Yes , this answering machine introduced me to Internet in Moscow in 1994.

I was in Moscow to open our own Moscow office for our international trading company in 1994.

Our friend had arranged a secure office at Novi Arbat Street in a big building. Security was one of the big issue in that time in Moscow.

At seventh floor 2 rooms office was fantastic opportunity for us because there were ready 3 telephone lines and 1 telex Machines. These were are the main communication tools and it was not so easy to reach and to have them quickly. You dah to wait for months.

As soon as I received the keys I bought a new answering machine to connect to one our telephones to inform our customers and to get coming messages because there was no secretary and there was time differences between us and our customers like based in USA , Uzbekistan and Turkey.

On Friday I completed everything and I went to St.Petersburg for weekend.

On Monday when I arrived to our new office to start for my first business day. there was something very strange , the answering machine was singing and recording tape was full!!!.

So many customers ? On weekends ? In Moscow ? It was impossible. I had checked out the tape no message, just calls.

I immediately called my friend to ask this strange thing. His reply was very calm and cool: These calls were for “call center”. What ? What was call center?

These lines were belongs to an internet server company as 7/24 call center.

What ? what was the ” internet server company” I was knowing only the meaning of “company” =))

My friend had tried to explain them I could not understand. I could only understand that they could communicate with world with no cost !!!

I immediately called my partners in Istanbul because our monthly communication bill was around 12 000 USD.

By chance my partners were from USA universities and they asked to their friends in USA and in University of Middle East who knows and uses internet.

I had asked the number of people using internet in Turkey ; It was around 50 people.

Ok it was related with computer and I was knowing computer since 1978 when I was in Bosphorus University. We were writing software with Fortran-4 with punch cards.

Really it was amazing time and amazing informations I was learning.

My partners had started to search to have internet asap.

When I returned to Turkey a new adventure was waiting for us.

I will continue.

27.03.2020

Kadikoy, Istanbul, Turkey

Internet, Call Center, Punch Card, Dial-up, Answering Machine, First internet server company, server, fortran-4, software, digital world, futurist, futurism, future, Russia, USA, Turkey, İstanbul, Trade, trading,