PARC Spins Out PowerCloud Systems, Offers Innovation in Cloud-managed Networking

Palo Alto, California — PARC (Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated), a premier center for commercial innovation, and PowerCloud™ Systems, Inc. today announced the spin-out of PowerCloud Systems, which has been incubated at PARC since early 2008 and is initially focusing on offering cloud-managed networking solutions for small and medium-sized businesses. Walden Venture Capital and Javelin Venture Partners are joining PARC as investors in the company.

PowerCloud Systems invents and engineers cloud-based technology for OEM vendors that makes business networking devices dramatically easier to deploy, secure, and manage — all at an unprecedented low cost. The company builds on intellectual property developed at PARC, including two exclusive and eight shared patents in areas ranging from cloud-virtualized network controllers to “usable security.” Usable security marries PARC’s technological expertise about security with the behavioral realities of how people manage security in various contexts of use.

PowerCloud Systems is a Startup@PARC company, a program that brings entrepreneurs, researchers, and investors together to deliver transformative technologies to market. Building on PARC’s 40 years of success in the industry, the program leverages PARC’s approach to open innovation. Startup@PARC goes beyond the boundaries of traditional entrepreneur-in-residence programs, which typically import industry experts to develop specific, pre-defined commercial opportunities. Instead, Startup@PARC creates a customized partnership for each new venture, which could include technical expertise, intellectual property, facilities resources, lab space, available research, and more. In exchange, PARC receives cash, royalties, equity, license fees, or a combination. More than 30 companies have gone to market via PARC. Recent startups include PowerCloud Systems, Meshin, SolFocus, and Powerset.

“PARC has rich experience nurturing new companies and helping them commercialize their breakthroughs,” said Teresa Lunt, Vice President, Director of Computing Science Laboratory, PARC. “PowerCloud Systems is continuing that legacy by solving the challenge of securely managing today’s proliferation of networked devices, a challenge that we have identified as critical to networking’s future. We look forward to seeing how customers will use this new technology to advance their networks.”

PowerCloud Systems’ management team includes Jeff Abramowitz, who came to PARC as an entrepreneur in residence and conceived PowerCloud systems. Abramowitz will serve as president and chief executive officer of PowerCloud Systems. Andrea Peiro will serve as vice president of product development and marketing.

Walden Venture Capital managing director Matt Miller said, “Jeff Abramowitz is the ideal executive to lead PowerCloud Systems. He has a bold vision, is well connected to industry leaders and knows how to drive business success.”

Jeff Abramowitz has a 20-year track record piloting new technology transitions in the networking industry. Widely known for driving market adoption of 802.11g while at Broadcom, Abramowitz has developed successful business initiatives involving performance, ease-of-use and technology integration. He also led the creation of industry-wide consortiums promoting interoperability and cooperation (WLANA and the Wi-Fi Alliance). His vision and leadership helped accelerate the technological direction of wireless networking and create the standards-based Wi-Fi market we have today. Abramowitz also served as an executive at 3Com Corporation, Azimuth Systems, Intersil, and No Wires Needed. Abramowitz received a BSME from the University of Pennsylvania, an MSEE from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA from Stanford University.

Javelin Venture Partners Managing Director Noah J. Doyle commented, “Andrea Peiro’s unique, in-depth understanding of how and why businesses adopt and use web-based technology gives PowerCloud Systems a laser-like focus on real-world requirements for usability and features. With Andrea’s insights, PowerCloud Systems will set a new performance standard for business networking, beginning with enterprise-grade security and manageability at a price point designed to drive widespread adoption.”

Andrea Peiro brings more than 10 years of experience as a leading expert in business adoption and use of information technology, collaborating with the likes of Microsoft, SAP, Symantec, eBay and Intel. He was CEO of the Small Business Technology Institute and the publisher and executive editor of the Small Business Technology Magazine.  He held executive positions in the software-development and interactive-media industries.  Peiro served as a lieutenant in the Italian navy, received a masters in management from Italy’s Naval Graduate School, an advanced bachelors in computer science from the Università degli Studi di Milano and a B.S. from the Italian Naval Academy.

For more information on PowerCloud Systems, please visit www.powercloudsystems.com. For more information about working with PARC, please visit www.parc.com/services.

About PowerCloud Systems
PowerCloud Systems delivers cloud-based software that OEMs integrate with their business networking products. The CloudCommand online platform makes networking equipment and resources dramatically easier to deploy, configure, secure and manage – all at a very low cost. Based in Palo Alto, PowerCloud Systems is a spin-out from PARC that is funded by PARC, Walden Venture Capital and Javelin Venture Partners.

About PARC
A premier center for commercial innovation, PARC, a Xerox company, is in the business of breakthroughs. We work closely with global enterprises, entrepreneurs, government agencies and partners, and other clients to invent, co-develop, and bring to market game-changing innovations by combining imagination, investigation, and return on investment for our clients. For 40 years, we have lived at the leading edge of innovation, merging inquiry and strategy to pioneer technological change. PARC was incorporated in 2002 as a wholly owned independent subsidiary of Xerox Corporation – enabling us to continue pioneering technological change but across a broader set of industries and clients today.

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