08/21/2026
📧 In 1971, computer engineer Ray Tomlinson made a simple but groundbreaking change to how computers communicated.
While working on ARPANET, the early network that helped lay the foundation for today’s internet, he developed a way to send messages between different computers.
He introduced the use of the @ symbol to identify the recipient’s computer from their username, a convention that remains part of every email address today.
Email quickly became a practical way to communicate across networks, and it didn’t take long for businesses to recognize its potential.
In 1978, Gary Thuerk sent what is widely considered the first mass-marketing email to approximately 400 ARPANET users. It was an early demonstration of email’s power to reach a large audience and, perhaps, the beginning of an entirely new category of inbox management.
More than 50 years later, email remains essential to how businesses communicate, collaborate, and operate.
Email tech has evolved significantly and your IT strategy should too. Learn how MIS Solutions can help your business build a secure, reliable technology environment: https://hubs.ly/Q04t88P20