UK Lab Responsible for VNC To Close 166
NexUK writes "Guardian Online has an article about the imminent closure of the UK based AT&T lab , the place that brought us VNC, the popular desktop remote control system. The article talks about a nice "Toys" budget where the employees could buy gadgets without prior authorization." AT&T Strikes again, I'm surprised they haven't bought PARC and closed it down too.
So what happens to VNC? (Score:4, Informative)
This is what breeds true innovation... (Score:4, Informative)
It was known colloquially as the 'toys budget' and it was, no doubt, sometimes used for frivolous purchases. But in the main it was not. And it meant that the lab's researchers always had the latest gizmos - and the freedom to take them apart and see how they worked.
My first thoughts were how on earth could management implement and afford a policy like this. But in the end, I thought true innovation requires liberal policies such as these.
The dotCOM era was full of excess, perhaps too much so, but this is proof that there are still companies out there striving to be the best.
Re:what about omniORB?!?!?!?!?!? (Score:3, Informative)
AT&T Laboratories Cambridge will close on 24 April. Some time before
that, the majority of the www.uk.research.att.com web site, including
the omniORB bits, will move to a new home at the LCE, part of
Cambridge University. Links to omniORB's web pages will continue to
work. The FTP site and the mailing lists will move too.
I have a mirror of VNC up (Score:3, Informative)
http://free.house.cx/~adam/vnc
Olivetti was the creator. and its not dead anyway. (Score:4, Informative)
Thats why groupls like tightVNC ( gpl ) or TridiaVNC ( commercial ) came about.. and will continue it far into the future..
Its not going anywhere.. do some homework people.
Still sad, though anyone could see it coming...
Re:This is what breeds true innovation... (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Holy shit. . . . (Score:3, Informative)
You forget that stock value is just one barometer of measuring a company's strength. AT&T's stock is among the most widely held in America, with 3.545 BILLION shares outstanding as of 01 April 2002.
According to this [netscape.com], AT&T employs 117,800 people, has massive properties (dialup, broadband, long distance
Lastly, you get delisted from the NASDAQ or NYSE if your stock hovers below $1.00 for a while. AT&T currently trades at $13.75.
Re:TightVNC is Good Version (Score:2, Informative)
The future of VNC (Score:2, Informative)
Now for the good news - VNC lives on!
First, the current version of VNC will continue to be available at the original web address, which will soon be re-hosted at Cambridge University where AT&T continues to sponsor research.
Second, the creators of VNC are planning a venture to independently support and develop VNC as an ongoing open source project. You haven't heard much from us recently because we've been busy with other projects such as the Broadband Phone [att.com], but now that we have the opportunity :) we're back on the case.
Watch the VNC website, the mailing list, or slashdot for an announcement "real soon"
The VNC Team