Network Systems Corporation (NSC) was an early manufacturer of high-performance computer networking products. Founded in 1974, NSC produced hardware products that connected
IBM and
Control Data Corporation (CDC) mainframe computers to peripherals at remote locations. NSC also developed and commercialized the
HYPERchannel HYPERchannel, sometimes rendered Hyperchannel, was a local area networking system for mainframe computers, especially supercomputers, introduced by Network Systems Corporation in the 1970s. It ran at the then-fast speed of 50 Mbits/second, p ...
networking system and protocol standards, adopted by
Cray Research
Cray Inc., a subsidiary of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, is an American supercomputer manufacturer headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It also manufactures systems for data storage and analytics. Several Cray supercomputer systems are listed ...
,
Tektronix
Tektronix, Inc., historically widely known as Tek, is an American company best known for manufacturing test and measurement devices such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and video and mobile test protocol equipment.
Originally an independent ...
and others. In the late 1980s, NSC extended HYPERchannel to support the
TCP/IP
The Internet protocol suite, commonly known as TCP/IP, is a framework for organizing the set of communication protocols used in the Internet and similar computer networks according to functional criteria. The foundational protocols in the suit ...
networking protocol and released a product allowing HYPERchannel devices to connect to the emerging Internet.
History
The company was formed by former
Control Data Corporation employees,
James E. Thornton and Peter D. Jones in 1974. Initially based in
Saint Paul
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
,
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the List of U.S. states and territories by population, 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minne ...
the company moved to
Brooklyn Park,
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the List of U.S. states and territories by population, 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minne ...
after delivering their first high-speed networking computers to the
NSA. It merged with
Storage Technology Corporation
Storage Technology Corporation (StorageTek or STK, earlier STC) was a data storage technology company headquartered in Louisville, Colorado. New products include data retention systems, which it calls "information lifecycle management" (ILM).
It ...
on September 20, 1995.
Storage Technology Corporation
Storage Technology Corporation (StorageTek or STK, earlier STC) was a data storage technology company headquartered in Louisville, Colorado. New products include data retention systems, which it calls "information lifecycle management" (ILM).
It ...
was purchased by
Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Sun for short) was an American technology company that sold computers, computer components, software, and information technology services and created the Java programming language, the Solaris operating system, ZFS, ...
during the summer of 2005.
Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Sun for short) was an American technology company that sold computers, computer components, software, and information technology services and created the Java programming language, the Solaris operating system, ZFS, ...
was purchased by
Oracle Corporation
Oracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation headquartered in Austin, Texas. In 2020, Oracle was the third-largest software company in the world by revenue and market capitalization. The company sells da ...
on April 20, 2009.
In the late 1980s, after enjoying great success in the mainframe computer market, NSC released its first product supporting the TCP/IP protocol, allowing customers to connect their mainframe computers to their emerging TCP/IP-based corporate and research networks. The market was shifting:
* Companies like
Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Sun for short) was an American technology company that sold computers, computer components, software, and information technology services and created the Java programming language, the Solaris operating system, ZFS, ...
and
Apollo Computer had gained momentum showing the efficiency of distributed clusters of smaller workstations connected to a
local area network
A local area network (LAN) is a computer network that interconnects computers within a limited area such as a residence, school, laboratory, university campus or office building. By contrast, a wide area network (WAN) not only covers a larger ...
.
*
Internetworking
Internetworking is the practice of interconnecting multiple computer networks, such that any pair of hosts in the connected networks can exchange messages irrespective of their hardware-level networking technology. The resulting system of interc ...
companies, most notably
Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems, Inc., commonly known as Cisco, is an American-based multinational corporation, multinational digital communications technology conglomerate (company), conglomerate corporation headquartered in San Jose, California. Cisco develo ...
, entered the market with local and wide-area networking products using off-the-shelf components and custom software.
* Prices for workstations, networking infrastructure and routers plummeted.
NSC found itself in a strange position. Its HYPERchannel networking gear was being supplanted by cheaper and relatively ''plug-and-play'' LANs. In addition, the rapid evolution of routing protocols and software was not suited to their products which could neither be upgraded by the customer, nor booted from a server elsewhere on the network. In general, NSC products were maintained on-site by NSC technicians.
The company attempted to respond to market demands in 1991 by merging with Vitalink Communications Corporation, primarily a bridge manufacturer. Vitalink was well entrenched in the LAN/Network industry, however, bridges and issues with large Spanning-Tree domains were allowing the router manufacturers to gain position. Vitalink had a very good router running SPF, the predecessor to OSPF. Eventually, this nifty router proved to be too little too late. Vitalink was the "bridge company" while
Cisco
Cisco Systems, Inc., commonly known as Cisco, is an American-based multinational corporation, multinational digital communications technology conglomerate (company), conglomerate corporation headquartered in San Jose, California. Cisco develo ...
,
Wellfleet, Proteon, and others were the router companies.
In November 1993 NSC acquired the Boston-based Bytex Corp., a developer and manufacturer of WAN and LAN network switching system products including FDDI, Token Ring, and Ethernet adapters and switches.
By 1995, NSC could not adapt to changing market conditions and merged with
StorageTek.
Products
* AT10 HyperChannel Coax transceiver
* ACT10 HYPERChannel Coax transceiver
* A110 HYPERchannel Adapter for
Control Data Corporation systems
* A120 HYPERchannel Adapter for Control Data Cyber 720/730 systems
* A130 HYPERchannel Adapter for
Cray
Cray Inc., a subsidiary of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, is an American supercomputer manufacturer headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It also manufactures systems for data storage and analytics. Several Cray supercomputer systems are listed i ...
low-speed channels (LSP4).
* A140 Sperry univac adapter
* A160 Burroughs
* A161 Honeywell
* A220 HYPERchannel Adapter for IBM Block Multiplexer Channels
* A240 ICL adapter
* A300 HYPERchannel Adapter for UNISYS systems
* A400 HYPERchannel Adapter for VME-bus workstations
* A510 IBM remote device support
* A515 IBM device support (newer version of A510)
* A710 link adapter
* AC715 series link adapter (uses ACT 10)
* A720 Satellite Adapter
* DX Series HYPERchannel Adapters (2nd generation) for all types of mainframes & mini-computers (e.g. IBM, UNISYS, Stratus, Sun, Tandem, DEC, etc.)
* DXE Series HYPERchannel Adapters (3rd generation) for all types of mainframes & mini-computers (e.g. IBM, UNISYS, Stratus, Sun, Tandem, DEC, etc.)
* EN641 Internet Protocol Router: This product connected HYPERchannel devices to
Ethernet
Ethernet () is a family of wired computer networking technologies commonly used in local area networks (LAN), metropolitan area networks (MAN) and wide area networks (WAN). It was commercially introduced in 1980 and first standardized in ...
-based
TCP/IP
The Internet protocol suite, commonly known as TCP/IP, is a framework for organizing the set of communication protocols used in the Internet and similar computer networks according to functional criteria. The foundational protocols in the suit ...
networks, acting as an inter-network router. It supported simple routing protocols through the use of the public-domain ''gated'' routing
daemon
Daimon or Daemon (Ancient Greek: , "god", "godlike", "power", "fate") originally referred to a lesser deity or guiding spirit such as the daimons of ancient Greek religion and mythology and of later Hellenistic religion and philosophy.
The wo ...
and was based on an early version of
BSD Unix adapted to run as an
embedded system
An embedded system is a computer system—a combination of a computer processor, computer memory, and input/output peripheral devices—that has a dedicated function within a larger mechanical or electronic system. It is ''embedded'' ...
.
* NB130 HYPERchannel Card for connecting
Cray
Cray Inc., a subsidiary of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, is an American supercomputer manufacturer headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It also manufactures systems for data storage and analytics. Several Cray supercomputer systems are listed i ...
systems. Configurable card for DX Series HYPERchannel Adapters
* NB220 HYPERchannel Card for IBM streaming-block-multiplexers. Configurable card for DX Series HYPERchannel Adapters
* ERS - Enterprise Routing Switch (aka Nortel Passport). Today's Nortel Passport 20K/15K/7K series being the result of the IP technology devised by NSC.
* NetSentry - Software Firewall product for NSC ERS/Nortel Passport based on NSC's BCF (Bridge Control Filter) and PCF (Packet Control Filter) software products.
References
* {{cite book, author=IDG Network World Inc, title=Network World, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oxwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA16, date=14 September 1987, publisher=IDG Network World Inc, pages=16–, issn=0887-7661
Defunct computer companies of the United States
Companies based in Minneapolis