MindSpring Enterprise was an Internet service provider headquartered in MidtownAtlanta, Georgia. Founded on February 1, 1994, MindSpring merged with EarthLink on February 4, 2000, with the company retaining the EarthLink name. In 2006, the MindSpring brand was relaunched by EarthLink as a free VoIP service, but was discontinued in early 2008.
History
MindSpring was founded on February 1, 1994, by Charles Brewer in Atlanta, Georgia. It had only non-paying customers for four months and eight modems. It initially shared facilities and technical staff with Internet Atlanta, another local ISP. In June 1994 it opened for business and took on its first paying customers. By late 1994, MindSpring had obtained investment funding from ITC Holding Company and moved into offices at Georgia Tech's Advanced Technology Development Center. It established its first point of presence outside Atlanta in September 1995, and went public on NASDAQ in March 1996 with the ticker symbolMSPG.
Mergers and acquisitions
MindSpring grew quickly by acquiring other companies. In September 1996 it acquired PSINet retail subscribers for their Pipeline and InterRamp services. They also leased access to PSINet's USA & Canada Dialup and ISDN POP's and Backbone Pipes. Along the way, it acquired the ISP business of Nando.net in North Carolina, although Nando continued as an online news website. In February 1998 it acquired Internet Direct, Inc. and took over its call center in Phoenix, Arizona. That October it acquired SpryNet and its offices in Seattle, Washington. It also acquired many smaller "mom and pop" ISPs along the way. When it acquired Netcom in February 1999, its subscriber base surpassed 1 million. It announced its first high-speed cable service to Montgomery, Alabama, in March 1999 and DSL services to eight cities the following November. In September MindSpring launched its first national advertising campaign. On September 23, 1999, MindSpring and EarthLink announced a merger of equals that would create a new company under the EarthLink brand based in Atlanta. On February 4, 2000 the merger was completed, creating the second-largest Internet service provider in the world with over three million subscribers. MindSpring's stock symbolMSPG was retired and the new company began trading under ELNK.
Relaunch
In April 2006, EarthLink relaunched its free Vling voice communication service under the name MindSpring. The service allowed for free text chatting similar to other instant message programs, as well as telephone calls to any SIP-compatible software. This service was discontinued in early 2008.
