Xircom
Encyclopedia
Xircom, Inc. was based in Thousand Oaks, California, with manufacturing facilities located in Penang
& Malaysia and international offices throughout Europe
and Asia Pacific. They were one of the first companies to develop network computing
products for notebook computers. Products included computer memory cards, LAN
adapters, modems, and remote access server products. The company's products enabled notebook users to share information over a network connection. During fiscal 1999, the company introduced 56K modems in the MiniPCI form factor. In September 1999, the company acquired Rex PC Card Organizer product line. During fiscal 2000, the company acquired Omnipoint Technologies, Inc. and Entrega Technologies Inc. Branded products accounted for 65% of fiscal 2000 revenues and OEM
products, 35%. In 2001, Intel acquired Xircom.
and Kirk Mathews on the premise of delivering ethernet
connectvity to mobile computers. The company grew to over 2,000 employees and achieved revenues of $500M and a market cap in excess of $2B. Mobility solutions were based on IEEE 802.11, GPRS, and BlueTooth
technologies.
Xircom was known as an innovative leader in networking technology, pioneering the world's first wireless networking devices for portable computers, known as Netwave. Xircom's NetWave adapters boasted a raw data rate of 1M bit/sec (blazing fast at the time) and fostered the creation and development of today's WiFi infrastructure and devices, which are virtually everywhere today.
Xircom was also equally innovative in its working environment. Employees were encouraged to express their creative natures, fostering a positive and creative environment where new ideas and efficiency flowed as easily as the waterfall in their indoor fish pond, which was originally constructed in front of the Engineering Vice President's cubicle as a joke.
This unique working approach was engrained in their core ideology as "A great place to work", but went way beyond. Although the company closed its doors nearly a decade ago, many employees still regard Xircom as the best working experience of their lives.
s, the most well known of which was the RealPort series designed by boutique start-up ID firm Next Planet.
The 32-bit RealPort CardBus Ethernet 10/100+Modem 56 combined 10/100Mbit/s Ethernet, a 56K modem, and even GSM connectivity via an externally connected Mobile Phone
, in a single dongle-free Integrated PC Card solution. RealPort family of cards solved the major problem mobile users experienced with PC Cards: lost, forgotten, or broken cable connectors and broken pop-out jacks. By eliminating fragile dongle
s on the device, the RealPort Integrated PC Cards provided robust and reliable communications by integrating connectors directly into the card.
The REX 6000
was an ultra-thin PDA
produced by Xircom. It was the world's smallest full-function PDA due to its size as a Type II PC Card
. The REX synchronized by insertion into a host PC
's PCMCIA/PC Card slot. The REX 6000 was similar to its predecessor (the Franklin
REX 5000
) except it included a touch screen, among other improvements.
connectors) and converters (USB to serial
, to parallel, to Ethernet
). It turned these products into its own Port-Gear line, including special drivers to support USB in Windows NT v4 systems.
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
& Malaysia and international offices throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Asia Pacific. They were one of the first companies to develop network computing
Network computing
Network computing is a generic term in computing which refers to computers or nodes working together over a network.It may also mean:*Cloud computing*Distributed computing*Virtual Network Computing...
products for notebook computers. Products included computer memory cards, LAN
Län
Län and lääni refer to the administrative divisions used in Sweden and previously in Finland. The provinces of Finland were abolished on January 1, 2010....
adapters, modems, and remote access server products. The company's products enabled notebook users to share information over a network connection. During fiscal 1999, the company introduced 56K modems in the MiniPCI form factor. In September 1999, the company acquired Rex PC Card Organizer product line. During fiscal 2000, the company acquired Omnipoint Technologies, Inc. and Entrega Technologies Inc. Branded products accounted for 65% of fiscal 2000 revenues and OEM
OEM
OEM means the original manufacturer of a component for a product, which may be resold by another company.OEM may also refer to:-Computing:* OEM font, or OEM-US, the original character set of the IBM PC, circa 1981...
products, 35%. In 2001, Intel acquired Xircom.
History
The company was founded in 1988 by Dirk GatesDirk Gates
Dirk I. Gates is an American businessman, founder and Chief Executive Officer of two companies, Xircom and Xirrus...
and Kirk Mathews on the premise of delivering ethernet
Ethernet
Ethernet is a family of computer networking technologies for local area networks commercially introduced in 1980. Standardized in IEEE 802.3, Ethernet has largely replaced competing wired LAN technologies....
connectvity to mobile computers. The company grew to over 2,000 employees and achieved revenues of $500M and a market cap in excess of $2B. Mobility solutions were based on IEEE 802.11, GPRS, and BlueTooth
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a proprietary open wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks with high levels of security...
technologies.
Xircom was known as an innovative leader in networking technology, pioneering the world's first wireless networking devices for portable computers, known as Netwave. Xircom's NetWave adapters boasted a raw data rate of 1M bit/sec (blazing fast at the time) and fostered the creation and development of today's WiFi infrastructure and devices, which are virtually everywhere today.
Xircom was also equally innovative in its working environment. Employees were encouraged to express their creative natures, fostering a positive and creative environment where new ideas and efficiency flowed as easily as the waterfall in their indoor fish pond, which was originally constructed in front of the Engineering Vice President's cubicle as a joke.
This unique working approach was engrained in their core ideology as "A great place to work", but went way beyond. Although the company closed its doors nearly a decade ago, many employees still regard Xircom as the best working experience of their lives.
Pocket LAN Adapter
In 1988, the only universal connection available on notebook PCs was the printer port, so Xircom devised the Pocket LAN Adapter that attached to the printer port and connected the notebook PC to a network. Xircom then became one of the top providers of networking computing devices.RealPort
Xircom was renowned for their PC CardPC Card
In computing, PC Card is the form factor of a peripheral interface designed for laptop computers. The PC Card standard was defined and developed by the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association which itself was created by a number of computer industry companies in the United States...
s, the most well known of which was the RealPort series designed by boutique start-up ID firm Next Planet.
The 32-bit RealPort CardBus Ethernet 10/100+Modem 56 combined 10/100Mbit/s Ethernet, a 56K modem, and even GSM connectivity via an externally connected Mobile Phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
, in a single dongle-free Integrated PC Card solution. RealPort family of cards solved the major problem mobile users experienced with PC Cards: lost, forgotten, or broken cable connectors and broken pop-out jacks. By eliminating fragile dongle
Dongle
A software protection dongle is a small piece of hardware that plugs into an electrical connector on a computer and serves as an electronic "key" for a piece of software; the program will only run when the dongle is plugged in...
s on the device, the RealPort Integrated PC Cards provided robust and reliable communications by integrating connectors directly into the card.
REX 6000
REX 6000
The REX 6000 is an ultra-thin Personal Digital Assistant produced by Xircom, and later Intel, from about 2000 to 2001. Its primary claim to fame is as "The world's smallest full-function PDA", due to its unusual physical configuration as a PC card Type-II card . The REX may be synchronized by...
was an ultra-thin PDA
PDA
A PDA is most commonly a Personal digital assistant, also known as a Personal data assistant, a mobile electronic device.PDA may also refer to:In science, medicine and technology:...
produced by Xircom. It was the world's smallest full-function PDA due to its size as a Type II PC Card
PC Card
In computing, PC Card is the form factor of a peripheral interface designed for laptop computers. The PC Card standard was defined and developed by the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association which itself was created by a number of computer industry companies in the United States...
. The REX synchronized by insertion into a host PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
's PCMCIA/PC Card slot. The REX 6000 was similar to its predecessor (the Franklin
Franklin Electronic Publishers
Franklin Electronic Publishers, Incorporated is an American consumer electronics manufacturer based in Burlington, New Jersey, founded in 1981. Since the mid-1980s it has primarily created and sold hand-held electronic references, such as spelling correctors, dictionaries, translation devices,...
REX 5000
REX 5000
The Franklin REX 5, was one of the Rex line of Personal Digital Assistants, each a PCMCIA PC card and thus the size of a credit card, built around a Toshiba microprocessor emulating a Zilog Z80...
) except it included a touch screen, among other improvements.
PortGear & PortStation
Xircom acquired Entrega, a small company that produced the USB upgrade boards (for people with older PCs lacking universal serial busUniversal Serial Bus
USB is an industry standard developed in the mid-1990s that defines the cables, connectors and protocols used in a bus for connection, communication and power supply between computers and electronic devices....
connectors) and converters (USB to serial
Serial communications
In telecommunication and computer science, serial communication is the process of sending data one bit at a time, sequentially, over a communication channel or computer bus. This is in contrast to parallel communication, where several bits are sent as a whole, on a link with several parallel channels...
, to parallel, to Ethernet
Ethernet
Ethernet is a family of computer networking technologies for local area networks commercially introduced in 1980. Standardized in IEEE 802.3, Ethernet has largely replaced competing wired LAN technologies....
). It turned these products into its own Port-Gear line, including special drivers to support USB in Windows NT v4 systems.