Email Evolution: Tracing Inception To Impact | Marketing Automation
Today, email has evolved into marketing automation and become the gold standard for communication worldwide. But this evolution didn’t start until the invention of a messaging system in the 1970s. It might even shock you to know that email was once carried from one machine to another. Just saying… it involves the why behind the now-ubiquitous @ symbol. Let’s explore the fascinating history of email marketing automation evolution.
Roy Tomlinson Invents Email
Email Marketing Automation Evolution Begins!
Email marketing automation would be non-existent today, without the evolution of a basic form of email invented in the 1970s. Ray Tomlinson a computer engineer, invented email. He sent the first email in 1971 on the ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network), the predecessor to the modern internet. The exact date he sent the first email is un-known. Tomlinson sent the email to himself as a test message, from one computer to another computer located right next to him in the same room. Ray Tomlinson also invented the @ sign that is synonymous with an email address . He considered its use to separate the identity of the user and their machine.
Email “Message Switching System”
Email Marketing Automation System Evolves
At the onset of the email evolution, messages were physically carried from one computer to another before the invention email,. Imagine that! This was done through a system called a “message switching system”. The invention of email made it possible to send messages almost instantly from one computer to another without the need for physical transportation. This singularly revolutionised the way we communicate today.
Public Access To Email Begins
Email Evolves As The Internet Evolves
Over the next few decades, email evolved and became accessible to the general public with the introduction of the internet in the 1990s. Email is now the go-to mode of personal and most especially official communication, the advent of digital messaging notwithstanding. Evolution of this technology over the last few decades has concretized the use of email marketing automation. Email automation is now the gold standard for communication globally. Billions of people around the world use email today. It continues to evolve with the development of new features and capabilities.
Percursor To The Modern Internet
APRA (Advanced Research Projects Agency)
ARPANET was the precursor to the modern Internet, the brain child of APRA (Advanced Research Projects Agency) in the late 1960s. The US Department of Defense funded the research project APRANET a research project. It was the birthplace of the Internet. Its development laid the foundation for the creation of the World Wide Web. ARPANET no longer exists as a standalone entity. Decommissioned in the 1990s, ARPA’s legacy lives on in the modern Internet.
Ray Tomlinson an American computer engineer is credited with inventing email. He developed the first successful email program in the early 1970s as a part of the ARPANET project. Tomlinson was born in Amsterdam, New York, in 1941. He received a degree in electrical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1963. Tomlinson worked at Bolt, Beranek and Newman (BBN), a Massachusetts-based technology research and development company. He a part of the development of ARPANET while working at BBN. He was a pioneer of computer networking and contributed to the early development of the Internet. Ray Tomlinson passed away in 2016. Ray’s legacy will leave on from the evolution of a simple Message Switching System to the now universal Email Marketing Automation Software.
FAQs: Email Marketing Automation Evolution
Find Out How Email Was Imagined, Invented, Evolved?
Who is credited with inventing email?
Ray Tomlinson, an American computer engineer, is credited with inventing email.
What did Ray Tomlinson invent?
Ray Tomlinson invented email, the first successful email program in the early 1970s, as a part of the ARPANET project. He also invented the @ sign that is synonymous with an email address and is used in email addresses worldwide.
Why was the purpose of the email @ signs?
Ray Tomlinson, the inventor of email, used the @ sign to separate the user’s identity from the machine’s identity in the email address. This allowed for more flexibility in assigning usernames and machine names for email addresses.
When was the first email sent?
The first email was sent in 1971 by Ray Tomlinson on the ARPANET, the predecessor to the modern internet. The exact date he sent the first email is unknown.
Who was the first email sent to?
Ray Tomlinson sent the first email to himself as a test message, from one computer to another computer located right next to him in the same room.
What was an email message switching system?
An email message switching system was a system used to physically carry messages from one computer to another before the invention of email.
When did email become accessible to the public?
Email became accessible to the general public with the introduction of the internet in the 1990s.
Why is the evolution of email key to marketing automation?
The evolution of email is key to marketing automation because it paved the way for development of the basic form of email that we know today. Email was the first step in the evolution of digital communication and revolutionized the way we communicate with each other. Marketing automation allows businesses to streamline their marketing efforts and communicate with their customers in a more personalized and efficient way. Email marketing automation is a crucial tool for businesses to reach their audience and is now evolved into the gold standard for communication worldwide.
Who funded the research project that birthed the Internet?
The research project that led to the birth of the Internet was funded by the US Department of Defense under the APRA (Advanced Research Projects Agency) in the late 1960s.
What does the acronym ARPANET stand for?
ARPANET stands for “Advanced Research Projects Agency Network”.
What was the ARPANET project?
ARPANET was a pioneering computer networking project initiated by the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) of the United States Department of Defense in the late 1960s. It was the first operational packet-switching network, and the precursor to the global Internet. ARPANET connected various research institutions and universities, allowing researchers to share information and resources electronically, and paved the way for the development of many modern networking technologies.
When was ARPANET decommissioned?
ARPANET was decommissioned in the 1990s.
Why was ARPANET decommissioned?
ARPANET was decommissioned in the 1990s because it had fulfilled its intended purpose of being a research project to develop a reliable communication system in the event of a national emergency. Additionally, the National Science Foundation Network (NSFNET) was established, providing faster and more efficient networking technology. The development of the modern internet also rendered ARPANET obsolete.
What is the legacy of ARPANET?
ARPANET no longer exists as a standalone entity, but its legacy lives on in the modern Internet. The ideas, technologies, and protocols developed as part of the ARPANET project have had a profound impact on the world and continue to shape the way we communicate and access information today. The development of ARPANET paved the way for the creation of the Internet, which has become an integral part of daily life for billions of people around the world.
What do we know about the inventor Ray Tomlinson?
Ray Tomlinson was an American computer engineer who is credited with inventing email. He developed the first successful email program in the early 1970s as a part of the ARPANET project. Tomlinson was born in Amsterdam, New York, in 1941. He worked at Bolt, Beranek and Newman (BBN), a Massachusetts-based technology research and development company, and was a pioneer of computer networking. Tomlinson passed away in 2016.
What was Ray Tomlinson's contribution to the Internet?
Ray Tomlinson was a pioneer of computer networking and contributed to the early development of the Internet by inventing email and making it possible to send messages almost instantly from one computer to another. Without this invention, email marketing automation might never have evolved to what we know today!
Email Automation 101
Julia Kibore, is an Independent Marketing Management Consultant with over 20 years of brand, marketing and communication experience. She has held leadership positions in the FMCG, Telco, Fintech Online Payments and Mobile Money sectors as well as consulted on Marketing Strategy.
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