TWICS

TWICS, short for Two Way Information Communication System, was a Japanese online community and Internet service provider associated with the early development of public Internet access in Japan. It began in 1982 as part of the nonprofit International Education Center in Tokyo. During its first decade, TWICS concentrated on operating an online community rather than on conventional commercial Internet access. Its community was internationally diverse and later became an example of early networked social interaction discussed by Howard Rheingold in The Virtual Community. Until the middle of the 1990s, TWICS operated its community on the Participate conferencing system running on a Digital Equipment Corporation VAX computer. The service provided discussion and communication facilities before public Internet connectivity was widely available in Japan. Jeff Shapard played a leading role in developing the foundation of the community and led TWICS before its transition to public Internet access. Joi Ito contributed ideas to the development of the community, first as a teenager and later through his involvement as president of PSINet Japan. In 1993, TWICS became the first organization in Japan to offer public-access Internet services. It did so by leasing a line from InterCon International KK, a US-owned company that was a subsidiary of InterCon Systems Corporation. The connection required navigating Japan's regulatory environment, which made the achievement particularly significant. After Shapard departed, Tim Burress assumed the presidency and led the organization through the regulatory process. He also served as chief engineer for the project that connected TWICS successfully to the public Internet. The achievement brought TWICS into direct rivalry with larger, more established organizations that had already spent substantial time attempting to obtain comparable licenses. TWICS also became connected with the early Linux community in Japan. Beginning in 1995, its systems were moved toward HP-UX, while edge systems were subsequently migrated to Linux under the technical leadership of Paul Gampe. The Tokyo Linux Users Group was formed through the TWICS forum. Craig Oda, who was president of TWICS at the time, also served as president of the users group and later moved into senior roles at Turbolinux. Other TWICS technical staff, including Kevin Baker, later held engineering positions at Red Hat. The company's ownership changed as the Japanese Internet market consolidated. In 1998, PSINet acquired TWICS as part of its expansion in Japan; Rimnet was acquired in the same period. Following the collapse of the dot-com bubble, Cable & Wireless IDC acquired PSINet Japan, including TWICS, in December 2001. In 2003, TWICS was taken over by Inter.net Global Inc. Publicly available reference material does not establish a separate current operating status for the TWICS brand, but its principal historical importance lies in its early online community, pioneering public Internet access, and role in Japan's Internet and Linux communities.

TWICS was established in 1982 as a project of Tokyo's nonprofit International Education Center. Its original identity was that of an online community rather than a conventional telecommunications company. The service brought together participants from different countries and backgrounds and provided a setting for computer-mediated discussion at a time when consumer Internet access was not yet broadly available in Japan. The community was initially based on the Participate conferencing system, hosted on a Digital Equipment Corporation VAX computer. Jeff Shapard was central to the early development of the service and helped establish the technical and social foundations on which the community operated. The community's international character later attracted attention in writing about early virtual communities, including Howard Rheingold's discussion of TWICS in The Virtual Community. Joi Ito also contributed ideas to the community's growth, both during his teenage years and later through his professional involvement with PSINet Japan. From 1982 through 1993, TWICS focused primarily on its online community. In 1993 it expanded into public Internet access by leasing a connection from InterCon International KK, a US-owned company affiliated with InterCon Systems Corporation. This made TWICS the first organization in Japan described as providing public-access Internet services. The project involved technical work as well as a difficult regulatory process. After Shapard left, Tim Burress became president and guided the organization through the licensing and regulatory requirements. He also acted as chief engineer for the successful Internet connection. TWICS's early success placed it in competition with older companies that had already spent approximately a year trying, unsuccessfully, to secure licenses for similar services. Its importance was therefore not limited to the size of its user community: it also demonstrated that public Internet access could be established in Japan through a combination of leased international connectivity, technical initiative, and regulatory persistence. The organization remained relevant to Japan's emerging open-source and Linux communities. Starting in 1995, TWICS began moving its systems to HP-UX under Paul Gampe's technical leadership, and some edge systems were moved to Linux. The TWICS forum was the founding setting for the Tokyo Linux Users Group. Craig Oda, then TWICS president, also led that group and later became an executive at Turbolinux. Paul Gampe subsequently joined Red Hat as vice president of global engineering services and operations, while Kevin Baker later worked as an engineering manager at Red Hat. As the Japanese Internet industry entered a consolidation phase, PSINet acquired TWICS in 1998 as part of its expansion into Japan. The acquisition took place alongside PSINet's acquisition of Rimnet. After the dot-com bubble collapsed, Cable & Wireless IDC acquired PSINet Japan, including TWICS, in December 2001. In 2003, Inter.net Global Inc. took over TWICS. Available reference material does not provide a definitive account of a continuing standalone TWICS operation after that transaction. The brand is consequently best understood historically as an early Japanese online community and Internet service provider whose influence extended into public connectivity, international online culture, and the Linux community.

• 2003

  Takeover by Inter.net Global

  [1]TWICSen.wikipedia.org

  Inter.net Global Inc. takes over TWICS.

• 2001

  Cable & Wireless IDC acquisition

  [1]TWICSen.wikipedia.org

  Cable & Wireless IDC acquires PSINet Japan, including TWICS, in December.

• 1998

  Acquisition by PSINet

  [1]TWICSen.wikipedia.org

  PSINet acquires TWICS during its expansion into Japan.

• 1995

  Systems migration and Linux involvement

  [1]TWICSen.wikipedia.org

  TWICS begins moving systems toward HP-UX and later Linux under Paul Gampe's technical leadership; the Tokyo Linux Users Group is formed through the TWICS forum.

• 1993

  Public Internet access begins

  [1]TWICSen.wikipedia.org

  TWICS leases a line from InterCon International KK and becomes the first organization in Japan described as offering public-access Internet services.

• 1982

  TWICS is established

  [1]TWICSen.wikipedia.org

  TWICS begins as part of the nonprofit International Education Center in Tokyo and develops an online community.

An early Japanese online community and Internet access provider emphasizing international communication, technical experimentation, and pioneering public connectivity.

• Online community · 1982

  TWICS online community

  TWICS's original service was an internationally diverse online community operated through the Participate conferencing system on a Digital Equipment Corporation VAX computer. It supported computer-mediated discussion and communication before mainstream public Internet access became available in Japan. The community was influential enough to be discussed in writing about early virtual communities and later served as a base for the Tokyo Linux Users Group.

• Internet service provider · 1993

  TWICS public-access Internet service

  Introduced in 1993, this service connected TWICS to the public Internet through a leased line from InterCon International KK. It represented a major transition from a closed or community-oriented conferencing service to public Internet connectivity and required TWICS to navigate Japan's regulatory and licensing environment.

• 1998

  Sale to PSINetM&A

  Background

  PSINet was expanding its presence in Japan during a period of rapid Internet-industry growth.

  Action taken

  PSINet acquired TWICS, at the same time as it acquired Rimnet.

  Aftermath

  TWICS became part of PSINet's Japanese operations rather than remaining an independent organization.

  Source

• 1995

  Migration toward HP-UX and LinuxStrategy

  Background

  TWICS needed to evolve the infrastructure supporting its growing Internet services and community.

  Action taken

  Under Paul Gampe's technical leadership, systems began moving to HP-UX, with edge systems also moving toward Linux.

  Aftermath

  TWICS became associated with the early Linux community in Japan, and its forum hosted the formation of the Tokyo Linux Users Group.

  Source

• 1993

  Launch of public-access Internet servicesProduct launch

  Background

  TWICS had operated primarily as an online community since 1982, while public Internet access and the associated regulatory framework were still developing in Japan.

  Action taken

  The organization leased a line from InterCon International KK and connected its service to the public Internet.

  Aftermath

  TWICS became the first organization in Japan described as offering public-access Internet services and drew rivalry from larger organizations seeking similar licenses.

  Source

1. 1TWICSen.wikipedia.org