Xerox is parting company with its Palo Alto Research Centre, the operation which delivered desktop publishing to the world and helped kick off the print revolution that is still ongoing.
The unit developed the mouse, point and click action and Wysiwyg interface that is now ubiquitous in computing. Prior to this, computer interfaces were about command lines and mark up code.
It was inspiration from Parc that led Steve Jobs to develop the first Apple Mac interface and to John Warnock and Chuck Geschke starting Adobe and developing Postscript after leaving jobs at Parc.
The operation also developed Ethernet as the groundwork for networked computing and with the introduction of the Xerox Docutech, to networked printing.
Now Xerox is donating the research institute to SRI International, itself a non profit research institute that specialises in the kind of deep level advancements and blue sky research that Parc has been renowned for.
The donation of Parc will open doors of opportunity for both organisations says a company statement. And Xerox CEO Steve Bandrowczak adds: “This decision allows both Xerox and Parc to focus on delivering innovations and solutions that align with their own strengths and capabilities. With this arrangement, Parc’s deep tech innovations will be sustained by SRI while allowing Xerox to simplify and optimise its operations and focus solutions on the continued evolution of hybrid work.”
The ties are not being cut completely. Xerox will enter a preferred research agreement with the newly independent entity called the Technology Exploration and Innovation Program which will identify and develop products and services to the proof of concept stage with roadmaps to implementation.
There will also be space at Parc, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1970, for Xerox to host meetings, conferences and demonstrations in an innovation hub at the site.
Parc which has been an independent subsidiary of Xerox since 2002 currently employs 150 researchers and scientists.
