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SPOTLIGHTS:
industry contributions
Listed below are some of PARC's commercial clients -- public ones only -- as well as ventures (spinoffs, joint ventures, licensing partnerships) with key PARC contributions. Our rich legacy of innovation has enabled the creation of over 30 new businesses.
future networking technology
Building on their relationship from other joint hardware and software projects over the past 5 years, Samsung & PARC recently entered into a new engagement targeted at advancing the state of the art in future communications and networking technologies. PARC is one of the partners of Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, focused on helping the company achieve its mission of leading the digital convergence movement.
natural language search
related area
Natural Language Processing
Powerset, Inc., which licenses PARC natural-language technology for its breakthrough consumer search engine, was acquired by Microsoft in July 2008.
second-generation low-cost solar concentrator (CPV) design
related areas
Optical Systems
SolFocus, Inc., which licenses PARC solar concentrator technology and was incubated at PARC until July 2007, has received $MM funding from New Enterprise Associates, Moser Baer India, Metasystem Group, NGEN Partners, Yellowstone Capital, David Gelbaum, other investors.
text analytics & visualization
related areas
Information Visualization & Sensemaking
Natural Language Processing
Inxight Software, Inc., which was spun out by PARC to provide innovative solutions for unstructured information discovery across 32 languages, was acquired by Business Objects in May 2007 (which in turn was acquired by SAP in October 2007/ January 2008). Customers include AOL, Morgan Stanley, Novartis, Thomson, Department of Defense, more.
digital rights management (DRM)
related area
Information & Communication Technologies
ContentGuard, which was founded on Xerox PARC DRM technologies, was acquired by Microsoft, Time Warner, and Thomson in 2005. Its licensees include Sanyo, Nokia, Sharp, Zinio, and others.
embedding digital data through DataGlyphs®
related area
Image Recognition
PARC DataGlyphs® (see milestones) are a robust and unobtrusive method of embedding computer-readable data on a variety of surfaces. Unlike most barcodes, DataGlyphs are flexible in shape and size. Their structure and robust error correction also make them suitable for curved surfaces and other situations where barcodes fail.
Microglyph® Codes for Industrial Applications
more about Microglyph
Microglyph Technology GmbH, a provider of customized auto-ID solutions headquartered in Germany, licensed basic PARC patents to form the foundation of their proprietary Microglyph® code. Microglyph developed code structures and algorithms that open up new fields of applications in industrial environments. Directly marked on parts or products, or discreetly integrated into packaging designs, the robust codes enable reliable auto-ID solutions when matrix-codes or barcodes fail. Microglyph® codes are applied in various industrial sectors -- including automotive, food- and-beverages, and medical -- for track and trace purposes, and to protect brands and products from counterfeiting.
displays (poly-silicon and amorphous silicon thin-film transistor) and digital image sensing for medical imaging
related areas
Thin-Film Technologies
Flexible & Large-Area Electronics
Xerox PARC spinoff dPix, the world's leading source for high-resolution amorphous silicon (a-Si) sensor arrays, was acquired by Trixell (a Siemens Medical/ Phillips Medical/ Thomson-CSF joint venture), Planar Systems, and Varian Medical in 1999. dPix a-Si technology provides the foundation for medical, industrial, military, and security X-ray imaging.
document-management processes
related area
Enterprise Collaboration & Knowledge Systems
Enterprise content management provider Documentum, which was created with Xerox PARC, was acquired by EMC in 2003 to become EMC Documentum. The platform allows customers to manage, store, secure, and deliver unstructured content in a systematic manner.
electronic reusable paper (e-paper)
related area
Electronics Design & Prototyping
Xerox continues to license e-paper display technology after closing subsidiary Gyricon LLC in 2005.
portable document reader
Xerox PARC spinoff Uppercase, Inc. was acquired by Microsoft Corporation.
web-based meeting and presentation solution
related area
Context-Aware Computing & Mobile Interaction
Based on web-based collaboration technology developed and tested at Xerox PARC, Placeware was acquired by Microsoft in 2003 to become LiveMeeting.
personalized search technology
related area
Information Visualization & Sensemaking
Group Fire (later Outride, Inc.), a spin-off from Xerox PARC, was created to apply state-of-the-art model-based relevance technology to the challenge of online information retrieval. Google acquired the technology assets of Outride Inc. in 2001.
book scanning technology
related area
Image Recognition
Xerox PARC licensee Kirtas Technologies, a pioneer in high-quality digitization, is known for its patented automatic book scanners, software, and services which reduce the cost and overhead of mass digitization.
electronic whiteboard technology & group conferencing/ collaborative meeting tools
related area
Context-Aware Computing & Mobile Interaction
Xerox PARC spinoff LiveWorks' technology assets were acquired by SMART Technologies, the industry pioneer and market-segment leader in easy-to-use interactive whiteboards and other group collaboration tools, which enable groups to access and share the information they need.
Smalltalk object-oriented programming language
related area
Information & Communication Technologies
Xerox PARC spinoff ParcPlace Systems (which became ObjectShare) had its VisualWorks business unit acquired by Cincom Systems in 1999.
Ethernet fiber optics
related area
Networking
Xerox PARC spinoff Synoptics Communications (later Bay Networks) was acquired by Nortel in 1998.
spell-checking software & linguistic data compression
related area
Natural Language Processing
This Xerox PARC technology was commercialized through Microlytics in 1995.
solid-state lasers
related area
Optoelectronic Emitters & Detectors
Xerox PARC's solid-state lasers work led to Spectra Diode Laboratories (later SDL), which was acquired by JDS Uniphase.
non-erasable magneto-optical storage
Xerox PARC commercialized this technology through Optimem (1980), which later became Cipher Data Products.
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PARC works on content-centric networking
16 February 2010 | InfoWorld
PARC Works with Startup to Save Data Centers Power
29 January 2010 | Green Technology Journal
2020 Vision: Why you won't recognize the 'Net in 10 years
4 January 2010 | Network world
AIP awards Industrial Physics Prize to inventor of digital x-ray detector
30 October 2009 | American Institute of Physics
PARC overflowing with new ideas
9 October 2009 | BBC News
The Origin of the Computer Mouse
18 August 2009 | Scientific American
PARC, still making a difference
23 September 2008 | Conde Nast Portfolio
Tech meccas: The 12 holy sites of IT
3 August 2009 | InfoWorld
Ethernet — a name for the ages
13 March 2009 | The Register
SolFocus takes on $47.5M more...
9 January 2009 | VentureBeat
Microsoft Buys Semantic Search Specialist Powerset
2 July 2008 | SearchEngineWorld
SolFocus Completes Spanish Project...
24 September 2008 | Greentech Media
Business Objects to Acquire Text Analytics Leader Inxight Software
22 May 2007 | SAP
Pioneering Ubiquitous Information Services [English & Japanese reprint]
30 March 2006 |Fujitsu Journal
Kleiner Perkins, PARC Warm to Clean Tech
17 February 2006 | CNet News.com
...PARC Takes on Clean, Green Technology
16 February 2006 | Two Steps Forward
event
Venture Capital's Homage to the Alchemy of PARC
Roelof Botha, Sequoia Capital
12 October 2006 | PARC Forum
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