| Type | Public |
|---|---|
| Traded as | Private Company |
| Industry | Computer services Computer software IT services IT consulting |
| Founded | Chelmsford, Essex, U.K. (June 16, 1993) |
| Founder(s) | William Poel |
| Headquarters | Chelmsford, Essex, U.K. |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Key people | William Poel (Chairman & CEO) Christopher Poel (CIO) |
| Revenue | Not disclosed |
| Total equity | Privately owned |
| Employees | 10 |
| Divisions | Web Development Consulting Services Software |
| Website | USP.net |
USP Networks is a UK "boutique" internet service provider that has been involved in developing internet systems and services since 1993.
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USP Networks started out with the name Paperberback Software UK,[1] selling licenses and support for the CP/M and PC application software of NewStar Software Inc. of Walnut Creek, California - formed in 1982[2] when Stan Reynolds and Richard Post disagreed with MicroPro International management (developers of WordStar), and left to set up on their own to develop NewWord - the wordprocessing software that they believed WordStar could and should have become.
Paperback Software UK also licensed and resold the PC application software of Paperback Software International, from software publisher Adam Osborne to compete with Amstrad's low-cost CP/M and PCDOS compatible hardware. PS Consultants introduced Paperback Software's VP-Graphics drawing package, and VP-Planner spreadsheet (VPP), to the UK in 1985. VPP was a Lotus 1-2-3 workalike that cost £99, when Lotus 1-2-3 was selling for £495.
After Paperback Software folded in the US, Paperback Software UK became PS Consultants, and went on to provide local support for Quarterdeck Office Systems' patented multitasking operating environments DESQview and DESQview/X.
With the shift of emphasis to the Internet throughout IT in the early 1990s, USP Networks became the main operating company, developing new types of web applications, and specialising on emerging IPTV technologies such as the fractal-based VXtreme, which was acquired by Microsoft in 1997 to form part of the core of its Windows Media product line.
Under the product name of EnfoCast,[3] in 1999 USP was the first company to develop of multicast IP TV over satellite using a Windows Media MPEG4 format, which was adopted in 2001 by BT Broadcast Services in 2001 to replace a less bandwidth-efficient MPEG2 business TV service.[4]
USP Networks associate company, IncenTV Ltd, originated work on a granted patent [5] in the field of selective advertising in television and IP video. This is intended to specifically address ways to enhance privacy issues to conform with new legislation. It is one of the patents which now belongs to Playback Holdings Limited.
USP Networks provides services for the design and creation of web-based systems, and specialises in event management, booking and ticketing services. All client systems are hosted in private cloud hosting schemes, currently with five locations around the world.
USP designed and implemented the "Supercar experience" sites at http://www.worldclassdriving.com in 2010, and http://www.dxlus.com in 2011.