Rae Technology
Encyclopedia
Rae Technology was a software company founded as a spin-off from Apple Computer
in 1992. Rae Technology was best known for its Personal Information Manager
Rae Assist
and for being the predecessor of NetObjects, Inc.. After transferring new developed technology for web site design to NetObjects, Inc. in 1995, Rae Technology had no further public recognition.
. Samir Arora
, a software engineer from India, was involved in early research in navigation applications and so-called hypermedia
. Years before the Internet
took off and web browser
emerged, developers and executives at Apple had the idea that fast and flexible access to linked data would be crucial to future computing. The famous "Knowledge Navigator
" video from 1987 gives an impression of the visions at Apple labs in this time. Samir Arora worked in the office of John Sculley
at the time and was involved in creating the video.
Samir Arora had been part of the original 4th Dimension
engineering team at Apple and ran the applications tools group responsible for 4D and Hypercard
. To manage mobile and online data access and navigation, a group of software developers, including Dave
Dell'Aquila, Sal Arora, Raj Narayan and Jeet Kaul, and led by Samir Arora
, created an application framework called SOLO (Structure of Linked Objects).
In technical terms, SOLO was a proprietary programming language to develop sets of application programming interface
s (APIs).
started Rae Technology as a spin-off from Apple. Headquarters were located on the Apple campus and the board consisted of high-ranked Apple executives.
The company was run by Samir Arora as Chief Executive Officer and President, David Kleinberg as Vice President Sales and Marketing, Dave Dell'Aquila as Vice President Products, and Dianna Mullins as Vice President Operations.
In 1993, Rae Technology introduced its Rae Assist
, one of the first Personal Information Manager
s (PIMs). Rae Assist would let the user organize and access personal contacts, dates, company profiles, scheduling, and linking these entries. Between 1993 and 1995 Rae Assist
was published in three versions for the Mac, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0.
.
An online banking project at Wells Fargo Bank gave the Rae team insight in how the Web could work for companies in the future world of Internet and browsers. The SOLO architecture seemed to be perfectly suited and to be flexible enough to address the need of building something yet new: web sites. The filing of fundamental patents for web site design was in preparation.
With patents for web site design software pending, the efforts and technology for this new kind of software were transferred to a new company. NetObjects, Inc. was founded in 1995 and Rae Technology was its first investor with $1.5 million.
The new company had the same core team that led Rae: Samir Arora
, his brother Sal Arora, and David Kleinberg. Clement Mok
from Studio Archetype, who had already been involved with the Wells Fargo project, was added as a designer.
At the conclusion of the transaction, Rae Technology became a Venture Capital
LLC
but ceased to attract any further public attention though it exists as a company until today.
Apple Computer
Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...
in 1992. Rae Technology was best known for its Personal Information Manager
Personal information manager
A personal information manager is a type of application software that functions as a personal organizer. The acronym PIM is now, more commonly, used in reference to Personal information management as a field of study...
Rae Assist
Rae Assist
Rae Assist was a software developed and distributed by Rae Technology from 1993 to 1995. Rae Assist was one of the first Personal Information Managers and available for Apple Macintosh.-Origin:...
and for being the predecessor of NetObjects, Inc.. After transferring new developed technology for web site design to NetObjects, Inc. in 1995, Rae Technology had no further public recognition.
Roots in Apple Computer
The roots of Rae Technology reach back to the 80s at Apple ComputerApple Computer
Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...
. Samir Arora
Samir Arora
Samir Arora is best known as the founder, CEO and Chairman of the web design pioneering company NetObjects, Inc. from 1995 to 2001, and also as the co-founder, CEO and Chairman of Glam Media since 2003. Samir Arora holds 13 US software patents as co-inventor.- Education :Samir Arora grew up in New...
, a software engineer from India, was involved in early research in navigation applications and so-called hypermedia
Hypermedia
Hypermedia is a computer-based information retrieval system that enables a user to gain or provide access to texts, audio and video recordings, photographs and computer graphics related to a particular subject.Hypermedia is a term created by Ted Nelson....
. Years before the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
took off and web browser
Web browser
A web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web. An information resource is identified by a Uniform Resource Identifier and may be a web page, image, video, or other piece of content...
emerged, developers and executives at Apple had the idea that fast and flexible access to linked data would be crucial to future computing. The famous "Knowledge Navigator
Knowledge Navigator
The Knowledge Navigator is a concept described by former Apple Computer CEO John Sculley in his 1987 book, Odyssey. It describes a device that can access a large networked database of hypertext information, and use software agents to assist searching for information.Apple produced several concept...
" video from 1987 gives an impression of the visions at Apple labs in this time. Samir Arora worked in the office of John Sculley
John Sculley
John Sculley is an American businessman. Sculley was vice-president and president of PepsiCo , until he became CEO of Apple on April 8, 1983, a position he held until leaving in 1993...
at the time and was involved in creating the video.
Samir Arora had been part of the original 4th Dimension
4th Dimension (Software)
4th Dimension is a relational database management system and IDE developed by Laurent Ribardière. 4D was created in 1984....
engineering team at Apple and ran the applications tools group responsible for 4D and Hypercard
HyperCard
HyperCard is an application program created by Bill Atkinson for Apple Computer, Inc. that was among the first successful hypermedia systems before the World Wide Web. It combines database capabilities with a graphical, flexible, user-modifiable interface. HyperCard also features HyperTalk, written...
. To manage mobile and online data access and navigation, a group of software developers, including Dave
Dell'Aquila, Sal Arora, Raj Narayan and Jeet Kaul, and led by Samir Arora
Samir Arora
Samir Arora is best known as the founder, CEO and Chairman of the web design pioneering company NetObjects, Inc. from 1995 to 2001, and also as the co-founder, CEO and Chairman of Glam Media since 2003. Samir Arora holds 13 US software patents as co-inventor.- Education :Samir Arora grew up in New...
, created an application framework called SOLO (Structure of Linked Objects).
In technical terms, SOLO was a proprietary programming language to develop sets of application programming interface
Application programming interface
An application programming interface is a source code based specification intended to be used as an interface by software components to communicate with each other...
s (APIs).
Rae Technology and Rae Assist
With new applications based on SOLO on the rise, Samir AroraSamir Arora
Samir Arora is best known as the founder, CEO and Chairman of the web design pioneering company NetObjects, Inc. from 1995 to 2001, and also as the co-founder, CEO and Chairman of Glam Media since 2003. Samir Arora holds 13 US software patents as co-inventor.- Education :Samir Arora grew up in New...
started Rae Technology as a spin-off from Apple. Headquarters were located on the Apple campus and the board consisted of high-ranked Apple executives.
The company was run by Samir Arora as Chief Executive Officer and President, David Kleinberg as Vice President Sales and Marketing, Dave Dell'Aquila as Vice President Products, and Dianna Mullins as Vice President Operations.
In 1993, Rae Technology introduced its Rae Assist
Rae Assist
Rae Assist was a software developed and distributed by Rae Technology from 1993 to 1995. Rae Assist was one of the first Personal Information Managers and available for Apple Macintosh.-Origin:...
, one of the first Personal Information Manager
Personal information manager
A personal information manager is a type of application software that functions as a personal organizer. The acronym PIM is now, more commonly, used in reference to Personal information management as a field of study...
s (PIMs). Rae Assist would let the user organize and access personal contacts, dates, company profiles, scheduling, and linking these entries. Between 1993 and 1995 Rae Assist
Rae Assist
Rae Assist was a software developed and distributed by Rae Technology from 1993 to 1995. Rae Assist was one of the first Personal Information Managers and available for Apple Macintosh.-Origin:...
was published in three versions for the Mac, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0.
Professional services
Beyond producing software, Rae Technology worked on corporate database projects for a couple of big companies like Chevron Corp. and Wells FargoWells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational diversified financial services company with operations around the world. Wells Fargo is the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by assets and the largest bank by market capitalization. Wells Fargo is the second largest bank in deposits, home...
.
An online banking project at Wells Fargo Bank gave the Rae team insight in how the Web could work for companies in the future world of Internet and browsers. The SOLO architecture seemed to be perfectly suited and to be flexible enough to address the need of building something yet new: web sites. The filing of fundamental patents for web site design was in preparation.
From Rae to NetObjects
There are no publicly available balance sheets from Rae Technology but the highly competitive and rather small PIM market should not have generated a lot of income. A full license of that program was sold for $199, upgrades for $29.With patents for web site design software pending, the efforts and technology for this new kind of software were transferred to a new company. NetObjects, Inc. was founded in 1995 and Rae Technology was its first investor with $1.5 million.
The new company had the same core team that led Rae: Samir Arora
Samir Arora
Samir Arora is best known as the founder, CEO and Chairman of the web design pioneering company NetObjects, Inc. from 1995 to 2001, and also as the co-founder, CEO and Chairman of Glam Media since 2003. Samir Arora holds 13 US software patents as co-inventor.- Education :Samir Arora grew up in New...
, his brother Sal Arora, and David Kleinberg. Clement Mok
Clement Mok
Clement Mok is a graphic designer and author.Mok founded several design-related businesses — Studio Archetype , CMCD and NetObjects, Inc.. In 1997, Mok helped to launch the advertising campaign called the "The Internet Guy". From 1998 until 2001, he was Chief Creative Officer of Sapient...
from Studio Archetype, who had already been involved with the Wells Fargo project, was added as a designer.
At the conclusion of the transaction, Rae Technology became a Venture Capital
Venture capital
Venture capital is financial capital provided to early-stage, high-potential, high risk, growth startup companies. The venture capital fund makes money by owning equity in the companies it invests in, which usually have a novel technology or business model in high technology industries, such as...
LLC
Limited liability company
A limited liability company is a flexible form of enterprise that blends elements of partnership and corporate structures. It is a legal form of company that provides limited liability to its owners in the vast majority of United States jurisdictions...
but ceased to attract any further public attention though it exists as a company until today.