SuccessInc 1987-1997 | Creation of the ASP Industry & Gateway | Maynard L. Dokken

I thought the idea was simple. Provide a service over a network that people could use by connecting providers. It started as a hobby to link access to bulletin boards and newsgroups. It became a project when we knew it needed money for new hardware and customized programming. SuccessInc was founded in 1987 for that purpose. I had one piece already, dial up access to a new network called UUNET. We were going to need always available for my idea to work.

There were many industry verticals that could benefit from a customized Usenet application. After the blowback from discussions for insurance agent applications, employment was the most obvious. I had friends in Universities that needed to go to the Employment Offices to find job opportunities. They were the ones with access to networks such as UUNET so why not have this information accessible from the campus. It was a logical purpose for this invention otherwise they would have to go to the local office and read cards on physical job boards.

The focus was to connect government and public employment service boards using a shared BBS. This became a Usenet model once we understood the method Usenet applications were using for distribution of articles.

In 1987-1998 we created a server for that purpose. We had access to the Usenet newsgroups we needed to create a news server that would be available and customizable for Employment. There became several obvious challenges and these pushed for the solution that ultimately became the application service server or ASP.

From an IBM PS/2 we created a server with two serial modem interfaces that connected to the UUNET gateway and a global Usenet & BBS for access to University networks and Government Institutions. They could now connect and post jobs either online or post and print/copy postings to physical cards. Universities and Government Organizations were going to be able to connect new candidates to new job listings (postings) in real time. We would also be repurposing the BBS for questions and answers for these new applications.

We built the first custom newsgroup exchange server using Minix OS for Shell Access to the Online Recruitment Board with a custom data exchange protocol or script. This was primarily a cost issue as other distributions of OS were closed and we needed open and free. As well we needed database support or file system that worked with Minix and we were fortunate to find a Minix version.

After review of SDF BBS used for games we realized a more advanced public BBS was needed so ExecPC was chosen as the Bulletin Board Service for questions and answers accessed through dial-up. The same account as the application accessed the Minix database for application gateway credentials. We synced post and downloaded shared data in plain text form. No need for a complex database only simple user authentication. BBS was the Social Media Dial Up Ancestor at the time, with a caveat it was dial-up access only.

The SuccessInc server was setup as a user and data exchange server between the University Network UUNET and Employment Boards which was the first known ASP service provider in 1988.

The biggest challenge was the hardware. We required custom programming to get two modems working on the same server. We needed to swap the hard drive in and out of the PS/2 as we were programming for the micro channel system bus for a custom Minix OS using C. We finally got it working in 1988.

At the end of 1988 we were notified UUNET (or internet access) was now a paid service. The monthly fee for T-1 access was $1,500 or about $4,000 today and just for access not counting development costs and time for developing new applications. It was a hobby that became a project that few understood so there were no financial options except self funding. Even though we had a working custom application server, to make it feasible we needed a different market. It was difficult to see a time horizon for adoption by Government entities so we changed the focus to private channels. Corporate entities with free cash that needed to stay ahead of the competitors. The new target market was identified.

End of 1989, beginning of 1990 we started reviewing private corporate networks and marketplace. Looking for the best market to approach. ARPANET the current network framework was replaced by NSFNET wide-area packet switched network. Large companies started advancing their technology systems and networks. Most enterprises were working with simple corporate paid networks accessible through IP to provide their servers and remote employees with data. Several enterprise networks were going through a single port including confidential information.

Even the most sophisticated we found storage and email communication networks with basic network security and almost no access security. Almost anyone could access directly or through partner networks IP, data, view, download, and print including confidential or non public documents at will. It was like the Wild Wild West.

I spent years working with these agencies to explain weaknesses and how to secure content as well learn about their products and the financial system from the inside. The information available to the tech literate was extremely valuable and payment for my services. They knew I had access, I had told them by email.

Some of this valuable information was from well known rating agencies such as Fitch, S&P & Moody’s. It was like instantly going to the highest paid institutions of learning without passing a single exam. No teacher to spoon feed class sessions, no brakes, I could learn as fast as I wanted.

In 1993 with the advent of the LAN and publication of the Information Security Management Handbook enterprises started to close some holes. This had validated what I had communicated to them for years. They needed to prioritize as new technology advances provided new opportunities to exploit.

Even TLS security or URL automated encrypted session released in 1999 was not provisioned properly in most enterprises. The public in essence had access to corporate information from services that were setup for private inter agency knowledge-bases. Even mid 2000 for many enterprises it was unsecure data with simple URL scan, copy paste into a browser then download.

Managed platform services seemed to be a market we could deliver solutions. We started with securing our own networks and data with an eye on the future potential of SuccessInc architecture.

It was interesting and prophetic. The employment application started the SuccessInc project with the expected follow up being insurance. We had gained so much knowledge on how the financial markets were working trying to help these companies. Ratings agencies interoffice ratings sheets, best practice guides, inter agency and other written guidance that was very useful to understand how the market was functioning at that time and how it was dealing with credit card holders and risk management.

Logically oriented to maximizing profits as any for profit organization it exposed weaknesses in the system for consumers. I saw a potential fix. It needed to be a simple finance service or the regulatory curve would have been daunting. The learning curve was huge.

Based on our research the receivable rating structure and requirements were causing in-balances for consumer credit. Assured Card Corporation was created as the solution. AssuredCredit was created to continue technology development and upgrade the backend technology and security for AssuredCard services.

The Application Server architecture of SuceessInc became the building blocks for the next generation ASP applications. It helped AssuredCredit give birth to the Universal Online Payment Gateway. It made possible the launch of an Innovation Powerhouse called Milinx.

With AssuredCredit and SuccessInc we were building the tools for AssuredCard to deliver its products and services securely. With Milinx ASP we could build those tools and more for everyone.

As a note Milinx launched in 1997 and the name was in no small part based of success with Minix APP OS for the  SuccessInc Application Server in 1988. Unix development was used in the core of Milinx services including backend Sun Microsystems servers and the World's First ASP Mobile App developed by Milinx 2000-2001.

Milinx name was derived from Minix, a Unix OS used to develop the original ASP server in 1988 by SuccessInc. AssuredCredit technology was merged into Milinx as a separate entity called CreditAssure to provide Online Payment Gateway services to financial institutions.

During my tenure as CEO of Milinx 1997-2001, the company, governance, financial and strategic direction was solid and successful. The Milinx site represents the state of the company while I was CEO. AssuredCredit, AssuredCard & Milinx contents were directly pulled from website archive links, uspto.gov, sec.gov and public company news publications.

The strategic direction we charted and accelerated growth made us leaders. In almost all areas we were innovators including: cloud; wireless; mobile; Saas (ASP); payment gateways; bio-encryption; text-to-speech; voice-response; meta relational databases and more. Years and in some cases decades ahead of our time.

Our philosophy is unchanged. Build a more balanced future for all digital users, we call digital citizens.

Maynard L. Dokken (2022)

NOTE: By the end of 2001 I left as an Officer and Director of Milinx. I could not see the direction the new management team had taken was adding any real value for the shareholders. We had already exceeded 30,000 active users for a cutting edge technology. Their pivot ultimately caused the collapse of the project and operational market entity. We formed a foundation to continue our endeavors.