Editing CompuServe (section)

==International operations==
Before the widespread use of the [[Internet]] and [[World Wide Web]], the [[United Kingdom]]'s first national major-brands online shopping service was developed by the UK subsidiary of CompuServe/CIS as part of its proprietary closed-system collection of consumer services.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 24, 2014 |title=24 September 1979: Compuserve launches MicroNET |url=https://moneyweek.com/349313/24-september-1979-compuserve-launches-micronet |access-date=2022-06-01 |website=MoneyWeek |language=en}}</ref> Andrew Gray initiated CompuServe UK's operations as the European subsidiary of the US company during the late 1980s and later became the company's European general manager, while David Gilroy was CompuServe's UK director of customer services. The service continued to grow and offered technical assistance managed by Suzanne Gautier and sales managed by Colin Campbell.<ref>{{Cite web |title=COMPUSERVE UK EXECS DEPART FOR INTERNET VENTURE. |url=https://sw.csiac.org/techs/abstract/057810 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402110806/https://sw.csiac.org/techs/abstract/057810#.VPiuZzqeyfQ |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |access-date=May 26, 2015}}</ref>

The service was proposed by Paul Stanfield, an independent business-to-consumer [[electronic commerce]] consultant, to Martin Turner, Product Marketing Director for CIS UK, in August 1994. Turner agreed and the project started in September with rapid market research, product development and sales of online space to major UK retail and catalogue companies. These included [[WH Smith]], [[Tesco]], [[Virgin Megastores|Virgin]]/[[Our Price]], Great Universal Stores/[[GUS (retailer)|GUS]], [[Interflora]], [[Dixons Retail]], Past Times, [[PC World (retailer)]] and Innovations.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Cope |first=Nigel |date=April 28, 1995 |title=High Streets' Big Names Go Online |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/high-streets-big-names-go-online-1617420.html |work=The Independent |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |title=CompuServe in First UK On-line Shopping |url=http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/home/compuserve-in-first-uk-on-line-shopping-launch/2036995.article |magazine=Marketing Week}}</ref>

The service began on Thursday April 27, 1995, with Paul Stanfield's purchase of a book from the WH Smith shop. This was a repeat of the first formal test of the service on February 9, 1995, which included secure payment and subsequent fulfilment of the order by [[Royal Mail]] postal delivery. Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG), the UK's industry association for e-retailing, believes that the UK's first national shopping service secure online transaction was the purchase of a WH Smith book from the CompuServe facility.<ref>{{Cite web |title=IMRG Special Report - £100 bn spent online since 1995 |url=http://m-ybooks.co.uk/news-imrg07.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011174643/http://www.m-ybooks.co.uk/news-imrg07.htm |archive-date=October 11, 2008 |publisher=IMRG}}</ref>

Approximately 1,000,000 UK customers had access to the shops at that time and it was British retailers' first major exposure to the medium. Other retailers joined the service soon after and included [[Sainsbury's]] Wine and [[Jaguar Cars]] (branded lifestyle goods). CompuServe UK commissioned writer Sue Schofield to produce a 'retail' pack including a new ''UK CompuServe Book''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Google Sites |url=https://sites.google.com/site/suescho/home/uk-compuserve-book}}</ref> and a free CD-ROM containing the CIS software to access the service.

CompuServe, with its closed private network system, was slow to react to the rapid development of the open World Wide Web and it was not long before major UK retailers started to develop their own websites independently of CompuServe.

In Germany, CompuServe 2000 was introduced in 1999 and withdrawn in 2001 because of market failure, but CompuServe Classic service remained for a while. CompuServe Germany introduced its own products for dial-up and DSL internet access, and its own client software (termed ''CompuServe 4.5 light'').{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}

In July 2007, CompuServe Pacific announced<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ceramalus |first=Nobilangelo |title=AOL shuts down Compuserve Pacific |url=http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/netw/6A4613B0357B49C0CC25731E00030129?Opendocument&HighLight=2,CompuServe |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605113702/http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/netw/6A4613B0357B49C0CC25731E00030129?Opendocument&HighLight=2%2CCompuServe |archive-date=June 5, 2013 |access-date=May 26, 2015 |website=Computerworld New Zealand}}</ref> cessation as of August 31, 2007. In September 2007, it was announced<ref>[http://community.compuserve.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=1&nav=messages&webtag=ws-cssoftware&tid=44463&redirCnt=1 CompuServe Forum Center<!-- Bot generated title -->]{{dead link|date=May 2017|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref> that CompuServe France would end its operations on November 30, 2007. In the [[Pacific]] region (Australia, New Zealand, etc.) Fujitsu Australia operated the CompuServe Pacific franchise.<ref>{{cite web |author=Plunkett, Sandy |date=March 12, 1993 |title=ALL YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW |url=https://www.afr.com/companies/all-you-ever-wanted-to-know-19930312-kar07 |accessdate=August 5, 2024 |work=The Australian Financial Review |publisher=Nine Entertainment Co.}}</ref> In July 2008, CompuServe Germany informed its customers that it would end its operations on July 31, 2008. Its legacy service "CompuServe Classic" would not be affected by this decision.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}