Network Computing Devices

Network Computing Devices (NCD) was a company founded in 1987 to produce a new class of products now known as a <a href="/facts/Thin_client/GtBdBho5">thin client</a>. It was founded in <a href="/facts/Mountain_View,_CA/dm29hKlV">Mountain View, CA</a>, and when it closed it was <a href="/facts/Headquarter/5rUlMcoP">headquartered</a> in <a href="/facts/Beaverton,_Oregon/SmERc4Fg">Beaverton, Oregon</a>.
The corporate founders were Mike Harrigan, Doug Klein, Dave Cornelius, Ed Basart, <a href="/facts/Martin_Eberhard/fofq4eLk">Martin Eberhard</a>, and Kevin Martin.
At that time these devices were known as <a href="/facts/Network_terminal/GtBdBho5">network terminals</a> or <a href="/facts/X_terminal/3vKnajqT">X Terminals</a>. <a href="/facts/Judith_Estrin/UGv6RSID">Judith Estrin</a> and William Carrico joined the company about 6 months after its founding as its new <a href="/facts/CEO/mg4A8y5M">CEO</a> and executive <a href="/facts/Vice_president/Vw7SgL7T">vice president</a>, and led the company through its <a href="/facts/Initial_public_offering/2NntDhrG">IPO</a> in 1992. The products were some of the earliest examples of a thin client and providing <a href="/facts/Remote_desktop_software/gJgglwht">remote access</a> to data in something other than <a href="/facts/ASCII/vGUI33Qu">ASCII</a> as was common with traditional terminals of the time.
The <a href="/facts/X_Protocol/RytfxzSg">X Protocol</a> provided a way to show high-resolution images of data and graphics over a network connection. NCD supported a range of network protocols including <a href="/facts/TCP/IP/KNkxtSpw">TCP/IP</a>, <a href="/facts/Token_Ring/mfQj6GSx">Token Ring</a>, <a href="/facts/DECnet/9wnFzPvn">DECnet</a> and others.
NCD also developed network-transparent audio system called the Network Audio System (nas) to play, record and manipulate audio over a network.

Network Computing Devices open-in-new

Network Computing Devices