Editing Pipex

{{short description|1990–2008 British Internet service provider}}
{{Infobox company
| name   = Pipex Internet Limited
| logo   = Pipex logo.png
| logo_size = 200px
| type   = [[Subsidiary]]
| foundation     = 1990
| defunct        = 2008
| location       = [[London]], England
| fate         = Acquired
| successor    = [[Daisy Group]]
| industry       = [[Telecommunications]] and [[mass media]]
| products       = Communications
}}

'''Pipex''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|p|aɪ|p|ɛ|k|s}} {{respell|PY|peks}}) was the United Kingdom's [[List of UK ISPs by age|first]] commercial [[Internet service provider]] (ISP). It was formed in 1990 and helped to develop the ISP market in the UK. In 1992 it began operating a 64k transatlantic leased line and built a connection to the UK government's [[JANET]] network. One of its first customers was [[Demon Internet]] which popularised dial up [[modem]] based internet access in the UK. It was also one of the key players in the development of the [[London Internet Exchange]] through a meeting with [[BT Group|BT]] in 1994.

The company went through a number of mergers and acquisitions and by 2007 had dropped to be the sixth largest ISP in the UK.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.e-consultancy.com/news-blog/362844/oldest-uk-isp-pipex-on-the-block.html|title=Oldest UK ISP Pipex on the block|last=Andrews|first=Robert|date=March 13, 2007|website=e-consultancy.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080926013257/http://www.e-consultancy.com/news-blog/362844/oldest-uk-isp-pipex-on-the-block.html |archive-date=September 26, 2008|access-date=May 4, 2019|url-status=dead }}</ref> The Pipex name was used by a number of companies within the group, which were gradually renamed following the sale of its home broadband business to Tiscali UK in 2007. In 2009, the former Pipex Wireless business, rebranded as Freedom4, bought the former Pipex Business, known as Vialtus. Freedom4 also purchased [[Daisy Group]] through a reverse takeover, and the three companies were brought together as Daisy.

==History==
===Formation===
The company was formed as the first commercial [[Internet service provider|ISP]] in the UK by [[Unipalm]] in 1990 as ''The Public I.P. Exchange Ltd'' (PIPEX), founded by [[Peter Dawe]].<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|url=http://www.inovatech-powerline.com/content.asp?ContentId=925|title=Dr Peter Dawe OBE|year=2008|website=inovatech-powerline.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080120130502/http://www.inovatech-powerline.com/content.asp?ContentId=925|archive-date=January 20, 2008|access-date=May 4, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> In mid 1992, it began operating a 64k transatlantic leased line to [[UUNET]] and another to JANET.<ref name="support.bbc.co.uk">{{cite web|url=http://support.bbc.co.uk/support/history.html|title=BBC Internet Services - History|work=bbc.co.uk|access-date=29 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/connecting-britain/timeline-how-uk-got-connected/|title=How the UK got connected|date=2016-10-27|work=The Telegraph|access-date=2019-09-17|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235|postscript=none}}; {{cite web|url=http://www.gtnet.gov.uk/corporate/about/|title=About PIPEX|publisher=GTNet|access-date=2012-06-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121101022035/http://www.gtnet.gov.uk/corporate/about/|archive-date=2012-11-01|url-status=dead}}</ref> One of its first customers was [[Demon Internet]], shortly followed by the [[BBC]].<ref name="support.bbc.co.uk"/>

In November 1994, Keith Mitchell, then chief technical officer of PIPEX, initiated a meeting with BT to discuss the creation of a London-based Internet exchange. Pipex donated a Cisco Catalyst 1200 [[Network switch]] which formed the basis of the [[London Internet Exchange]] (LINX).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.linx.net/about/history-of-linx.html|title=LINX Website - History of LINX|work=linx.net|access-date=29 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150316182410/https://www.linx.net/about/history-of-linx.html|archive-date=2015-03-16|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:UUNET PIPEX logo 1995.png|thumb|Logo as UUNET Pipex]]
Unipalm Pipex was sold to UUNet in November 1995 for £150 million and became UUNet/Pipex.<ref name="autogenerated1" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ecoln.com/nws9605.html#X6|title=Independent summary and comment of news items from the East Cambridgeshire area - East Cambridgeshire On-Line News|work=ecoln.com|access-date=29 March 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120512032719/http://www.ecoln.com/nws9605.html#X6|archive-date=12 May 2012}}</ref>

The brand became known as ''Worldcom Pipex'', after UUnet merged with [[Metropolitan Fiber Systems|MFS]], which is later acquired by [[WorldCom]] before merging with [[MCI Inc.|MCI]] to form [[MCI WorldCom]], later renaming back to MCI which was then taken over by [[Verizon Communications]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.gtnet.gov.uk/corporate/news/ |title=GTNet - News |access-date=2008-03-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080311010655/http://www.gtnet.gov.uk/corporate/news/ |archive-date=2008-03-11 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Pipex retained contracts with Verizon with regards to the network structure. David Rickards and family acquired the PIPEX brand for an undisclosed sum and the new company PIPEX Internet Ltd was born.

In January 2002 saw the first push to provide [[digital subscriber line]] (DSL) lines instead of traditional modems and Pipex invested £2 million to get 40,000 DSL users online.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Richardson|first1=Tim|title=Pipex invests £2m to get 40,000 DSL users online|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2002/01/25/pipex_invests_163_2m/|access-date=13 January 2015|work=The Register|date=25 January 2002}}</ref>

===Reorganisation===
In October 2003 Pipex was acquired by [[GX Networks]] plc, which retained the Pipex name by renaming itself Pipex Communications plc.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Richardson|first1=Tim|title=GX Networks to buy Pipex for £55m|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/10/03/gx_networks_to_buy_pipex/|access-date=12 January 2015|work=The Register|date=3 October 2003}}</ref> In September 2006, Pipex purchased Toucan from [[IDT Corporation|IDT Telecom]] for £24 million, and [[Cable & Wireless plc|Cable & Wireless]]' Bulldog Broadband for £12 million.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Sherriff|first1=Lucy|title=Pipex snaps up Toucan, Bulldog|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/09/07/pipex_toucan_bulldog/|access-date=13 January 2015|work=The Register|date=7 September 2006}}</ref>

Pipex sold its home broadband business and the rights to use the Pipex name to Tiscali UK in July 2007 for £210 million.<ref>{{cite news|title=Tiscali buys Pipex broadband unit|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6897687.stm|access-date=12 January 2015|work=BBC News|date=13 July 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Wray|first1=Richard|title=Tiscali moves up the broadband scale with Pipex's customers|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2007/jul/14/business.newmedia|access-date=13 January 2015|work=The Guardian|date=14 July 2007}}</ref> As a consequence, Pipex Wireless was renamed Freedom4 in October 2007,<ref>{{cite news|last1=Meyer|first1=David|title=Pipex Communications becomes GX Networks|url=https://www.zdnet.com/home-and-office/networking/pipex-communications-becomes-gx-networks/|access-date=13 January 2015|work=ZDNet|date=10 March 2008}}</ref> followed by Pipex Business in February 2008 which was renamed [[Vialtus]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Williams|first1=Christopher|title=Pipex Business calls in the strategy boutique|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/01/pipex_business_rebranding/|access-date=12 January 2015|work=The Register|date=1 February 2008}}</ref> Pipex Communications reverted to the GX Networks name in March 2008.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Turner|first1=Brian|title=Pipex renamed GX Networks|url=http://www.techwatch.co.uk/2008/03/05/pipex-renamed-gx-networks/|access-date=13 January 2015|work=Techwatch|date=5 March 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Nixon|first1=Dave|title=Previous divisions of Pipex group become GX Networks|url=http://www.techwatch.co.uk/2008/03/09/previous-divisions-of-pipex-group-become-gx-networks/|access-date=13 January 2015|work=Techwatch|date=9 March 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080309133611/http://www.techwatch.co.uk/2008/03/05/pipex-renamed-gx-networks/|archive-date=9 March 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Freedom4 agreed to purchase Vialtus and Daisy Group in July 2009, performing a [[reverse takeover]] of Daisy.<ref>{{cite news|title=Freedom4 confirms Daisy and Vialtus acquisitions|url=http://www.microscope.co.uk/news/2240152479/Freedom4-confirms-Daisy-and-Vialtus-acquisitions|access-date=13 January 2015|work=Microscope|date=1 July 2009}}</ref> The former Pipex residential business, as part of Tiscali, was integrated into [[TalkTalk Group|TalkTalk]] when Tiscali UK was itself acquired by TalkTalk's parent [[The Carphone Warehouse]] in 2009.

== See also ==

* [[Internet in the United Kingdom#History|Internet in the United Kingdom § History]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book | first=Neil | last=Costello | year=2000 | title=Stability and Change in High-Tech Enterprises: Organisational Practices in Sme's | publisher=[[Routledge]] | isbn=0415231213 }}

[[Category:Former internet service providers of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:History of the Internet]]
[[Category:Pre–World Wide Web online services]]
[[Category:British companies established in 1990]]