  Yet the impact of the online powerhouse on the Central Ohio region can still be felt. 

“One thing I can tell you is that the talent that is available in this community as a result of CompuServe having been here is what has allowed a lot of businesses to pop up,” says Tim Haynes, vice president of member services and marketing for TechColumbus. 

CompuServe was founded in 1969 as a computer time-sharing service for business.  In the 1970s the company began exploring services for the hobbyists who were fist playing with a new product – the personal computer.  This led CompuServe’s entry into electronic mail and early chat rooms.  Soon the company began serving thousands of people who paid an hourly fee to access prepackaged services such as online shopping, stock quotes and global weather forecasts. 

Many more innovations followed in rapid succession until in the 1990s CompuServe and AOL battled it out to see who would become the dominant Internet service provider.  Eventually AOL prevailed, but the legacy of CompuServe continues to impact Central Ohio to this day.

The Columbus Dispatch recently published an historical overview of CompuServe, its innovations and regional impact.  To read the full story see here