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communications on
Windows, Windows95 and UNIX based platforms. Netscape integrated InSoft's products in two phases. In the first phase, the combined companies developed LiveMedia framework and continued to promote InSoft's OpenDVE software architecture and development toolkits and applications including its GlobalConference telecommunications gateway. In the second phase, Netscape integrated InSoft's real-time audio and video capabilities into Netscape Navigator and Netscape servers, with third-party developers contributing add-on audio and video products based on the LiveMedia framework.
266:
product versions. Although the final products were sold primarily through stores, the company let potential customers download test versions for review and comment. InSoft assigned a manager specifically to categorize and channel customer ideas and suggestions product development team, and then post the responses of the team to the customer community web site. Letting InSoft customers actively contribute to the development of new product versions also helped increase the firm's visibility among potential customers in high technology markets.
314:
make use of real-time digital video and audio, and also shared and edited graphics and image files, ASCII files and video frames. A module called SHARE (SHared
Application Resource Environment) allowed conference attendees to "share" and manipulate an application as though it were running locally, with the results displayed on all screens. A shared whiteboard module had features similar to an online chat session: text was posted to a common, shared notepad and displayed in the order received.
223:
A 1994 issue of VARBusiness magazine described InSoft as pursuing "a new software model" completely independent of the compression hardware and network type that analysts predicted would dominate the future of videoconferencing. One analyst attributed InSoft's success to "its capability to deliver a
274:
InSoft was bought by
Netscape in 1996, for a value of $ 161 million. Technology acquired by Netscape from Insoft included Communique for desktop collaboration and videoconferencing, InSoft Network Television for distributed digital video, and CoolTalk and CoolView for Internet audio, video and data
265:
for customers. It created a web-based forum during its firsl year of operation with the intention of using it as a source of new ideas that would lead to new product development. The company asked its customers to tell them what new product features were needed, leading to speedy development of new
252:
The company is credited with developing the first generation of commercial, US-based VoIP (Voice Over
Internet Protocol, Internet media streaming and realtime Internet telephony/collaborative software and standards that would later become NetscapeConference and NetscapeMedia Server. These, in turn,
227:
By 1995, the company had eight regional offices and over 70 employees. Sales of its distributed digital video solutions, desktop conferencing and videoconferencing software had topped over $ 7 million in annual revenue. InSoft recruited and sponsored
Russian and Indian scientists for immigration to
211:
product as a "killer app" for Sun, calling it "the next logical step in improving computers as communications devices". The product's could run on any high-end workstation powered by virtually any chip through most any type of existing network. Within two years, industry magazines were referring to
191:
Harple and
Pizarro worked on their idea after hours, creating improvised labs in spare bedrooms, and connecting borrowed workstations with streams of cable. After some months, they succeeded in creating a piece of software which allowed real time, face to face collaboration over a computer network,
313:
The 1994 release of
Communique featured a "Virtual Conference Room" where users could start a conference or join one in progress by using a point-and-click interface. Participants were shown up as icons in the "room", meetings could be saved and reviewed at a later date. Conference attendees could
244:
team to create a low cost, mass market version of InSoft's software that would run over the lower bit-rate
Internet. This involved the invention of lower bit rate compression algorithms for audio and video signals and synchronization. When the resulting new Internet product was nearing completion,
195:
The two men left AMP to co-found InSoft Inc. in 1992, with Harple acting as
Chairman and CEO and Pizzarro as Chief Engineer and Vice President. Because they believed the solution to videoconferencing was in software alone, they named the new company InSoft. Money to start up the company came from
381:
Designed to integrate web sites with corporate call centers, ICS featured H.320-compliant videoconferencing and allowed web sites to integrate
Internet access with telephony functions - like call transfer, hold, add/drop, conference calling, and answering machine. InSoft ICS sold for just under $
305:
for running multimedia conferencing software across many kinds of networks, not independent of the hardware they used. Running as an independent software layer on top of the specific host operating system, DVE architecture let users and vendors customize their InSoft-equipped networks by building
187:
systems and networked workstations to the manufacturing company. The pair wanted to create a way to let engineers working together on a design speak to and look at one another without leaving their desks over a real time video network requiring only "regular computers and cheap, desktop cameras".
363:
CoolView was a videoconferencing tool released in February 1996. It gave users all the features of CoolTalk plus the ability to see each other in real time, playing video at 5 frames per second. It ran on PCs equipped with a 28.8 kbit/s modem and a Video for Windows-compliant capture card.
354:
CoolTalk was a multimedia software tool that let PC users view data displayed on a shared whiteboard, exchange real-time messages via a chat tool or speak with each other via a TCP/IP voice connection. The product worked with Microsoft Sound System-compatible audio boards and was available in a
372:
ICEMaker was a software development kit that let users and customers build distributed multimedia applications to run over the Internet or corporate Intranet. The applications could optionally run separately or in conjunction with CoolTalk and CooView. ICEMaker sold for $ 795.99 in 1996.
288:
Launched in 1992, Communique was a software-based Unix teleconferencing product for workstations that enabled video/audio/data conferencing. Communique supported as many as 10 users, and included revolutionary features such as application sharing, audio controls, text, graphics, and
239:
CEO Harple saw a potential market for InSoft's products in the early Internet, which was a low-bandwidth, copper wire-based technology at the time. Despite his board's warnings that developing Internet applications would "kill our direct sales", Harple set up an internal company
296:
Communique was able to operate across Ethernet and between a variety of data communications services such as ATM, frame-relay, ISDN and SMDS, as well as any standard network that ran TCP/IP. This was because it used InSoft's Digital Video Everywhere (Open DVE), a proprietary
224:
product for workstations that didn't represent a huge incremental expense, and go after the PC market later." InSoft went on to sign Communique bundling deals with major technology companies such as AT&T, Sprint, Hewlett Packard, Digital Equipment, and IBM.
472:
337:
In 1995, InSoft offered Open DVE as an API toolkit to third party software vendors. The product included a suite of APIs, libraries and management tools designed to allow companies to add conferencing ability to their own software.
228:
the US. Author Thomas Petzinger described the company's culture as a mixture of formal business plan and informal playfulness; photos of rock stars decorated the offices and were used as graphics for demo products, the company's
355:
14.4-kbit/s version or 28.8-kbit/s version. Unveiled in 1996, CoolTalk was later packaged with popular Web browsers of the time. CoolTalk 14.4 and 28.8 sold for $ 49.95 and $ 69.95, respectively, in 1996.
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In 1995, the company released Communique for Windows and offered Communique Conference Kits that included conferencing software, and audio/video board, a video camera and a microphone.
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applications that would later be developed into NetscapeConference and NetscapeMedia Server. These, in turn, would provide the groundwork for the
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856:"INSOFT SHIPS INTERNET APPS FOR WORK GROUPS. (THE INTERACTIVE COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENT INTERNET MULTIMEDIA APPLICATIONS AND TOOLS)"
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249:, and he traveled to InSoft headquarters for a demonstration. He was so impressed that he promptly proposed a merger with Netscape.
346:
In early 1996, InSoft launched a series of products designed to bring collaborative computing over dial-up lines to the Internet.
140:
InSoft has been called a pioneer in the desktop videoconferencing market, and is credited with developing the first generation of
220:
and others. An industry marketer wrote that InSoft had positioned itself as "a mandatory checklist item" among computer giants."
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the company as a "pioneer in the desktop videoconferencing market" The company's software was adopted by manufacturers like
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which allowed networked users to share and manipulate graphic objects and files using simple paint tools.
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159:(RTSP) standard. RTSP is used to control incoming data when streaming video. The company was sold to
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200:-based venture capitalist Adams Capital Management, which raised funds from Philadelphia Ventures,
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790:"Customer Networks, Entrepreneur Strategy, and Firm Growth: Insights from the Software Industry"
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820:"NETSCAPE ANNOUNCES NEW REAL-TIME AUDIO AND VIDEO FRAMEWORK FOR INTERNET APPLICATIONS"
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The new pioneers: the men and women who are transforming the workplace and marketplace
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Burke, John P. (Oct 1994). "Communique! sends a message about video conferencing".
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of Baltimore, Edison Venture Fund of Harrisburg and Newbridge Networks of Canada.
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560:"InSoft takes Unix Route: PC Videoconferencing, Pg. 106, ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE".
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would provide the basis for the Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) standard.
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word of "a possible picture phone for the Internet" reached Netscape founder
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that let users broadcast video signals to workstations using only software.
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and Richard Pizzarro met in 1990 while employed as computer engineers at
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118:
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796:. Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, Babson College. Archived from
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applications that worked through Communique. Communique also used
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InfoWorld Media Group, Inc.; Rodriguez, Karen (23 January 1995),
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InfoWorld - Lower costs, better standards help videoconferencing
148:
994:
InfoWorld - InSoft brings chat and video to dial-up connections
932:"INSOFT UNVEILS TOOLS FOR 'NET. (COOLTALK MULTIMEDIA SOFTWARE)"
729:
Network World - Startup targets desktop Videoconferencing arena
213:
663:
InfoWorld Media Group, Inc.; Wallace, Bob (10 October 1994).
236:, and mailroom employees included Harple's teenage daughter.
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InfoWorld Media Group, Inc.; Lee, Yvonne (22 January 1996),
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IDG Network World Inc; Eckerson, Wayne (21 September 1992).
577:"Carving a global niche; Area firm OKs purchase by Netscape"
614:"The killer app? Groupware - does Insoft have the answer?"
117:
was an American developer of network-based communications
960:
IDG Network World Inc; Silwa, Carol (15 January 1996),
759:"Keynote Speaker: Marlboro College alumnus, Dan Harple"
697:"Two Little Guys Wrestle With Giants Over Beloved Idea"
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InSoft was noted for taking the lead in establishing
325:InSoft Network Television was a tool included with
192:similar to other experimental systems at the time.
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1033:Companies based in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
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342:InSoft Interactive Collaborative Environment (ICE)
963:Network World - InSoft unveils tools for the net
1028:Defunct software companies of the United States
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666:InfoWorld - Upstart InSoft storms conferencing
133:, which is used for desktop collaboration and
997:, InfoWorld Media Group, Inc., pp. 44–,
905:, InfoWorld Media Group, Inc., pp. 59–,
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862:. The Data & Analysis Center For Software
8:
794:FRONTIERS OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP RESEARCH, 2000
669:. InfoWorld Media Group, Inc. pp. 54–.
648:: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
207:In 1992, SunWorld magazine praised InSoft's
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826:. Netscape Communications Corporation, 1996
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1048:Software companies disestablished in 1996
938:. Data & Analysis Center for Software
437:IDG Network World Inc (31 October 1994).
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51:Merged to Netscape Communications in 1996
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405:. Bloomberg Businessweek. Archived from
403:Software: InSoft, Inc. February 10, 2012
966:, IDG Network World Inc, pp. 12–,
732:. IDG Network World Inc. pp. 39–.
443:. IDG Network World Inc. pp. 53–.
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1063:1996 disestablishments in Pennsylvania
1053:Software companies established in 1992
1043:American companies established in 1992
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196:family and friends, and also from the
129:. The company’s applications included
377:InSoft Internet Communications Server
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364:CoolView sold for $ 149.95 in 1996.
1058:1992 establishments in Pennsylvania
765:. Marlboro College. Archived from
763:Persons School of Marlboro College
584:Patriot-News, The (Harrisburg, PA)
507:Thomas Petzinger (31 March 1999).
14:
575:DeKok, David (February 2, 1996).
612:Hall, Martin, L.W. (June 1992).
695:Petzinger, Tom (June 2, 1995).
473:"Executive Profile, Dan Harple"
183:. Their jobs were introducing
1:
703:. p. B1. Archived from
157:Real Time Streaming Protocol
125:software founded in 1992 in
824:Columbia University Archive
127:Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
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321:InSoft Network Television
202:New Enterprise Associates
88:InSoft Network Television
515:. Simon & Schuster.
181:Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
701:The Wall Street Journal
257:Online customer network
161:Netscape Communications
477:Bloomberg Businessweek
153:collaborative software
562:VAR Business Magazine
185:computer-aided design
769:on 11 December 2012
707:on October 25, 2013
163:on April 25, 1996.
104:Number of employees
18:
788:Nambisan, Satish.
593:on 20 October 2013
540:2015-06-21 at the
399:"Company Overview"
263:online communities
621:SunWorld Magazine
522:978-0-684-84636-1
409:on April 10, 2013
301:that featured an
234:The Grateful Dead
171:Company founders
135:videoconferencing
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26:Computer software
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61:Pennsylvania
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17:Insoft, Inc.
1008:13 February
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866:14 February
804:16 February
743:10 February
711:February 7,
680:13 February
597:11 February
413:10 February
242:skunk works
115:InSoft Inc.
1022:Categories
936:1996-01-15
860:1996-01-08
830:7 February
773:7 February
634:6 February
528:7 February
483:5 February
454:7 February
386:References
327:Communique
284:Communique
209:Communique
198:Pittsburgh
131:Communique
123:multimedia
108:70+ (1995)
96:InSoft ICS
86:Communique
72:Key people
1003:0199-6649
972:0887-7661
911:0199-6649
738:0887-7661
675:0199-6649
644:cite news
449:0887-7661
299:algorithm
232:featured
98:ICE suite
1068:Netscape
538:Archived
368:ICEMaker
359:CoolView
350:CoolTalk
333:Open DVE
279:Products
142:Internet
119:software
94:ICEMaker
92:CoolView
90:CoolTalk
83:Products
22:Industry
535:Alt URL
308:InSynch
167:History
40:Defunct
32:Founded
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885:: 20.
628:(PDF)
617:(PDF)
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907:ISSN
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745:2012
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713:2012
682:2012
671:ISSN
650:link
636:2012
599:2012
530:2012
517:ISBN
485:2012
456:2012
445:ISSN
415:2012
149:VoIP
147:and
121:and
48:Fate
43:1996
35:1992
303:API
214:IBM
179:in
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