An online information service that provides access to the Internet, e-mail and a variety of databases. Launched in 1988, Prodigy was the first consumer-oriented online service in the U.S. The original service used proprietary software, but subsequent improvements produced an all-Internet service that uses a Web browser. Founded as a partnership of IBM and Sears, Prodigy was acquired by International Wireless in 1996 and then by SBC Communications in 2001. See online service.