PowerCloud Systems

PowerCloud Systems was a cloud-networking company based in Palo Alto, California, focused on moving Wi-Fi administration from dedicated on-site controllers into cloud software. The company served communications service providers, networking-equipment manufacturers, businesses, managed service providers, and consumers. Its products combined wireless access points with browser-based management, allowing networks to be configured, monitored, secured, and segmented remotely. The company originated within Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center (PARC). It was incorporated in 2009 and separated from PARC as an independent venture in 2010, with early backing from Walden Venture Capital and Javelin Ventures. Jeff Abramowitz, a veteran of the Wi-Fi and wireless-chipset industries, founded the company and served as president and chief executive. Andrea Peiro was a co-founder and held technology and product leadership responsibilities. PowerCloud's initial commercial proposition was CloudCommand, an online software platform that equipment vendors and communications providers could white-label and use as the operating layer for their own managed Wi-Fi offerings. The platform supported cloud provisioning and management of wireless access points without requiring a conventional wireless LAN controller at each customer site. That architecture was intended to reduce deployment complexity and support distributed environments such as hotels, restaurants, schools, conference venues, shopping centers, assisted-living facilities, and multi-dwelling properties. D-Link became the first major equipment manufacturer to launch a product based on CloudCommand in January 2011. Zyxel followed with a product announcement in May and a commercial launch later that year. In December 2011, PowerCloud announced a $6 million Series B financing round led by Qualcomm Ventures, with participation from Walden Venture Capital, Javelin Ventures, and PARC. PowerCloud later extended its technology into the consumer market. In April 2013 it introduced Skydog, a combination of an 802.11n Wi-Fi router, cloud service, and HTML5 application. Skydog gave households visibility into connected devices and enabled users to manage bandwidth, activity, users, applications, and parental controls. The product was initially funded through Kickstarter and reached more than 1,000 backers. PowerCloud began shipping to those backers in September 2013 and offered the product to the general public the following month. A later WebRover update incorporated age-appropriateness and educational-quality information supplied through Common Sense Media. The company also began shipping a commercial solution under its own brand in 2013 and announced Nickelodeon Resort as a customer. It promoted Skydog and its broader cloud-managed networking approach at CES 2014. In July 2014, PowerCloud announced that it had been acquired and stopped retail sales of the Skydog router. Comcast subsequently confirmed that it had acquired the company. PowerCloud's independent brand and operations were absorbed into Comcast, and its technology became an important foundation for Comcast's xFi home-networking platform. PowerCloud is therefore best understood as a defunct standalone networking company whose cloud-management technology continued inside a larger broadband product ecosystem.

PowerCloud Systems developed from work at Xerox PARC and was established as a standalone company during the early commercialization of cloud-managed wireless networking. It was incorporated in 2009 and spun out in 2010 with investment from Walden Venture Capital and Javelin Ventures. Jeff Abramowitz led the company after serving in senior wireless roles at 3Com, Intersil, Broadcom, Azimuth Systems, and the Dutch wireless startup NoWires Needed. Andrea Peiro co-founded the company and led technology and product development. PowerCloud's first major platform was CloudCommand, introduced publicly in September 2010. Rather than requiring customers to operate dedicated wireless controllers on their premises, CloudCommand allowed network equipment manufacturers and communications providers to offer remotely managed Wi-Fi systems. The platform could be white-labeled, making it suitable for carrier-branded and service-provider offerings as well as direct commercial sales through managed service providers. The company gained early ecosystem traction when D-Link launched a CloudCommand-based product in January 2011. Zyxel announced a related product in May and launched it in November. PowerCloud raised a $6 million Series B round in December 2011, led by Qualcomm Ventures and supported by its earlier investors and PARC. Its enterprise-oriented systems targeted places with many users or geographically distributed networks, including hospitality, education, retail, assisted living, and multi-dwelling properties. In 2013, PowerCloud expanded beyond infrastructure partnerships and entered the consumer market with Skydog. The product paired an 802.11n router with a cloud service and HTML5 interface. It sought to make home networking more understandable and controllable by showing connected devices and allowing households to prioritize or restrict traffic by user, device, and application. Its family-oriented positioning emphasized parental visibility and control. Kickstarter funding helped launch the product, which shipped to backers in September 2013 and reached general retail availability in October. PowerCloud also announced a commercial solution under its own name and identified Nickelodeon Resort as a customer. The company continued developing the Skydog service in 2014, including WebRover, a feature that used Common Sense Media information to help families evaluate online content. PowerCloud presented its products at CES 2014 and received favorable attention from technology reviewers. In July 2014 it disclosed that it had been acquired and ended retail sales of Skydog. Comcast confirmed the acquisition, bringing PowerCloud's technology into its broadband business. The independent PowerCloud brand subsequently disappeared, while its cloud-networking capabilities contributed to Comcast's xFi platform.

• 2014

  Acquired by Comcast

  [1]PowerCloud Systemsen.wikipedia.org

  Comcast confirmed its acquisition of PowerCloud, after which the Skydog retail product was discontinued.

• 2013

  Skydog introduced

  [1]PowerCloud Systemsen.wikipedia.org

  PowerCloud entered consumer Wi-Fi with its managed router and cloud-control service.

• 2011

  D-Link adopts CloudCommand

  [1]PowerCloud Systemsen.wikipedia.org

  D-Link became the first major OEM to launch a product based on the platform.

• 2011

  Series B financing

  [1]PowerCloud Systemsen.wikipedia.org

  PowerCloud announced a $6 million Series B round led by Qualcomm Ventures.

• 2010

  Spin-out from PARC

  [1]PowerCloud Systemsen.wikipedia.org

  The company became an independent firm with investment from Walden Venture Capital and Javelin Ventures.

• 2010

  CloudCommand publicly demonstrated

  [1]PowerCloud Systemsen.wikipedia.org

  PowerCloud presented its first product, the CloudCommand cloud-management platform, at PARC's 40th-anniversary event.

• 2009

  Company incorporated

  [1]PowerCloud Systemsen.wikipedia.org

  PowerCloud Systems was incorporated as a cloud-networking venture associated with Xerox PARC.

Cloud-based, controller-free Wi-Fi management for service providers, enterprises, managed service providers, and households.

• Cloud-managed enterprise Wi-Fi · 2010

  CloudCommand Enterprise

  CloudCommand Enterprise combined wireless access points with a web-based management interface. Administrators could deploy, secure, monitor, and manage networks remotely without installing wireless-controller hardware at each site. The architecture was aimed at high-density and distributed environments such as hotels, restaurants, schools, shopping centers, conference facilities, assisted-living communities, and apartment properties. It also supported multiple private networks over shared access infrastructure, making it useful to service providers and value-added resellers.

• Consumer Wi-Fi router and cloud service · 2013

  Skydog

  Skydog paired an 802.11n wireless router with a cloud service and HTML5 application. It provided households with visibility into connected devices and tools for controlling bandwidth and access by user, device, and application. Its differentiation was a family-oriented management experience that combined network monitoring with parental controls and a more granular view of home Internet activity than typical consumer routers of the period.

• Online-content feature for Skydog · 2014

  WebRover

  WebRover was a free update to the Skydog cloud service. It provided access to information on more than 1,000 websites, including age-appropriateness and educational-quality assessments supplied through Common Sense Media. The feature extended Skydog's parental-management proposition beyond bandwidth and device controls.

• 2014CES 2014 product showcase

  United States · International technology and networking markets

  PowerCloud showcased Skydog and its cloud-managed networking approach at CES, emphasizing consumer network visibility, parental controls, and simplified management.

  Outcome. The product received favorable reviews, although the retail product was discontinued later in the year following Comcast's acquisition.

  Source
• 2013Skydog Kickstarter launch

  United States

  PowerCloud used Kickstarter to introduce and finance Skydog, presenting the router and cloud service as a more transparent and family-friendly alternative to conventional home Wi-Fi equipment.

  Outcome. The campaign reached its funding goal, attracted more than 1,000 backers, and was followed by shipments in September 2013.

  Source

• 2014

  Acquisition by ComcastM&A

  Background

  PowerCloud announced that it had been acquired and stopped retail sales of Skydog; Comcast later confirmed that it was the buyer.

  Action taken

  Comcast acquired PowerCloud and integrated its cloud-networking technology into its broadband business.

  Aftermath

  The standalone PowerCloud brand and Skydog retail offering ended, while the technology became associated with Comcast's xFi platform.

  Source

• 2013

  Launch of SkydogProduct launch

  Background

  PowerCloud sought to extend its cloud-managed networking model from enterprise and service-provider deployments into the home.

  Action taken

  The company launched a consumer router paired with cloud software and an HTML5 management application.

  Aftermath

  Skydog shipped to Kickstarter backers and reached the general public, but retail sales ended after the 2014 Comcast acquisition.

  Source

• 2010

  Spin out of Xerox PARCStrategy

  Background

  PowerCloud was developed in the PARC research environment but required an independent structure to commercialize cloud-managed Wi-Fi.

  Action taken

  The venture was separated from PARC and financed as an independent company.

  Aftermath

  The spin-out enabled PowerCloud to pursue OEM, carrier, managed-service, and direct commercial relationships.

  Source

1. 1PowerCloud Systemsen.wikipedia.org