 Unlike other "mailbox" systems at the time, GeoNet had a user-friendly command interface and made extensive use of distributed processing technology.GeoNet became an important force in the European market within 15 months of introducing its first system in the early 1980s and by 1986 had an installed base of some 25 systems in 8 countries.By the early 1990s GeoNet systems had been established in Austria, France, Germany, Guatemala, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Switzerland, UK, USA and USSR.