Spyglass
Encyclopedia
Spyglass, Inc. was an Internet software company based in Champaign, Illinois
.
The company, founded in 1990, was an offshoot of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
and created to commercialize and support technologies from the National Center for Supercomputing Applications
(NCSA). For several years, it focused on data visualization tools, such as graphing packages and 3D rendering engines.
In May 1994, Spyglass licensed NCSA's Mosaic
browser, with the intent to develop their own Web browser. However, NCSA's development effort had resulted in different features, user interfaces, and codebases for each of its major platforms: UNIX
, Microsoft Windows
, and Mac OS
. Spyglass therefore created its own Mosaic codebase in which most source code and all features were shared between platforms. Spyglass Mosaic's codebase was then licensed to Microsoft
and became the basis for their Internet Explorer
.
, released its flagship Netscape Navigator
browser in October 1994, and shortly Netscape was becoming the industry leader. Microsoft recognized the potential of the web, and wanting to get into the browser game as soon as possible, decided to license an existing browser rather than build one from scratch.
After Microsoft lost out to AOL
for BookLink
's browser in November 1994, their talks with Spyglass heated up. In 1995, Microsoft licensed Mosaic from Spyglass as the basis of Internet Explorer 1.0
, which was released as an add-on to Windows 95
in the Microsoft Plus!
software package. The deal stipulated that Spyglass would receive a base quarterly fee for the Mosaic license plus a royalty from Microsoft's Internet Explorer revenue.
Microsoft subsequently bundled Internet Explorer with Windows, and thus (making no direct revenues on IE) paid only the minimum quarterly fee. In 1997, Spyglass threatened Microsoft with a contractual audit, in response to which Microsoft settled for US$8 million.
All versions of the Internet Explorer created before Internet Explorer 7
(released October 18, 2006) acknowledged Spyglass as the licensor for the IE browser code. The About window on these versions contained the text "Distributed under a licensing agreement with Spyglass, Inc."
. This product, variously marketed as the Spyglass Server and Server SDK, became available in July 1995. Before that date, the only web servers available were free and unsupported.
The Spyglass Server was also notable for being the first web server to include an application programming interface
that allowed server-side
applications to run in the server's process.
Spyglass did not offer their server as a retail product, instead licensing it to original equipment manufacturer
s to distribute. The largest licensee was Oracle Corporation
.
bought out Spyglass in a stock swap worth $2.5 billion. The acquisition was completed July 24, 2000. In the deal, they received both Device Mosaic, an embedded web browser, and Prism, a content delivery
and transformation system.
Champaign, Illinois
Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of...
.
The company, founded in 1990, was an offshoot of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
and created to commercialize and support technologies from the National Center for Supercomputing Applications
National Center for Supercomputing Applications
The National Center for Supercomputing Applications is an American state-federal partnership to develop and deploy national-scale cyberinfrastructure that advances science and engineering. NCSA operates as a unit of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign but it provides high-performance...
(NCSA). For several years, it focused on data visualization tools, such as graphing packages and 3D rendering engines.
In May 1994, Spyglass licensed NCSA's Mosaic
Mosaic (web browser)
Mosaic is the web browser credited with popularizing the World Wide Web. It was also a client for earlier protocols such as FTP, NNTP, and gopher. Its clean, easily understood user interface, reliability, Windows port and simple installation all contributed to making it the application that opened...
browser, with the intent to develop their own Web browser. However, NCSA's development effort had resulted in different features, user interfaces, and codebases for each of its major platforms: UNIX
Unix
Unix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
, Microsoft Windows
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...
, and Mac OS
Mac OS
Mac OS is a series of graphical user interface-based operating systems developed by Apple Inc. for their Macintosh line of computer systems. The Macintosh user experience is credited with popularizing the graphical user interface...
. Spyglass therefore created its own Mosaic codebase in which most source code and all features were shared between platforms. Spyglass Mosaic's codebase was then licensed to Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
and became the basis for their Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer
Windows Internet Explorer is a series of graphical web browsers developed by Microsoft and included as part of the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems, starting in 1995. It was first released as part of the add-on package Plus! for Windows 95 that year...
.
Browser wars
Netscape Communications Corporation, co-founded by Marc AndreessenMarc Andreessen
Marc Andreessen is an American entrepreneur, investor, software engineer, and multi-millionaire best known as co-author of Mosaic, the first widely-used web browser, and co-founder of Netscape Communications Corporation. He founded and later sold the software company Opsware to Hewlett-Packard...
, released its flagship Netscape Navigator
Netscape Navigator
Netscape Navigator was a proprietary web browser that was popular in the 1990s. It was the flagship product of the Netscape Communications Corporation and the dominant web browser in terms of usage share, although by 2002 its usage had almost disappeared...
browser in October 1994, and shortly Netscape was becoming the industry leader. Microsoft recognized the potential of the web, and wanting to get into the browser game as soon as possible, decided to license an existing browser rather than build one from scratch.
After Microsoft lost out to AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
for BookLink
BookLink
BookLink is a United States based web browser company founded by David Wetherell in February 1994 as a subsidiary of CMG Information Services. In September 1994, Microsoft, wanting BookLink's browser technology for Windows 95 and the Microsoft Network, offered Wetherell a one-time, flat fee of...
's browser in November 1994, their talks with Spyglass heated up. In 1995, Microsoft licensed Mosaic from Spyglass as the basis of Internet Explorer 1.0
Internet Explorer 1
Internet Explorer 1.0 is a graphical web browser that made its debut from Microsoft on August 16, 1995. It was a reworked version of Spyglass Mosaic which Microsoft had licensed, like many other companies initiating browser development, from Spyglass Inc. It came with Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95...
, which was released as an add-on to Windows 95
Windows 95
Windows 95 is a consumer-oriented graphical user interface-based operating system. It was released on August 24, 1995 by Microsoft, and was a significant progression from the company's previous Windows products...
in the Microsoft Plus!
Microsoft Plus!
Microsoft Plus! was a commercial operating system enhancement product by Microsoft. The last edition is the Plus! SuperPack, which includes an assortment of screensavers, themes, and games, as well as multimedia applications...
software package. The deal stipulated that Spyglass would receive a base quarterly fee for the Mosaic license plus a royalty from Microsoft's Internet Explorer revenue.
Microsoft subsequently bundled Internet Explorer with Windows, and thus (making no direct revenues on IE) paid only the minimum quarterly fee. In 1997, Spyglass threatened Microsoft with a contractual audit, in response to which Microsoft settled for US$8 million.
All versions of the Internet Explorer created before Internet Explorer 7
Internet Explorer 7
Windows Internet Explorer 7 is a web browser released by Microsoft in October 2006. Internet Explorer 7 is part of a long line of versions of Internet Explorer and was the first major update to the browser in more than 5 years...
(released October 18, 2006) acknowledged Spyglass as the licensor for the IE browser code. The About window on these versions contained the text "Distributed under a licensing agreement with Spyglass, Inc."
Web server technology
Spyglass created and marketed the first commercially-supported web serverWeb server
Web server can refer to either the hardware or the software that helps to deliver content that can be accessed through the Internet....
. This product, variously marketed as the Spyglass Server and Server SDK, became available in July 1995. Before that date, the only web servers available were free and unsupported.
The Spyglass Server was also notable for being the first web server to include an 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...
that allowed server-side
Server-side
Server-side refers to operations that are performed by the server in a client–server relationship in computer networking.Typically, a server is a software program, such as a web server, that runs on a remote server, reachable from a user's local computer or workstation...
applications to run in the server's process.
Spyglass did not offer their server as a retail product, instead licensing it to original equipment manufacturer
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...
s to distribute. The largest licensee was Oracle Corporation
Oracle Corporation
Oracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation that specializes in developing and marketing hardware systems and enterprise software products – particularly database management systems...
.
End of Spyglass
On March 26, 2000, OpenTVOpenTV
OpenTV is an interactive television company founded in 1994. Its main business involves the sale of set-top-box operating systems and software. On March 28, 2010 OpenTV became a fully owned subsidiary of the NAGRA Kudelski Group and officially delisted from the NASDAQ, where it was previously...
bought out Spyglass in a stock swap worth $2.5 billion. The acquisition was completed July 24, 2000. In the deal, they received both Device Mosaic, an embedded web browser, and Prism, a content delivery
Content delivery
Content delivery describes the delivery of media content such as audio, video, computer software and video games over a delivery medium such as broadcasting or the Internet.Content delivery has two parts:...
and transformation system.