ClearCenter

ClearCenter is a technology company headquartered in New Zealand, with primary product offices in Orem, Utah, and additional marketing, customer-support, research and development activities in several countries. Its business is focused on software and related hybrid products for managed service providers and the emerging category of hybrid service providers. Rather than operating primarily as a consumer software brand, ClearCenter is positioned around infrastructure, network management, cloud-connected services, and tools that service providers can deploy and manage for business customers. The company was founded in 2009 by Michael Proper. Proper had previously founded DirectPointe in 2000, an enterprise that helped develop the managed service provider sector. DirectPointe was ranked first in a global top-100 managed service provider listing in both 2007 and 2008. ClearCenter therefore emerged from experience in the operational and commercial requirements of outsourced information-technology services, rather than from a purely software-development background. A significant part of ClearCenter's product strategy is built around open-source software. Many of its offerings provide a community version that is free to use, while commercial or professional options add paid services and support. ClearCenter products are closely associated with ClearOS, an operating system derived from the Red Hat Enterprise Linux and CentOS ecosystem. ClearOS is intended to provide a manageable platform for servers, networks, gateways, and other small-business or service-provider deployments. The ClearOS Community offering is managed and licensed by ClearFoundation, while ClearOS Professional is a paid edition made available through specified ClearCenter partners. ClearCenter's product portfolio also includes WebConfig and ClearSDN. These products expose application programming interfaces for developers, supporting integration and automation within service-provider environments. The company's broader model combines software, cloud and network-management capabilities, and partner-oriented service delivery. This hybrid approach is designed for organizations that need to combine local infrastructure with centrally managed or cloud-based services. ClearOS originated earlier under the ClarkConnect name. It was renamed ClearOS in 2009, with the ClearOS 5.1 release dated October 6 of that year. The transition connected the operating-system project to the ClearCenter and ClearFoundation ecosystem and established the name used for subsequent community and professional editions. ClearCenter has also expanded through acquisition. The company acquired Witsbits in 2015, adding to its capabilities and product portfolio in the infrastructure-management field. Public reference material describes ClearCenter as serving customers in more than 150 countries, with an international footprint spanning North America, Europe, Asia, and other markets. Detailed current ownership, financial information, leadership rosters, and a current corporate website are not established in the supplied reference material.

ClearCenter was established in 2009 by Michael Proper. Its formation followed Proper's earlier work in the managed service provider industry through DirectPointe, a company he founded in 2000. DirectPointe contributed to the development and growth of the MSP sector and was ranked first in a global top-100 managed service provider listing in 2007 and 2008. ClearCenter carried this service-provider orientation into a technology business focused on hybrid products for organizations that deliver managed infrastructure and related services to customers. The company's operating structure has been international from the outset of the available public description. ClearCenter is headquartered in New Zealand and maintains primary product offices in Orem, Utah. Its marketing, support, research, and development functions have also been associated with Canada, Taiwan, China, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and India. The company is described as having customers in more than 150 countries, although the supplied reference does not provide a dated customer breakdown or financial disclosure. ClearCenter's central technology relationship is with ClearOS, an open-source Linux distribution based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux and CentOS. The project began in 2002 under the ClarkConnect name. In 2009, it was renamed ClearOS, and version 5.1 was released under that name on October 6. ClearOS subsequently became available in Community and Professional forms. The Community edition consists of free and open-source software and is licensed and managed by ClearFoundation. The Professional edition is a paid offering distributed through specified ClearCenter partners and includes a commercial service model. The ClearOS ecosystem illustrates ClearCenter's hybrid approach: open-source software provides a community-accessible foundation, while professional editions, partner arrangements, support, and managed capabilities provide routes to commercial deployment. ClearCenter also developed WebConfig and ClearSDN. Both are described as having fully developed APIs that developers can use, enabling integrations and automation for service-provider environments. These products support the company's focus on systems that can be deployed across local, hosted, and networked infrastructure. In 2015, ClearCenter acquired Witsbits. The transaction was part of the company's effort to broaden its infrastructure-management capabilities, though the supplied reference does not state the transaction value, terms, or subsequent organizational structure. ClearCenter's public profile is therefore best understood as that of a specialized infrastructure-software and service-provider technology company rather than a mass-market consumer brand. Current ownership, detailed executive succession, financial performance, and the present release status of individual products are not specified in the available reference material.

• 2015

  Witsbits acquisition

  [1]ClearCenteren.wikipedia.org

  ClearCenter acquired Witsbits, expanding its infrastructure and service-provider technology portfolio.

• 2009

  ClearCenter is founded

  [1]ClearCenteren.wikipedia.org

  Michael Proper founded ClearCenter as a technology company serving managed and hybrid service providers.

• 2009

  ClarkConnect becomes ClearOS

  [1]ClearCenteren.wikipedia.org

  The operating-system project adopted the ClearOS name with version 5.1, released on October 6.

• 2008

  DirectPointe repeats top MSP ranking

  [1]ClearCenteren.wikipedia.org

  DirectPointe was again ranked first in the referenced global managed service provider listing.

• 2007

  DirectPointe receives top MSP ranking

  [1]ClearCenteren.wikipedia.org

  DirectPointe was ranked first in a global top-100 managed service provider listing.

• 2002

  ClarkConnect launches

  [1]ClearCenteren.wikipedia.org

  The Linux-based software project that later became ClearOS launched under the ClarkConnect name.

• 2000

  DirectPointe is founded

  [1]ClearCenteren.wikipedia.org

  Michael Proper founded DirectPointe, an earlier company associated with the development and growth of the managed service provider sector.

A partner-oriented provider of open-source and commercial infrastructure software for managed service providers and hybrid service providers, emphasizing deployable, centrally manageable products with community and professional editions.

• Linux operating system and server platform · 2002

  ClearOS

  ClearOS is a Linux distribution based on the Red Hat Enterprise Linux and CentOS ecosystem. It is designed for server, gateway, network, and small-business infrastructure deployments. The platform is offered in a Community edition consisting of free and open-source software and a paid Professional edition distributed through specified ClearCenter partners. The project began in 2002 as ClarkConnect and adopted the ClearOS name in 2009 with version 5.1.

• Web-based configuration and management software

  ClearCenter WebConfig

  WebConfig is a ClearCenter management product associated with configuration and administration of infrastructure software. Its fully developed API is described as open for developer use, allowing service providers and other integrators to connect the management layer with their own tools and workflows.

• Software-defined networking

  ClearSDN

  ClearSDN is ClearCenter's software-defined networking offering. It is intended for networked service-provider environments and is described as exposing a fully developed API for developer integration. The available reference does not specify its release date, current edition structure, or detailed technical feature set.

• 2015

  Acquisition of WitsbitsM&A

  Background

  ClearCenter sought to expand its infrastructure and service-provider technology capabilities.

  Action taken

  ClearCenter acquired Witsbits.

  Aftermath

  The acquisition broadened the company's portfolio, although the available reference does not provide further integration or financial details.

  Source

• 2009

  Adoption of the ClearOS brandStrategy

  Background

  The Linux distribution previously known as ClarkConnect was being aligned with the ClearCenter and ClearFoundation ecosystem.

  Action taken

  The project was renamed ClearOS and version 5.1 was released under the new name on October 6, 2009.

  Aftermath

  ClearOS became the principal operating-system identity associated with the company's open-source and professional software model.

  Source

1. 1ClearCenteren.wikipedia.org