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Speakeasy (ISP)
Encyclopedia
Speakeasy, Inc. is a broadband
internet service provider
and Voice over IP
carrier based in Seattle, Washington, United States
. They are known for their liberal usage policies for home users whereby subscribers are explicitly permitted to run any number of server
s
and are permitted to resell their connectivity to others through the "NetShare" service. They are also known for their support of Linux
and BSD
-derivative operating system
s, and were the first provider to offer a customized version of Mozilla Firefox
to customers, in January 2005.
In late 1999, the company expanded to a national level, offering DSL services throughout the United States. The Speakeasy backbone consists of a dedicated fiber ring that circles the continental United States with major points of presence (i.e. POP) in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta, Washington D.C., New York, and Chicago. From the POP to the customers premises a third party vendor is contracted to provide data layer connectivity. This is known in networking as the 'last mile'. In the case of Speakeasy, the data-link protocol used is ATM
rather than PPPoE
or Frame Relay
in case of T1's.
In 2001, in the face of the collapse of many ISPs as a possible result of the dot-com bust, Speakeasy had marketed a program to allow for simple transfer of accounts, starting with the announcement of the failure of Flashcom, a former DSL internet provider. That same year, the cybercafe burned down in an electrical fire, forcing the company to focus on the internet business.
In September 2003, Bruce Chatterley was made CEO
of the company.
In summer of 2004, the company announced simultaneously their entry into VOIP, and their Onelink package, which allows a DSL subscriber to maintain an ADSL line without the requirement of a telco line.
In spring of 2006 Mike Apgar stepped down as chairman and moved on to a startup company Ookla that he created while at Speakeasy.
On March 27, 2007 press releases by both companies announced the acquisition of Speakeasy by Best Buy
, a Fortune 100 retail chain operating in the US, Canada and China. Best Buy plans to offer Speakeasy broadband
and VOIP services to small businesses through their Best Buy for Business unit.
On June 10, 2010 Speakeasy announced it was merging with Covad Communications and MegaPath
. On September 1, 2010, MegaPath, Covad, and Speakeasy announced regulatory approval and the completion of their merger.
Broadband
The term broadband refers to a telecommunications signal or device of greater bandwidth, in some sense, than another standard or usual signal or device . Different criteria for "broad" have been applied in different contexts and at different times...
internet service provider
Internet service provider
An Internet service provider is a company that provides access to the Internet. Access ISPs directly connect customers to the Internet using copper wires, wireless or fiber-optic connections. Hosting ISPs lease server space for smaller businesses and host other people servers...
and Voice over IP
Voice over IP
Voice over Internet Protocol is a family of technologies, methodologies, communication protocols, and transmission techniques for the delivery of voice communications and multimedia sessions over Internet Protocol networks, such as the Internet...
carrier based in Seattle, Washington, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. They are known for their liberal usage policies for home users whereby subscribers are explicitly permitted to run any number of server
Server (computing)
In the context of client-server architecture, a server is a computer program running to serve the requests of other programs, the "clients". Thus, the "server" performs some computational task on behalf of "clients"...
s
and are permitted to resell their connectivity to others through the "NetShare" service. They are also known for their support of Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
and BSD
Berkeley Software Distribution
Berkeley Software Distribution is a Unix operating system derivative developed and distributed by the Computer Systems Research Group of the University of California, Berkeley, from 1977 to 1995...
-derivative operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
s, and were the first provider to offer a customized version of Mozilla Firefox
Mozilla Firefox
Mozilla Firefox is a free and open source web browser descended from the Mozilla Application Suite and managed by Mozilla Corporation. , Firefox is the second most widely used browser, with approximately 25% of worldwide usage share of web browsers...
to customers, in January 2005.
History
In 1994, Gretchen Apgar and husband Mike opened a cybercafe in Seattle's Belltown neighborhood with Mike's brother Tyler. They started out with offering connectivity and email services in the area. Customers at the cafe expressed a wish to have the ability to check their email from other locations than just the cafe and a series of terminal stations were set up at various bars around town. These terminals were marketed under the label, "Rainmail." As computing power expanded and the cost of computers diminished, customers began to express the further wish to access their email from home. Speakeasy put together a bank of modems and offered a dial up service. As of 2008, dialup through Speakeasy is still available for $19 a month. The move toward DSL took place in 1998.In late 1999, the company expanded to a national level, offering DSL services throughout the United States. The Speakeasy backbone consists of a dedicated fiber ring that circles the continental United States with major points of presence (i.e. POP) in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta, Washington D.C., New York, and Chicago. From the POP to the customers premises a third party vendor is contracted to provide data layer connectivity. This is known in networking as the 'last mile'. In the case of Speakeasy, the data-link protocol used is ATM
Asynchronous Transfer Mode
Asynchronous Transfer Mode is a standard switching technique designed to unify telecommunication and computer networks. It uses asynchronous time-division multiplexing, and it encodes data into small, fixed-sized cells. This differs from approaches such as the Internet Protocol or Ethernet that...
rather than PPPoE
Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet
The Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet is a network protocol for encapsulating Point-to-Point Protocol frames inside Ethernet frames. It is used mainly with DSL services where individual users connect to the DSL modem over Ethernet and in plain Metro Ethernet networks...
or Frame Relay
Frame relay
Frame Relay is a standardized wide area network technology that specifies the physical and logical link layers of digital telecommunications channels using a packet switching methodology...
in case of T1's.
In 2001, in the face of the collapse of many ISPs as a possible result of the dot-com bust, Speakeasy had marketed a program to allow for simple transfer of accounts, starting with the announcement of the failure of Flashcom, a former DSL internet provider. That same year, the cybercafe burned down in an electrical fire, forcing the company to focus on the internet business.
In September 2003, Bruce Chatterley was made CEO
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of the company.
In summer of 2004, the company announced simultaneously their entry into VOIP, and their Onelink package, which allows a DSL subscriber to maintain an ADSL line without the requirement of a telco line.
In spring of 2006 Mike Apgar stepped down as chairman and moved on to a startup company Ookla that he created while at Speakeasy.
On March 27, 2007 press releases by both companies announced the acquisition of Speakeasy by Best Buy
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
, a Fortune 100 retail chain operating in the US, Canada and China. Best Buy plans to offer Speakeasy broadband
Broadband
The term broadband refers to a telecommunications signal or device of greater bandwidth, in some sense, than another standard or usual signal or device . Different criteria for "broad" have been applied in different contexts and at different times...
and VOIP services to small businesses through their Best Buy for Business unit.
On June 10, 2010 Speakeasy announced it was merging with Covad Communications and MegaPath
U.S. Venture Partners
U.S. Venture Partners , is a venture capital investment firm headquartered on Sand Hill Road in Silicon Valley focusing on investments in an array of segments including semiconductors, software as a service, communications, storage, wireless, Internet 2.0, Cleantech, Medical devices and...
. On September 1, 2010, MegaPath, Covad, and Speakeasy announced regulatory approval and the completion of their merger.
External links
- Official homepage of MegaPath Inc.
- Official homepage of Speakeasy, Inc.