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PTC Inc

PTC Inc – An American Technology Company Specializing In IoT And Augmented Reality.

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PTC Inc is a famous American software company that was founded in 1985. The main products and services of the company include the Internet of Things (IoT), Augmented Reality (AR), and collaboration software. The headquarters of the company is based in Boston, Massachusetts, US. A Russian immigrant and mathematician, Samuel P. Giesberg is the mastermind behind the foundation of PTC Inc. He worked as a software engineer at other companies before founding PTC. Today, this public multinational company has more than 6,000 employees spread across 30 countries.

The Initial Story Of PTC Inc

In May 1985, Samuel Giesberg officially launched PTC Inc and worked for developing a new CAD-CAM program. In the first few years, Samuel was looking for venture capitalists to market his new software. Initially, he was turned down by many venture capitalists but at last, he received a total fund of $4 million from Charles River Ventures and other firms. In 1988, the company launched its first product and by then half the funding money was invested. The first product of the company was the CAD-CAM program but PTC entered late in the market and was already surrounded by powerful rivals.

The CAD-CAM software technology entered the market in the 1960s and it was in the late 1980s that Samuel launched the new software. But, what he brought into the market has an added innovation in the already developed technology which left its rival surprised. For example, the CAD-CAM software in the market was able to make different changes in a 3D model but PTC’s software was able to predict the consequences of that change in the overall model. Thus, this new software became a breakthrough as it made the work of an engineer much easier. Within one year, PTC made a total sales of $11 million and a net income of more than $1.5 million.

PTC Inc
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Business Growth

After the sales started escalating in the late 1980s, the company filed its first IPO and went public. Samuel also launched different versions of the mechanical software for various operating systems. Only after two years of launching the CAD-CAM software, PTC was controlling 10 percent of this software market. By the end of 1991, the total sales of the company reached $45 million. The CAD-CAM Pro/Engineer system was such a big hit that it attracted clients of big companies who were established in the industry. In 1992, this technology was named “Technology of the Year” by IndustryWeek. PTC also made into the list of Fortune 500 in 1995 and crossed $800 million in revenue.

In 1993 PTC’s market share increased to 20 percent and it landed big clients like Ford Motor and Caterpillar Inc. By this time the company also started increasing the number of employees and the annual revenue doubled within a year. In 1998, PTC acquired Comoutervision, where Samuel was a former employee, and Windchill Technology. In the early 2000s, PTC broadened the range of products as it developed lifecycle management software for products and services. PTC made both CAD-related and other acquisitions that include Polyplan Technologies, NetRegulus, Synapsis Technology, Mathsoft, CoCreate, NC Graphics, etc. Three years ago, the company landed a major investor, Rockwell Automation. It invested $1 billion in the company and acquired an 8.4 percent ownership stake.

About The Founder

Samuel Giesberg was a maths professor who fled to the US in 1974 with his 11-year old son. After he moved to a new country, he started working as a software engineer and soon he became a prodigy at Computervision (the company he worked for). Samuel’s brother Vladimir gave him the push to start his own company and also suggested landing some investors for financing the same. Samuel had ten years of experience in designing CAD-CAM software and thus decided to leap.

TeamViwer

TeamViewer – A German start-up to make significant progress in the Internet of Things (IoT)

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The demand for IoT will not have a flat curve for any time as soon as progress in digital communication is expanding. With the advent of the internet followed by the massive revolution by digitalization, the entire idea and system of communication have transformed. Today, transferring data is the most important procedure for carrying out any kind of communication. And, that is where the concept of IoT marches in. Internet of Things (IoT) is a broad system that connects any kind of device with internet access. From a computer to a smartphone, from a smartwatch to a virtual assistant, everything is part of IoT. In a simpler word, it is a network like TeamViewer that doesn’t need human interaction to transfer signals or messages (data more precisely).

What is TeamViewer?

TeamViewer, a German-based start-up founded in 2005 has built proprietary software for carrying out tasks like remote controlling, desktop sharing, file transferring between two devices, etc. With the help of a web browser, one can have access to any equipment that is running the TeamViewer software. Tilo Rossmanith is the developer of the software.

The software is available for Chrome, iOS, Android, Windows RT, Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows, Blackberry operating systems, etc. TeamViewer provides encryption mainly based on 2048-bit RSA private/public key exchange and AES 256-bit session encryption. The software also includes two-factor authentication, enforced password reset in case of any unfamiliar activities, etc.

About Tilo Rossmanith 

Back in 2005, Tilo Rossmanith built the software for his personal purpose. But, by the end of 2019, TeamViewer was installed in more than 2 billion computers. The software received a huge response from around the world and somewhere enlightened the face of the nation. Tilo became famous after building TeamViewer and he is currently on the Board of Directors at TeamViewer GmbH.

TeamViewer and IoT

When the internet was invented it was expensive and out of reach for common people. The same rule applies to computers and smartphones as well. But, many companies are trying to manufacture smart devices that are affordable for the entire world. Eventually, the price for such fancy things has come down and today almost everybody owns a computer, a smartphone, etc. For example, you can find a desktop in supermarkets for the ease of billing more efficiently. This contributes to IoT and with such progress, the demand for TeamViewer increased significantly.

By the end of 2017, out of the billions of IoT devices around 37 million were connected through the network of TeamViewer. It was in 2010 that TeamViewer stepped out of Germany and went international with subsidiaries in Australia and the U.S. In 2015, Permira invested around $1 billion in the company, and eventually, it became a part of the uniform club. There are very few companies in Germany whose total worth exceeds a billion.

TeamViewer’s software is also used in space especially by the Space Station medical team. The communication is encrypted between the linked devices and ensures safety. The company says that ensuring security is the most important purpose of the company which also provides real-time status alerts, early insights, etc. Apart from remote operations, the software also provides remote assistance to solve an issue without the need for a technician. And, remote alarming helps the clients receive alert notifications given that one sets up predefined conditions.

Other products and solutions of TeamViewer

The remote support provided by TeamViewer is enhanced with augmented reality called TeamViewer Pilot. The product helps the customers to fix bugs beyond the screen at the right time. You can contact any TeamViewer expert with the help of TeamViewer Pilot and show the problem with the help of your camera.

Another great product of the company is TeamViewer Tensor which is of great advantage for big enterprises. It helps to connect more than 2 billion devices globally around the globe and provide real-time support. It is a cloud-based connectivity platform that has remote access and device control SaaS solutions. Apart from these it also provides a platform for online meetings, support for mobile devices, etc.

TeamViewer in response to the COVID-19 pandemic

Since the service and product of TeamViewer both ensure fast connectivity and security, the demand for its products escalated amongst the pandemic. In February 2020, when the pandemic started spreading its root, the demand especially increased in China. The company expects that the profit would increase by a third at the end of this year.

Dan Shaw

Dan Shaw: Godfather Of Node.Js Who Empowers Production-Ready Node.Js Applications Through Nodesource

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All know that IoT, AI, websites, and many other network applications are the future of the digital world. But these all applications demand a faster network for its better functionality. However, Node.js is the perfect platform to build faster and scalable web applications. Therefore, many leading companies use Node.js to power their websites and network applications. NodeSource is a well-known Node.js company. Presently, it is assisting many organizations to design Node.js applications to stand out in the modern digital era. Dan Shaw founded it back in 2014 to empower production-ready Node.js applications. 

NodeSource

NodeSource is an IT company having headquarters in San Francisco, CA. Currently, it is helping numerous leading companies to build Node.js applications. Also, it provides services and products to design and manage critical applications. For these services, Nodesource uses Node.js that has long-term technology plans, any company needed. In fact, the company has acquired customers like Mastercard, PayPal, Intel, Uber, NASA and many more.

It was established in 2014 by a young entrepreneur Dan Shaw.

Dan Shaw

He is best known for his contribution to the foundation of Node.js. Also, he served as an Executive director and secretary for Node.js foundation board of directors. In fact, he has been referred to as “Godfather of Node.js”. Because Dan Shaw worked very hard to build the Node.js community. In addition, he established the NodeSource to take this work further and introduced the power of Node.js to the world. 

Education

He completed his graduation in computer science from West Virginia University in 2006. During his degree, he was awarded for the best presentation in advanced project management. It was for a presentation on “Complex Adaptive Systems in Systems Engineering.” After that, he completed an MS in software engineering from the same university in 2008.

Career

In 2014, he co-founded NodeSource, a first commercial entity to productize Node.js. However, Dan is best known for founding several Node.js start-ups. Includes, Storify, Voxer, and Spreecast. Also, he established the first Node.js consulting company called ‘The Node Firm’. Dan also served at PayPal as a Global Head of Developer relations. Apart from that, he is a speaker at JavaScript, Node.js, and Realtime conferences. In fact, prior to Node, he worked in several important government contracts for Defense, Education, and Health Care.

Dan is also the host of the NodeUp podcast and organizes many events to improve and flourish the Node Community. For example, NodeBots day, NodeBots SF meetup and many such events. He also referred to as a “Voice of Node.js” for his long-time service as a NodeUp podcast host.

Dan Shaw’s contributions

Dan Shaw is expertise in building large-scale and real-time systems using Node.js. In fact, he is in the business of building production services using Node since v0.2. NodeSource is a result of his immense efforts to build and grow the Node.js applications. He also served as CTO at NodeSource. Presently, the company is dedicated to establishing a sustainable Node.js ecosystem. His contribution to building the node community is noticeable that made him “Godfather of Node.js”.

NodeSource- Empowering Node.js applications

Presently, the company provides a platform to design and maintain Node.js applications. These application runtimes are the fastest-growing open source project worldwide. In fact, about 500 organizations use Node.js applications for their multiple network applications.

In the digital era, any organizations need technology plans that are long-term and adaptable to future technologies. NodeSource is the first commercial entity that productizes Node.js. However, Node.js can power the many such networking applications that come with long-term technology plans. Also, it improves the performance and security of the applications. Thus, NodeSource assisting many organizations to empower Node.js based applications. Indirectly, helping to stand out in this digital world.

IoT

Bridging the Gap- Success Story of IoT

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The Internet of Things has brought the world together and finds large-scale application in several fields. Healthcare, agriculture, energy development, transportation and the communication sector have all improved thanks to IoT. But how did this revolutionary technology come to be? Here’s a look at everything you need to know about IoT and how it became such a huge success.

What is the Internet of Things?

British industrialist Kevin Ashton came up with the term Internet of Things in 1999. It essentially refers to a global network of devices, smart sensors, buildings and vehicles which connect via networking and electronics. These devices work together and collect data, transfers it and analyses it to learn from it. Everything from complicated cardiac sensors which monitor heart rates, to automatic lights which turn off when not in use come under this category.

About the Founder

Kevin Ashton was born in Birmingham in 1968. He studied Scandinavian Studies at the University College London and after graduating in 1994, joined Procter & Gamble in 1997. He later founded the Auto-ID Center with Sanjay Sarma, Sunny Siu and David Brock. The centre grew under their leadership and even brought in over 100 sponsors.

Once the research was completed, MIT licensed it to GS1. Ashton then found start-ups like ThingMagic, EnerNOC and Zensi, which was acquired by Belkin International in April 2010. He later worked on the Belkin Wemo system and constantly writes for the Medium and Quartz.

Coining the term Internet of Things

The term Internet of Things or IoT came to be when Kevin was making a PowerPoint presentation in the 1990s. He did so to convince a senior manager at Procter & Gamble, that the company should invest in RFID tags. While people at that time knew that the internet was big, they were unaware of its applications.

Hence, Kevin felt that having the word Internet in his presentation could help interest people. He hastily coined the presentation the Internet of Things as they wanted to monitor objects. Somehow, the gamble worked, and soon enough IoT became a popular phrase within the industry.

Building IoT

Kevin was bored with the term ‘smart packaging,’ by then. He explained to his colleges how this idea would work as a Network of Things. The internet was in many ways a Network of Bits. Put the two together, and voila, you get the Internet of Things or IoT. At the time he presented the name, there were no fireworks or large celebrations.

It wasn’t an instant success, but the name stuck. It was Gillette which decided to fund his research at MIT. Ashton relocated to Massachusetts and co-founded the Auto-ID Center; a research lab that laid the foundation of IoT.

Growth of IoT

Between 1999 and 2005, it wasn’t a popular term as the idea was very new. But in 2008, the phrase sprung to life due to developments in the field. An instance that helped was the exponential growth of Twitter. By 2008, Twitter had grown by about 750% and had reached 5 million users. The acronym IoT became viral, and the #IoT became a popular Twitter hashtag. Today, the Internet of Things is a part of our language and is one of the topmost business growth drivers within the industry.


Since then, concepts like Device to Device (D2D), the Electronic Product Code (EPC) and Enterprise IoT have taken over the world of technology. Studies predict that by 2020, there will be over 50 billion connected devices around the world. While the definition of the Internet of Things has changed along the way, Kevin Ashton’s vision made all this possible. Hence, he was referred to as the Father of IoT.

Are we Using the Term Right?

Kevin notes that the number of people using it, knowing what it truly means is few. People tend to misplace their true meaning and use it to refer to anything that is connected to their phones. In essence, IoT refers to sensors and devices that gather and transfer information about the real world through the internet. An easy example to understand what IoT means is that of your smartphone.

It has over ten sensors built into it, and they all connect to the network or internet in some way. You can do so many different things with your phone, including clicking pictures and navigating. That is the true essence of the Internet of Things.

Twenty years ago, when Kevin Ashton sat in Procter & Gamble’s R&D centre in Surrey, he never knew he was going to change the world. The 30-year-old computer scientist just wanted to get the company to use RFID tags to monitor their products. But since then, the term and the technology has come a long way, and none of it would have been possible if not for Kevin.

Fleet Space

Flavia Tata Nardini : Fleet Space Founder and a Pioneer in the Emerging Australian Space Industry

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Today, everything is about connections; not the human connection, but the connection of humans through the internet. The Internet has transformed the world in less than the world had in the past 20 centuries. People just need their smartphone, and they can accomplish most of their daily routine work in a few swipes. Despite such advancement in human life, an aerospace engineer from Australia, Flavia Tata Nardini, does not want to stop here. She wants to create a network in the space, such that there will be no earthly object without an internet connection. Whether it is the students in the classroom or the tree in the forest, everything connected. The founder of Fleet Space Technologies has been developing satellites since she was a teen, and now, she is entirely focussing on the space as well as connecting the IoT devices.

Early Life and Career

Nardini was born into an engineer’s family in Rome, Italy. With a dream of becoming an astronaut, she completed a bachelor degree in aerospace engineering from University La Sapienza, Rome. She then completed a master’s degree in space engineering from the same university. In her late teens, she bagged an internship job at European Space Agency in The Netherlands, where she worked on the rocket propulsion technology.

In July 2009, she joined another company named TNO in The Netherlands, where she worked in various roles for four years, including propulsion design and test engineer as well as a product manager. Later, she even moved to Qatar to work with another space agency, where she sent nanosatellites to space.

Flavia Nardini founder Fleet Space
Image Source: amazon.com

Later, she moved to Adelaide, South Australia, to live with her partner (now husband) in 2014. Qualified with a lot of experience in space activities, it became tough for Nardini to find a job, as there was only one space startup back then. And having kids, she could not work in the defence, either. So, along with one of her future Fleet Space partner, Matt Pearson, she founded an educational startup named Launchbox. Under this startup, the two of the co-founders started teaching little kids about space and nanosatellites. Under the program, they even built CubeSat satellite using 3D printed components and launched them to the stratosphere.

Founding Fleet Space

While working for Launchbox, the two of the co-founders realised that they could also build a new space startup for connecting the IoT devices. Since no space agencies were working in Australia, founding one seemed a good idea to them. Hence in 2015, they, along with another aerospace engineer, Dr Matthew Tetlow, co-founded Fleet Space.

Fleet Space aims to create a network of nanosatellites around the earth, such that it can provide internet access to every person on earth for cheaper prices. The increase in the interconnection through the internet will make every single task accessible through a smartphone. For now, the company target is to connect 7.5 billion IoT devices on earth with the help of nanosatellites by 2020.

Partnerships and Fundings

Fleet Space has got the Australian as well the US government on board for the development process. Private companies like SpaceX has also partnered with the company to fulfil the goal. The French space agency CNES has also taken an initiative to help Fleet Space get the financial backing, and will be tracking and supporting the satellites built by Fleet Space. The company raised a $5m in Series A capital from Blackbird Ventures and Atlassian.

At the time Nardini founded the company, there was only one space startup in Australia. But with the success of Fleet Space, other budding entrepreneurs have also stepped into the same technology, and there are over 260 new startups that are working in the field of space research. In fact, the Australian government also announced in 2017 that it will be building the national space agency for Australia.

In September 2019, the company raised $7.35 million in the Series B funding led by Momenta Ventures and Horizons Ventures. Till now, Fleet has placed four CubeSat-class satellites in orbit and plans to send more satellites to the space to fulfil the demands.

Nardini’s love for space and satellites proves that the sky is the limit for her. She is an inspiring woman and a true example of women empowerment.