The 1980s marked an era of exponential growth. WVNET joined BITNET in 1984, connecting West Virginia’s educational institutions to over 60 member institutions nationwide. By decade’s end, the network had implemented its first VAXcluster system and installed the powerful IBM 3090-600E mainframe, dramatically expanding its processing capabilities.

As the Internet revolution took hold in the 1990s, WVNET evolved to meet new challenges. The organization introduced comprehensive web services, implemented statewide library systems, and developed robust distance learning capabilities. This decade saw WVNET transform from a traditional computing center into a modern technology services provider.

The turn of the millennium brought significant changes. In 2002, WVNET retired its mainframe systems in favor of more modern architectures. The organization implemented the OZ problem tracking system in 2003, introduced advanced spam and phishing protection in 2005, and continued expanding its email and storage systems through 2007. What began with kilobytes of storage had grown to handle terabytes of data.

Throughout its history, WVNET has maintained its core mission: providing cutting-edge technology services to support education and public services across West Virginia. From those early days with a single mainframe to today’s sophisticated network infrastructure, WVNET’s story is one of continuous innovation and adaptation to serve West Virginia’s evolving technological needs.

This narrative covers through 2007. WVNET’s journey continues to evolve with new technologies and services.