ON Technology

ON Technology was a software company headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, founded in 1987 by Mitch Kapor after his departure from Lotus Development Corporation, where he had created Lotus 1-2-3. The company initially pursued an ambitious personal-computing vision: an object-oriented desktop environment that would integrate multiple applications into a coherent PC workspace. Rather than remaining focused solely on that original platform concept, ON Technology evolved through mergers, acquisitions, product divestitures, and changes in market strategy. During the early 1990s, ON Technology was acquired by Notework Corporation, a provider of LAN email systems. Notework’s management assumed control of the combined business, but the ON Technology name was retained. The resulting company broadened its portfolio by adding a range of communications, security, internet-monitoring, firewall, and systems-management technologies. Its products included DaVinci, a message-handling and email system; antivirus technology; tools for monitoring corporate internet usage; an IP firewall; MeetingMaker calendaring software; and ON Command CCM, a platform for managing desktop computers in enterprise environments. ON Technology became a public company in 1995. The capital raised through its offering helped finance additional product acquisitions and supported the company’s expansion in a crowded software market. Its commercial model also differed from that of many enterprise-software competitors. ON Technology used 30-day free trials and telesales to reach small and medium-sized businesses, combining relatively low-friction product evaluation with direct sales outreach. In 1998, ON Technology reorganized its portfolio and market focus. It sold its small and medium-sized business product range to Elron Software and concentrated more heavily on enterprise customers. Following the restructuring, MeetingMaker and ON Command CCM were among the principal assets retained. MeetingMaker was later divested in a private transaction and subsequently became associated with PeopleCube. The company’s remaining central asset was CCM, its enterprise desktop configuration and change-management software. Symantec acquired ON Technology on 27 October 2003. The transaction was intended to extend Symantec’s desktop systems-management capabilities. After the acquisition, ON Technology ceased to operate as an independent company and became part of Symantec’s broader software portfolio. Because the company no longer trades independently, its former public-company status and ticker are not provided here.

ON Technology was established in 1987 by Mitch Kapor, who had previously founded Lotus Development Corporation and created Lotus 1-2-3. Its original purpose was to develop an object-oriented desktop environment for personal computers. The proposed environment was intended to provide an integrated setting for multiple applications rather than treating each program as an isolated product. The company’s subsequent development was shaped by a change in ownership and a broadening of its software portfolio. In the early 1990s, Notework Corporation, a supplier of LAN email systems, acquired ON Technology. Notework’s management took control of the combined business while retaining the ON Technology name. Under this structure, the company expanded beyond its original desktop-environment ambitions. Through acquisitions and product development, it added email and message-handling software, antivirus capabilities, corporate internet-usage monitoring, an IP firewall, calendaring software, and desktop systems-management tools. ON Technology entered the public markets in 1995. The funds associated with the offering supported further acquisitions and product expansion. The company also developed a distinctive sales approach for software aimed at smaller organizations: customers could use a 30-day free trial, while telesales representatives pursued small and medium-sized businesses. This approach gave potential customers an opportunity to evaluate the software before purchase and helped ON Technology compete in a market that included larger software vendors. A major strategic shift occurred in 1998, when ON Technology restructured its business. It sold its product range for small and medium-sized businesses to Elron Software and redirected its attention toward enterprise customers. The company retained MeetingMaker, a calendaring product, and ON Command CCM, a platform for managing enterprise desktop configurations and changes. MeetingMaker was later sold in a private transaction and subsequently passed to PeopleCube. As divestitures narrowed the portfolio, ON Command CCM became the company’s principal remaining asset and the basis for its enterprise-systems-management identity. Symantec acquired ON Technology on 27 October 2003. Symantec’s stated strategic interest was in extending its desktop systems-management capabilities. The acquisition ended ON Technology’s life as an independent public software company. Its history illustrates the transition of a technology venture from an integrated PC-environment concept into a portfolio software business, followed by concentration on enterprise management tools and eventual absorption by a larger security and systems-management vendor.

• 2003

  Acquisition by Symantec

  [1]ON Technologyen.wikipedia.org

  Symantec completed its acquisition of ON Technology on 27 October 2003 to extend its desktop systems-management capabilities.

• 1998

  Enterprise-focused restructuring

  [1]ON Technologyen.wikipedia.org

  The company sold its small and medium-sized business product range to Elron Software and refocused on enterprise customers, retaining MeetingMaker and ON Command CCM.

• 1995

  Initial public offering

  [1]ON Technologyen.wikipedia.org

  ON Technology became a public company and used the resulting capital to support additional product acquisitions and expansion.

• 1990

  Acquisition by Notework Corporation

  [1]ON Technologyen.wikipedia.org

  Notework Corporation acquired ON Technology in the early 1990s. Although Notework management controlled the combined company, the ON Technology name continued to be used.

• 1987

  ON Technology is founded

  [1]ON Technologyen.wikipedia.org

  Mitch Kapor founded ON Technology after leaving Lotus Development Corporation. The company initially sought to create an object-oriented, integrated desktop environment for personal computers.

ON Technology evolved from an ambitious PC desktop-environment developer into a diversified business-software vendor and ultimately an enterprise desktop-systems-management specialist. Its later positioning emphasized tools for controlling, configuring, securing, and managing distributed corporate computer environments.

• Enterprise desktop systems management

  ON Command CCM

  ON Command CCM was ON Technology’s principal later-stage enterprise offering. It provided capabilities for managing desktop computer configurations and changes across organizational environments. After the company divested much of its earlier small-business portfolio, CCM became the central remaining asset and the main reason the business was attractive to Symantec.

• Calendaring and meeting scheduling

  MeetingMaker

  MeetingMaker was ON Technology’s calendaring product and one of the offerings retained during the company’s 1998 enterprise-oriented restructuring. It was later divested through a private transaction and subsequently became associated with PeopleCube.

• Email and message handling

  DaVinci

  DaVinci was a message-handling system and email product added as ON Technology broadened its portfolio following the Notework transaction. It represented the company’s expansion from desktop-environment software into business communications applications.

• Integrated PC desktop software

  ON Technology desktop environment

  The company’s initial product direction centered on an object-oriented desktop environment for personal computers. The proposed environment was intended to integrate applications within a unified workspace, although the available reference material does not establish a broadly commercialized final product under a separate named brand.

• Security software

  Security and network-management products

  During its portfolio-expansion period, ON Technology added antivirus technology, corporate internet-usage monitoring, and an IP firewall. These offerings extended the company into workplace security and network-control functions, though the available reference does not provide complete product names or individual launch histories.

• 2003

  Symantec acquisitionM&A

  Background

  Symantec sought to extend its desktop systems-management capabilities, while ON Technology had become focused on enterprise desktop configuration and change management.

  Action taken

  Symantec acquired ON Technology on 27 October 2003.

  Aftermath

  ON Technology ceased to operate as an independent company and its technology became part of Symantec’s software portfolio.

  Source

• 1998

  Refocus on enterprise customersStrategy

  Background

  ON Technology had maintained a broad portfolio serving smaller businesses as well as enterprise users. The company reorganized its operations and sold its small and medium-sized business product range to Elron Software.

  Action taken

  The company concentrated its remaining business on enterprise software, retaining MeetingMaker and ON Command CCM as key products.

  Aftermath

  MeetingMaker was later divested, leaving ON Command CCM as the company’s principal remaining asset and enterprise systems-management offering.

  Source

1. 1ON Technologyen.wikipedia.org