Tricon Systems (tricon.nnov.ru) — the site of the Nizhny Novgorod computer company "Tricon Systems" (Трикон Системс), written in Latin as TRICON SYSTEMS. It has been known in the web archive since May 31, 2000[1], and the last snapshot of the home page is dated October 4, 2022[6]. Throughout these years the company's office was located in Nizhny Novgorod at Vaneeva Street (office 17)[1][5]. As the home page reported, the firm had worked in the computer information technology market since July 1996[3]. Over more than two decades the site travelled a path from a price list with its own dollar exchange rate to a showcase for a systems integrator supplying equipment to schools and Nizhny Novgorod Region.

The 2000 site: the dollar rate, a "hot offer," and a news feed

In the earliest surviving snapshot, from May 31, 2000, a line of exchange rates ran along the top of the home page: the Central Bank rate was 28.25 rubles to the dollar, while "Tricon Systems" offered 28.6 in cash and 29.3 by bank transfer. Below it stood a "hot offer": a PC LIZARD MOBIUS computer on a Pentium III-500E with a 3.5-inch floppy drive in a MidiTower ATX case for $579, a GIGA-BYTE GA-6VX7+ motherboard on the VIA Apollo Pro 133A chipset for $354, and a 15-inch CTX PR500F monitor for $225; a keyboard, mouse, and mouse pad came with them for free[1].

The menu was divided into news, a section about the company, "articles & reviews," network projects, technical support, products, services, and prices; the price list was broken down into computers, RoverBook, laptops, brand-name goods, network equipment, components, peripherals, and office equipment, with a "full price list" and a subscription to it. A separate column held a "collection of links" to manufacturers' sites and trade publications: asustek, ctx, idc, giga-byte, zida, intel, ixbt, hp, lizard, viewsonic[1].

Like many corporate sites of the time, Tricon Systems maintained its own feed of world computer news: from May 22 to 31, 2000, it carried notes about a virus "more dangerous than Melissa," about the ICQ 2000A beta version, about new Intel Pentium III Xeon processors, and about the G8's intention to fight cybercrime. There was also a "humor around the PC" section — including a joke about a programmer who only finds out what he wrote once he runs the program. The contacts listed the address on Vaneyeva Street, a multi-line phone and fax number (8312) 67-78-01, and the email tricon@tricon.nnov.ru, while the footer carried the designer's signature "d a n k o"[1].

A service firm: cartridges, antivirus software, a client account

The snapshot from April 2, 2012 caught the site in a design bearing a 2004 copyright; the exchange-rate line was still in place — Central Bank 25.59 rubles, "Tricon Systems" 26.9. By this time the menu no longer described a shop but a service firm: maintenance, supply and deployment of Microsoft software, Acronis system solutions, installment and credit plans, manufacture and sale of computers, cartridge refilling and repair, antivirus products, network solutions, vacancies, articles, and a price list. A "client login" with username and password was in operation[2].

The news column covers 2009–2012. On June 25, 2009, it announced the "Education Protection" program, which let educational institutions buy Kaspersky Lab products at up to 80% off; on July 8 — the supply of ESET NOD32 antivirus software; on August 11 — the launch of laser cartridge refilling and repair; on October 11, 2010, the firm declared itself the official Dr.Web partner in Nizhny Novgorod. Records survive of a kind rarely preserved anywhere: on October 29, 2010, customers were warned about outages on the multi-line number 277-87-23 and asked to call 461-53-02 that day instead, and on November 15 of the same year — about the transfer of the account to the Nizhny Novgorod branch of NOMOS-BANK[2].

The firm's own reviews were posted separately: "The most stylish and unusual LCD monitors" (December 14, 2006), "The best business-class monitors of 2006" (January 9, 2007), "The best compact digital cameras of 2006" (January 12, 2007), and "Choosing an LCD monitor" (April 18, 2007)[2].

A systems integrator for schools and enterprises

By 2015 the site had been rebuilt: a single phone number, +7 (831) 277-87-23, in the header, along with sections "Company profile," "Reviews of our work," "Licenses and certificates," and "The company's flag atop Europe." Equipment supply was broken down into computer hardware, servers and data storage systems, equipment for automated process control systems, presentation, video surveillance, and videoconferencing equipment, and outfitting for educational institutions; listed separately were software, design and installation of local networks and structured cabling systems, repair and maintenance, and computer forensic examination[3]. In the snapshot from March 5, 2016, industrial automation systems were added to the services[4].

The page named its clients as state and commercial enterprises of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast and the Volga Federal District. The list of partner statuses was long: Gold partner of Intel, strategic partner of Giga Byte, business partner of Kaspersky Lab, official dealer of Mimio, Silver partner of Smart Technologies, member of the HP partner program, Silver partner of Rainbow Security, official partner of IBM, regional partner of Ramec and the company "Rene," regional dealer of the company "Layn" with its "Dialogue" language-lab classrooms, as well as Microsoft, D-Link, Cisco, and Seagate statuses[3].

The 2015 news gives a cross-section of local business routine: on June 24 — congratulations on the 70th anniversary of the Radiophysics Faculty of Lobachevsky University (UNN); on September 9 — a note titled "The company's flag atop Europe"; on September 14 — a report on participation in seminars at the Nizhny Novgorod Institute of Education Development (NIRO), held on September 9 and 10[3].

A place in the Nizhny Novgorod internet

The site's visibility is measurable. In the Counter.nn.ru rating, a snapshot of which survives from September 30, 2000, "Tricon Systems Company" stood at position 23 in the "Firms (Enterprises)" section; its row listed a counter of 8023, a rating of 27.06, and one hit for the accounting period[7].

In the nn.ru directory, the firm's card, described as "Certified Lizard computers, peripherals, components, networks and network equipment," appeared in as many as four subsections of the "Firms (Enterprises): Computers and Office Equipment" branch: "Computer and office equipment trade" with a rating of 130[8], "Repair and maintenance" with a rating of 118[9], "Network installation and systems integration" and "Cartridges and other consumables" — both at 102[10][11]. In the "The Very Best" section, where the directory gathered the sites with the most visits over the previous 30 days, the snapshot from July 25, 2002 shows "Tricon Systems" at position 58: 216 visits, rating 117[12]. The firm also left an indirect trace in the directory: the site "ComputerPlus" is described there as the page of the Semyonov representative office of the companies "Agency of Legal Information," "Tricon Systems," and "API-Soft"[13]. On the methodology of these measurements, see the article on the Archival study of the Nizhny Novgorod internet from the counter.nn.ru rating and the overview of the Nizhny Novgorod Internet.

How it closed

The snapshot from March 30, 2022 catches the site still alive but noticeably shrunk: the menu had contracted to six items — about the company, products and services, portfolio, special offers, news, contacts — and the front screen was left with an offer to call (831) 277-87-23 or send a request through the form. By that time the news column consisted only of holiday work schedules and greetings: May 9 and June 11, 2021, December 13 and 24, 2021. The footer still carried "© 1996-2022" and the same address — Vaneyeva Street, 199, office 17[5].

The web archive made its last snapshot of the home page on October 4, 2022[6]. An availability check made while compiling this survey found the address not working; the available material contains no information on where the project moved or what became of the domain.

Sources

  1. web.archive.org — Home page, 2000 (archive)
  2. web.archive.org — Home page, 2012 (archive)
  3. web.archive.org — Home page, 2015 (archive)
  4. web.archive.org — Home page, 2016 (archive)
  5. web.archive.org — Home page, 2022 (archive)
  6. web.archive.org — Home page, last snapshot, October 4, 2022 (archive)
  7. web.archive.org — counter.nn.ru rating, «Firms (Enterprises)» section, 2000 (archive)
  8. web.archive.org — nn.ru directory, «Computer and office equipment trade», 2003 (archive)
  9. web.archive.org — nn.ru directory, «Repair and maintenance», 2003 (archive)
  10. web.archive.org — nn.ru directory, «Network installation and systems integration», 2002 (archive)
  11. web.archive.org — nn.ru directory, «Cartridges and other consumables», 2002 (archive)
  12. web.archive.org — nn.ru directory, «The Very Best» section, 2002 (archive)
  13. web.archive.org — nn.ru directory, «Workstations, accounting and warehouse software, analytics», 2002 (archive)