עברית

Chief Israel Communication Systems (CICS) was the first private company to establish computer data communications in Israel. Founded in 1986, it provided a number of advanced on-line services. In 1992 CICS set in motion an Israeli WAN of more than 60 Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) which operated in graphic environments, hosting tens of gigabytes of information on a wide range of topics. CICS created Internet sites for businesses and public organizations. The sites were located on the company's servers and benefited from Chief's fast communication lines. CICS was adept at creating in-depth databases on its clients' sites. These data bases permitted the presentation of a comprehensive selection of products at a significantly lower cost than alternative advertising methods of the time. CICS built an electronic shopping center, which allowed Internet surfers to conduct their shopping sprees from the comfort of their own home. This innovative method of marketing had proven to be extremely popular in the United States over the years previous to the www explosion. CICS connected educational institutions and organizations to the World Wide Web through expeditious data lines, significantly decreasing communication costs and providing international on-line service. CICS functioned as an Internet Service Provider (ISP) serving subscribers, private and commercial, through Chief's phone and direct lines. By 1998 CICS's operations were sold off to a company started by its employees.