Dennis Hayes (businessman)

Dennis Hayes (born August 16, 1950) is an American businessman and entrepreneur best known for co-founding Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc. in 1977. Hayes Microcomputer Products was a pioneer in the development and marketing of modems for personal computers, and is credited with popularizing the "Hayes command set," a standard control language used to operate modems.

Hayes's company initially focused on S-100 bus modems before expanding into modems for other computer platforms. The success of Hayes modems played a crucial role in the growth of online services, bulletin board systems (BBS), and the early internet by enabling widespread dial-up access. The Hayes command set, recognizable by its "AT" (attention) prefix, became an industry standard, even after Hayes Microcomputer Products ceased operations.

Despite the initial success, Hayes Microcomputer Products faced increasing competition and eventually filed for bankruptcy in 1999. Although the company no longer exists, Dennis Hayes is recognized as a significant figure in the history of personal computing and telecommunications due to his contribution to modem technology and the establishment of the Hayes command set as a de facto industry standard. He later founded a company called Zoom Telephonics.