Li Shizhen
New Member
Four young Israelis founded Mirabilis in Tel Aviv, with the aim of developing new ways of communicating on the Internet. They designed an instant mail software, ICQ (read: I seek you), which enabled users to know instantly if the people they want to talk to are online.
The founders all had a passion for computers and the Internet. Their conclusion was simple: the Internet was fascinating for an increasing number of people but, in most cases, users surfed without communicating with each other. What was missing was a way of directly linking users. Strong from the know-how they acquired during their military service, the founders of Mirabilis thus decided to create a new communication technology capable of simultaneously interconnecting millions of users through the same network.
Mirabilis did not generate any revenue as its product was for free (except through sales of ASPs to enterprises). However, soon after its launch, millions of copies of the software had been downloaded, of which 60% went into regular use. This community of millions of subscribers constituted an extraordinary capital (to be used later for electronic advertising). This success did not escape the attention of AOL, which bought Mirabilis for $287 million in 1998.
Mirabilis is one example of how the Israeli economy has lived through a fantastic revolution. In the 1960s, 70% of Israeli exports were oranges and agricultural goods. Today, high-tech products make up two-thirds of the exports and agricultural produce comprise less than 3%.
It can be said that the greatest export from Israel during the last few years is neither diamonds nor oranges but entire companies, usually to the United States.