Proteon. First among multiprotocol router manufacturers, Proteon changed its name to OpenRoute in 1997. Two years later, it was acquired by Netrix, which became NX Networks, a VoIP service provider that filed for bankruptcy in 2001. NSGdata.com, a privately held communications technology developer, bought the company's assets the following year.
Madge Networks. Robert Madge had a vision, and that vision was Token Ring, which had a good run and served as forerunner to today's RPR. The Madge Networks founder also envisioned videoconferencing, which has yet to hit its stride. In addition, he pictured a services company, Madge.web, which would offer networking, voice, VPN and Web hosting; that company lasted a while before being discontinued. Now Madge Networks thinks wireless is the next great thing; the company recently announced upgrades of its WLAN Probe 2 and Probe Monitor. Who knows what comes next?
KnowledgeWare. Headed up by former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton, this software vendor was eventually sold to Sterling Software, which in turn was sold to Computer Associates in 2000. Meanwhile, in 1999, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil suit against former KnowledgeWare executives for financial fraud. The court levied fines and penalties that totaled $100,000 for Tarkenton alone.
Borland. Borland was born as--surprise--Borland. Remember its Quattro spreadsheet software? How about its purchase of dBASE maker Ashton-Tate? And Microsoft's purchase of FoxPro, which squashed the dBASE part of Borland's business? Borland changed its name to Inprise in 1998, but in 2001 changed it back to Borland and started focusing on Java development.
Marimba. This company's goal was to push everything from stock quotes to operating system updates across mobile phones and mainframes with equal abandon. But when the bubble burst, Marimba became a desktop-management vendor, and dances on.
Discover the benefits of scalable backbone and network services for application and cloud providers.
Network automation is gaining momentum. Here's how you can drive this powerful technology to its full potential.
Subsea cable alternatives can provide a level of comfort for those concerned about disruptions. Realistically, they will continue to play a small, but critical role in the short term.
