[comp.sys.xerox] Xerox Announces Spin-Off of Artificial Intelligence Systems Business

Masinter.pa@XEROX.COM (09/04/88)

I thought the following announcement would be of interest to those of you who
hadn't already heard it:

XEROX ANNOUNCES SPIN-OFF OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SYSTEMS BUSINESS

Xerox has announced that its Xerox Artificial Intelligence Systems Business Unit
has become an independent, employee-owned company.  The new company is called
Envos Corporation.  Its charter is to develop and market sophisticated software
development tools that will help engineers design and deliver complex software
applications.  Envos will market advanced applications for industrial and
business environments and will act as a consultant to software engineering
departments. The new company also will continue to sell and support  Xerox 1186
artificial intelligence workstations.

Xerox has transferred to Envos all support and maintenance responsibilities for
current Xerox Lisp-based AI software.  Customer support services include field
analysts, hotline telephone support, and training.

Envos, which has its headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., is majority-owned by
its employees, most of whom came directly from the Xerox AI organization.  Xerox
and Rank Xerox each owns a minority interest in the new company.

The new company has a two-year renewable agreement with the Xerox Palo Alto
Research Center (PARC).  This agreement allows Envos to incorporate PARC's
advanced programming technologies into Envos products.

Because of the start Xerox has provided to Envos, the new company begins
operations with a full line of products, an existing customer base and a
worldwide distribution channel--Fuji Xerox Company Limited in the Pacific Rim
and Rank Xerox in Europe, both of which are experienced in selling and
supporting Xerox AI products.  A direct sales force supported by a team of field
analysts will cover the United States market.

Envos Chief Executive Officer Roger G. McKee said his company will support
current Xerox AI customers and provide them with a broad range of compatible
products to secure and enhance the value of their current Xerox software and
hardware investments.  "With the agility of a start-up and access to PARC's
world-famous storehouse of ideas, we are making our debut with formidable
capabilities," said McKee.  "Not only can we respond quickly to customer needs,
we can exploit market opportunities without making major investments in
research."
	
"While Xerox will continue to incorporate appropriate artificial intelligence
technologies in virtually all of its product lines, we will rely on Envos for
the commercialization and marketing of the continuing AI research under way at
PARC," said John C. Shoemaker, Vice President and General Manager, Xerox
Document Systems Business Unit, the organization that formerly handled Xerox
artificial intelligence products. "We feel that the formation of Envos will
allow Envos customers, including Xerox, more expeditious commercialization of
products and applications."

Envos customers include U.S. corporations, government agencies and leading
research institutions.  Envos also has begun to establish consulting
relationships with many of these organizations.

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Some addenda (Expect some further detailed announcements):

a) Envos has a new location! Their new address is 
	1157 San Antonio Road
	Mountain View, California 94043

The main switchboard is (415) 966-6200. All operations (including those formerly
located in Palo Alto, Pasadena, and Sunnyvale) have consolodated in one
location.

The hotline & at least some other phone numbers forward to the new Envos
numbers.

b) No electronic mail changes. Envos has full network access thru the Xerox
network. As far as I know, no electronic mail addresses (support, individuals)
have changed. (There may be some changes later, but they'll be announced.)

c) New products!   The Medley release runs on Sun workstations (Sun3 & Sun4) as
well as on Xerox 1108, 1186. Loops is available for Medley. Rooms, a new
windowing management system, is a new product. These were demo'd at AAAI last
week.