PowWow (chat program)
Encyclopedia
PowWow was one of the first Internet instant message and chat programs for Windows
. It was made by a company called Tribal Voice. It is a quintessential internet startup meltdown story.
sound file playing, offline transmittal of instant messages via POP
/SMTP and the ability for users to 'cruise' to the same web page.
, founder of McAfee Associates (now called McAfee
). On its website, the company described itself initially as a 'Native American
' company run by Native Americans. As the company grew, the Native American references gradually disappeared.
In 1998 McAfee brought in Joseph Esposito
, formerly the president and CEO of Encyclopædia Britannica
, to run the company. The company started in Woodland Park, Colorado
and later located its corporate headquarters in Scotts Valley, California
, both in the USA.
In the late 1990s Tribal Voice began to OEM
the PowWow software in order to increase market share. While most of these deals were insubstantial, several were with high-profile companies, including AT&T
's WorldNet internet service provider
(ISP), search engine/portal AltaVista
and FreeServe
, a United Kingdom
-based ISP.
PowWow was one of the first instant messaging programs to provide interoperability between multiple instant messaging clients and was compatible with both AOL Instant Messenger (AIM)
and Microsoft's MSN Messenger.
In the late 1990s AOL sued Tribal Voice for use of the phrase 'buddy list' and made repeated efforts to block interoperability between their instant messaging client and Tribal Voice's, as well as those of other companies.
In 1999 the company was then acquired by dot-com incubator CMGI
, who moved the company's development center from Woodland Park to Colorado Springs, Colorado and closed the Scotts Valley, California office. In 2000, CMGI merged the company into CMGIon, a division of CMGI, founded with help from Sun Microsystems
and Novell
. In January 2001, CMGIon closed its Colorado Springs office, the former Tribal Voice.
(post-acquisition)
(technical management and leads)
by last name, in alphabetical order
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
. It was made by a company called Tribal Voice. It is a quintessential internet startup meltdown story.
Features
Many of the features found in contemporary instant messaging programs were first introduced in PowWow. The program also had several innovative features such as allowing users to talk with each other using VoIP, a shared whiteboard, a built-in speech synthesizer, WAVWAV
Waveform Audio File Format , is a Microsoft and IBM audio file format standard for storing an audio bitstream on PCs...
sound file playing, offline transmittal of instant messages via POP
Post Office Protocol
In computing, the Post Office Protocol is an application-layer Internet standard protocol used by local e-mail clients to retrieve e-mail from a remote server over a TCP/IP connection. POP and IMAP are the two most prevalent Internet standard protocols for e-mail retrieval. Virtually all modern...
/SMTP and the ability for users to 'cruise' to the same web page.
History
The company was founded at the end of 1994 by the software millionaire John McAfeeJohn McAfee
John McAfee is a computer programmer and founder of McAfee. He was one of the first people to design anti-virus software and to develop a virus scanner. He was born in England and raised in Salem, Virginia...
, founder of McAfee Associates (now called McAfee
McAfee
McAfee, Inc. is a computer security company headquartered in Santa Clara, California, USA. It markets software and services to home users, businesses and the public sector. On August 19, 2010, electronics company Intel agreed to purchase McAfee for $7.68 billion...
). On its website, the company described itself initially as a 'Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
' company run by Native Americans. As the company grew, the Native American references gradually disappeared.
In 1998 McAfee brought in Joseph Esposito
Joseph Esposito
Joseph J. Esposito is the current Chief of Department of the New York City Police Department . He has held the position since August 25, 2000.-Career:...
, formerly the president and CEO of Encyclopædia Britannica
Encyclopædia Britannica
The Encyclopædia Britannica , published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia that is available in print, as a DVD, and on the Internet. It is written and continuously updated by about 100 full-time editors and more than 4,000 expert...
, to run the company. The company started in Woodland Park, Colorado
Woodland Park, Colorado
The City of Woodland Park is a Home Rule Municipality that is the most populous city in Teller County, Colorado, United States and is immediately west of El Paso County and the unincorporated community of Crystola. Many residents in this bedroom community, which is surrounded by the one-million...
and later located its corporate headquarters in Scotts Valley, California
Scotts Valley, California
Scotts Valley is a small city in Santa Cruz County, California, United States, about thirty miles south of downtown San Jose and six miles north of Monterey Bay, in the upland slope of the Santa Cruz Mountains. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 11,580...
, both in the USA.
In the late 1990s Tribal Voice began to OEM
Original Equipment Manufacturer
An original equipment manufacturer, or OEM, manufactures products or components that are purchased by a company and retailed under that purchasing company's brand name. OEM refers to the company that originally manufactured the product. When referring to automotive parts, OEM designates a...
the PowWow software in order to increase market share. While most of these deals were insubstantial, several were with high-profile companies, including AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
's WorldNet internet service provider
Internet service provider
An Internet service provider is a company that provides access to the Internet. Access ISPs directly connect customers to the Internet using copper wires, wireless or fiber-optic connections. Hosting ISPs lease server space for smaller businesses and host other people servers...
(ISP), search engine/portal AltaVista
AltaVista
AltaVista is a web search engine owned by Yahoo!. AltaVista was once one of the most popular search engines but its popularity declined with the rise of Google...
and FreeServe
Freeserve
Freeserve was a British Internet Service Provider, founded in 1998. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but merged into the Wanadoo group in 2000, itself a subsidiary of France Telecom...
, a United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-based ISP.
PowWow was one of the first instant messaging programs to provide interoperability between multiple instant messaging clients and was compatible with both AOL Instant Messenger (AIM)
AOL Instant Messenger
AOL Instant Messenger is an instant messaging and presence computer program which uses the proprietary OSCAR instant messaging protocol and the TOC protocol to allow registered users to communicate in real time. It was released by AOL in May 1997...
and Microsoft's MSN Messenger.
In the late 1990s AOL sued Tribal Voice for use of the phrase 'buddy list' and made repeated efforts to block interoperability between their instant messaging client and Tribal Voice's, as well as those of other companies.
In 1999 the company was then acquired by dot-com incubator CMGI
CMGI
ModusLink Global Solutions, formerly CMGI Inc., is an American technology and venture capital company, headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. The company supplies a range of internet and communications services, mostly to computer companies, its biggest customer being Hewlett-Packard Company...
, who moved the company's development center from Woodland Park to Colorado Springs, Colorado and closed the Scotts Valley, California office. In 2000, CMGI merged the company into CMGIon, a division of CMGI, founded with help from Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. was a company that sold :computers, computer components, :computer software, and :information technology services. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982...
and Novell
Novell
Novell, Inc. is a multinational software and services company. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Attachmate Group. It specializes in network operating systems, such as Novell NetWare; systems management solutions, such as Novell ZENworks; and collaboration solutions, such as Novell Groupwise...
. In January 2001, CMGIon closed its Colorado Springs office, the former Tribal Voice.
Principals
(company officers prior to acquisition )- John McAfeeJohn McAfeeJohn McAfee is a computer programmer and founder of McAfee. He was one of the first people to design anti-virus software and to develop a virus scanner. He was born in England and raised in Salem, Virginia...
, CEO, Board - Joseph EspositoJoseph EspositoJoseph J. Esposito is the current Chief of Department of the New York City Police Department . He has held the position since August 25, 2000.-Career:...
, CEO - Nigel Thompson, CTO [later Chief Architect, CMGion]
- Richard Dym, VP Marketing
- Lee Finck, VP Sales
- Kathy Johnson, Director of Product Marketing
- Beth Nagengast, Director Corporate Marketing
(post-acquisition)
- Ross Bagully, CEO [later senior VP, instant messaging, CMGI]
- Gail Bakewell, VP Operations
(technical management and leads)
by last name, in alphabetical order
- Jared Bergeron, Director, IT
- Dave Debenham, Sr. Lead, Server
- Bullitt Fitzhugh, Director, IT
- G.E. 'Rok' Gayles, System Administrator
- Michael Gilardino, Director, Quality Assurance
- Aryeh Goretsky, Director, Support
- Zach Hornbaker, Webmaster
- Ingrid Janse (née Bomgardner), Program Manager
- Christian Karnisky, Director, Operations
- Michael Mansfield, Director, User Relations
- Paul Peterson, Sr. Lead, Client
- Chad Routh, Sr. System Administrator
- Jim Zoromski, Sr. Lead, Database
- Kevin McPherson, Director, Quality Assurance