Four decades ago, computers couldn’t talk to each other. Today, the network connects everything powering our digital world – satellites, power grids, virtual meetings, phones. Even our ovens.
In a series of posts to mark Cisco’s 40th anniversary, we explore the role of the network as not just a tool for communication, but our global central nervous system. We don’t always see it, but most of the world relies on it every day.
The network’s first forty years laid the groundwork, developing the ability to reach anyone, anywhere. In effect, building the roads before the cars hit the market.
But it also evolved, absorbing new technologies like voice, video, energy conduction, and cybersecurity, to cement a reputation for persistent renewal.
The history of the network – and technology more generally – gives us two lessons:
- Don’t overestimate what it can do in the short term.
- Don’t underestimate how it will change the world in the future.
As the network enters its Second Act, we look back at its First Act to grapple with what that might mean for our digital future. From the foundations era, where we built the basics; the Dot Com boom and bust, the point that the internet came into our homes, and the potential still to come.
Act One: Building the convergence engine
1. The Foundations Era (1970s–1980s): Building the basics
In the 1970s and 80s, the origin story of the 21st century’s technological transformation began. The network was at the heart of it, connecting disparate systems and turning ideas into reality. Computers, which couldn’t understand each other, started communicating through the adoption of Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) in 1983. This universal “language” championed by Vinton Cerf and Robert Kahn, allowed mainframes, PCs, and modems to work together seamlessly. A year later, the Domain Name System (DNS) added another layer of usability, replacing numeric IP addresses with simple names (think “google.com” instead of 142.250.64.110) which would make the internet easier to navigate. Cisco’s first multiprotocol router in 1986 (the Advanced Gateway Router or AGS, pictured above) allowed systems and people on different networks to talk to each other, serving as the cornerstone of the internet backbone in several countries and building the foundations of what we have today.
Transforming the 20th century:
At the time, the potential wasn’t obvious to most people. Networking seemed niche, reserved for researchers and institutions. But these foundational steps created the platform for everything that followed – email, streaming, social media, and global commerce – all now part of our daily lives.
Convergence point:
The early network didn’t just connect computers. It absorbed and unified protocols, addressing systems, and security measures. These developments expanded connectivity and began the network’s journey as a point of convergence, where different systems and technologies would come together to form something greater.
Next: Chapter 2: The Dot-Com Boom and Bust (1990s–Early 2000s): The internet goes public. And wireless.
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