PlaceWare

PlaceWare emerged in 1996 as a spin-off from the renowned Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), founded by a trio of Xerox engineers: Pavel Curtis, Mike Dixon, and David Nichols. This origin story is significant as it positioned PlaceWare at the forefront of web-based communication, leveraging technology developed and tested within one of the world's most respected research institutions. The company was a pioneer in the web conferencing software market, a sector it helped to define in the late 1990s.

The firm's core business was providing a robust platform for real-time, interactive presentations and meetings over the Internet. Its business model centered on offering these web conferencing services to an enterprise client base. By early 2003, PlaceWare had attracted over 3,100 organizations, including major corporations like Hewlett-Packard, Intel, and Sun Microsystems, who utilized the service for everything from large-scale virtual meetings with thousands of participants to smaller, collaborative sessions and e-learning. Revenue was generated by enabling companies to conduct thousands of simultaneous meetings using only standard web browsers and telephones, a significant value proposition at the time.

PlaceWare's flagship product, PlaceWare Auditorium, launched in March 1997. The platform was distinguished by its scalable and security-enhanced browser-based architecture, which eliminated the need for complex software installations for attendees. This architecture was a key differentiator, offering reliable performance for a wide range of online collaborations. The service allowed presenters to upload standard presentation files and conduct meetings interactively, a foundational feature of modern web conferencing. The company's trajectory culminated in its acquisition by Microsoft in April 2003, after which it became a wholly-owned subsidiary. This event marked a major milestone, with PlaceWare's core product being integrated into Microsoft's offerings and eventually renamed Microsoft Office Live Meeting.

Keywords: web conferencing, real-time collaboration, Xerox PARC spin-off, online meetings, enterprise software, virtual presentations, PlaceWare Auditorium, Microsoft acquisition, Live Meeting, Pavel Curtis, interactive meetings, e-learning platform, browser-based software, remote communication, digital presentation, corporate communication tools, software as a service, enterprise collaboration, virtual events