Alain Rossmann

Last updated
Alain Rossmann
Born1956 (age 66–67)
Alma mater École Polytechnique
École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées
Stanford University
Occupation(s)Engineer, entrepreneur, executive
Spouse Joanna Hoffman
Children2

Alain Simon Rossmann (born 1956 [1] ) is a French entrepreneur who was a member of the early Apple Macintosh team and who went onto found or co-found nine startups, of which three went public (Radius, [2] C-Cube Microsystems, [3] Unwired Planet [4] ), three were acquired (EO by AT&T, [5] Vudu by Walmart, [6] PSS Systems by IBM [7] ), and two were dissolved (Zonbu, [8] Klip [9] ). The ninth is his current company, Machinify. [10]

Contents

Education

In 1979, Rossmann graduated at the École Polytechnique [11] [12] with a BS in mathematics and physics. He completed an MS in civil engineering at École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées [11] in 1981 and an MBA from Stanford University in 1983. [10]

Career

Rossmann was head evangelist at the Macintosh division of Apple Computer from 1983 to 1986. [10] [13] [14] He worked with Joanna Hoffman and the couple subsequently married. [15] [16] Next, he founded Radius, a company that built Macintosh peripherals.

He was vice-president of marketing and sales from 1986 to 1989. [2] [10] Its IPO was in 1990. [17] He was vice-president of operations of C-Cube Microsystems, a leading developer of MPEG integrated circuits, from 1989 to 1992. [3] Its IPO was in 1994. It was acquired by LSI Logic in 2001. [18]

Moving into pen computing, Rossmann was CEO of EO from 1992 to 1994. It built and marketed the EO Personal Communicator. It was acquired by AT&T in 1993. [5] With his colleague Celeste Baranski, he won the Discover Award from Discover Magazine in 1993 for this product. [19] In an early smartphone development, he was founder and CEO of Unwired Planet (later renamed Phone.com, then Openwave, then back to Unwired Planet) from 1994 to 2001. It developed the Wireless Application Protocol for smartphone microbrowsers. [20] Its IPO was in 1999. [4] [21]

After Unwired Planet, he was founder and CEO then chairman of PSS Systems, an information lifecycle governance company, from June 2001 to October 2010. It was acquired by IBM in 2010. [7] His online movie service, Vudu, was acquired by Walmart. [6] He was founder and CEO from June 2005 to March 2010. [22] Next Rossmann was founder and chairman of Zonbu, subscription-based personal computer maker, from April 2006 to December 2007. [8]

From March 2011 to January 2015 he worked at Klip, Inc., a social video start up, as founder and CEO. [9] [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apple Inc.</span> American multinational technology company

Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California. Apple is the largest technology company by revenue, totaling US$394.3 billion in 2022. As of March 2023, Apple is the world's biggest company by market capitalization. As of June 2022, Apple is the fourth-largest personal computer vendor by unit sales and second-largest mobile phone manufacturer. It is one of the Big Five American information technology companies, alongside Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taligent</span> Software company (1992–1998)

Taligent Inc. was an American software company. Based on the Pink object-oriented operating system conceived by Apple in 1988, Taligent Inc. was incorporated as an Apple/IBM partnership in 1992, and was dissolved into IBM in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Sculley</span> American businessman

John Sculley III is an American businessman, entrepreneur and investor in high-tech startups. Sculley was vice-president (1970–1977) and president of PepsiCo (1977–1983), until he became chief executive officer (CEO) of Apple Inc. on April 8, 1983, a position he held until leaving in 1993. In May 1987, Sculley was named Silicon Valley's top-paid executive, with an annual salary of US$10.2 million.

The PowerPC 7xx is a family of third generation 32-bit PowerPC microprocessors designed and manufactured by IBM and Motorola. This family is called the PowerPC G3 by Apple Computer, which introduced it on November 10, 1997. The term "PowerPC G3" is often, and incorrectly, imagined to be a microprocessor when in fact a number of microprocessors from different vendors have been used. Such designations were applied to Mac computers such as the PowerBook G3, the multicolored iMacs, iBooks and several desktops, including both the Beige and Blue and White Power Macintosh G3s. The low power requirements and small size made the processors ideal for laptops and the name lived out its last days at Apple in the iBook.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GO Corporation</span>

GO Corporation was founded in 1987 to create portable computers, an operating system, and software with a pen-based user interface. It was famous not only for its pioneering work in Pen-based computing but as well as being one of the most well-funded start-up companies of its time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Macintosh 128K</span> Original Macintosh Computer introduced by Apple Computer in 1984

The Apple Macintosh—later rebranded as the Macintosh 128K—is the original Apple Macintosh personal computer. It played a pivotal role in establishing desktop publishing as a general office function. The motherboard, a 9 in (23 cm) CRT monitor, and a floppy drive were housed in a beige case with integrated carrying handle; it came with a keyboard and single-button mouse. It sold for US$2,495. The Macintosh was introduced by a television commercial entitled "1984" shown during Super Bowl XVIII on January 22, 1984 and directed by Ridley Scott. Sales of the Macintosh were strong from its initial release on January 24, 1984, and reached 70,000 units on May 3, 1984. Upon the release of its successor, the Macintosh 512K, it was rebranded as the Macintosh 128K. The computer's model number was M0001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stevenote</span> Keynote speeches given by Steve Jobs

Stevenote is a colloquial term for keynote speeches given by Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple, at events such as the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference, Macworld Expo, and Apple Expo. Because most Apple product releases were first shown to the public at these keynotes, "Stevenotes" caused substantial swings in Apple's stock price.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radius Inc.</span> American computer hardware company

Radius Inc. was an American computer hardware firm founded in May 1986 by Burrell Smith, Mike Boich, Matt Carter, Alain Rossmann and joined by other members of the original Macintosh team like Andy Hertzfeld. The company specialized in Macintosh peripherals and accessory equipment. It completed its IPO in June 1990.

Armas Clifford "Mike" Markkula Jr. is an American electrical engineer, businessman and investor. He was the original angel investor, first chairman, and second CEO for Apple Computer, Inc., providing critical early funding and managerial support. At the company's founding, Markkula owned 26% of Apple, equivalent to each of the shares owned by cofounders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak.

The Apple community is a group of people interested in Apple Inc. and its products, who report information in various media. Generally this has evolved into a proliferation of websites, but latterly has also expanded into podcasts, either speculating on rumors about future product releases, simply report Apple-related news stories, or have discussions about Apple's products and how to use them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Apple Inc.</span> Notable aspects of Apples history

Apple Inc., originally named Apple Computer, Inc., is a multinational corporation that creates and markets consumer electronics and attendant computer software, and is a digital distributor of media content. Apple's core product lines are the iPhone smartphone, iPad tablet computer, and the Macintosh personal computer. The company offers its products online and has a chain of retail stores known as Apple Stores. Founders Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne created Apple Computer Co. on April 1, 1976, to market Wozniak's Apple I desktop computer, and Jobs and Wozniak incorporated the company on January 3, 1977, in Cupertino, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Jobs</span> American businessman (1955–2011)

Steven Paul Jobs was an American business magnate, industrial designer, media proprietor, and investor. He was the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple; the chairman and majority shareholder of Pixar; a member of The Walt Disney Company's board of directors following its acquisition of Pixar; and the founder, chairman, and CEO of NeXT. He is widely recognized as a pioneer of the personal computer revolution of the 1970s and 1980s, along with his early business partner and fellow Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Gurley</span> American businessman

John William Gurley is an American businessman. He is a general partner at Benchmark, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm in Menlo Park, California. He is listed consistently on the Forbes Midas List and is considered one of technology’s top dealmakers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mac (computer)</span> Family of personal computers made by Apple

The Mac is a family of personal computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc. The product lineup includes the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops, as well as the iMac, Mac Mini, Mac Studio and Mac Pro desktops. Macs run the macOS operating system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Papermaster</span> American business executive (born 1961)

Mark D. Papermaster is an American business executive currently serving as the chief technology officer (CTO) and executive vice president for Technology and Engineering at Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). On January 25, 2019 he was promoted to AMD's Executive Vice President. Papermaster previously worked at IBM from 1982 to 2008, where he was closely involved in the development of PowerPC technology and served two years as vice president of IBM's blade server division. Papermaster's decision to move from IBM to Apple Inc. in 2008 became central to a court case considering the validity and scope of an employee non-compete clause in the technology industry. He became senior vice president of devices hardware engineering at Apple in 2009, with oversight for devices such as the iPhone. In 2010 he left Apple and joined Cisco Systems as a VP of the company's silicon engineering development. Papermaster joined AMD on October 24, 2011, assuming oversight for all of AMD's technology teams and the creation of all of AMD's products, and AMD's corporate technical direction.

The classic Macintosh startup sequence includes hardware tests which may trigger the startup chime, Happy Mac, Sad Mac, and Chimes of Death. On Macs running macOS Big Sur or later the startup sound is enabled by default, but can be disabled by the user within System Preferences or System Settings (Ventura).

The following outline of Apple Inc. is a topical guide to the products, history, retail stores, corporate acquisitions, and personnel under the purview of the American multinational corporation Apple Inc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrea Cunningham</span> American businessperson

Andrea "Andy" Cunningham is an American strategic marketing and communications entrepreneur. She helped launch the Apple Macintosh in 1984 as a part of Regis McKenna, and founded Cunningham Communication, Inc. She is currently the President of Cunningham Collective, a brand strategy, marketing, and communications firm. Her book, Get to Aha! Discover Your Positioning DNA and Dominate Your Competition was published in October 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Celeste Baranski</span> American engineer and entrepreneur

Celeste Suzanne Baranski is an American electronic engineer, entrepreneur, and executive who helped create several pioneering electronic devices including early versions of the tablet computer. Baranski, with her colleague Alain Rossmann, won the Discover Award from Discover Magazine in 1993.

References

  1. ↑ Annie Kahn (1998-11-08). "Un Français au cœur du réseau". lemonde.fr. Retrieved 2016-10-28..
  2. 1 2 "Stanford's Progeny: A Sampling" (PDF). Business Week. 1997-08-25. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-12-22. Retrieved 2015-10-24. 1986 Radius: Mike Boich, Burrell Smith, Alain Rossmann, Andy Hertzfeld
  3. 1 2 "BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY; Chip Leads Way to New Video Products". New York Times. 1990-02-21. Retrieved 2015-10-24. Alain Rossmann, C-Cubed's vice president,
  4. 1 2 "The Top Entrepreneurs". Business Week. 2000-01-10. Archived from the original on 2016-01-21. Retrieved 2015-10-24. In five years, ALAIN ROSSMANN's Phone.com (PHCM), formerly known as Unwired Planet, ... Phone.com stock has soared 1,500%, to around $130, since its June initial public offering.
  5. 1 2 Kaplan, Samuel Jerold (1994). Startup : a Silicon Valley adventure. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN   0-14-025731-4.
  6. 1 2 Stone, Brad (2010-02-22). "Wal-Mart Adds Its Clout to Movie Streaming". New York Times. Retrieved 2015-10-24. In 2008, Vudu's chief executive left the company and was replaced by Alain Rossmann, a co-founder who was an early Apple executive and a pioneer in making the Web accessible from cellphones.
  7. 1 2 "IBM Acquires PSS Systems" (Press release). IBM. 2010-10-13. Retrieved 2010-10-13.
  8. 1 2 Markoff, John (2007-07-16). "A PC That Uses Less Energy, but Charges a Monthly Fee -". New York Times. Retrieved 2015-10-24. That led him and Mr. Rossmann, a former Apple executive who has started many Silicon Valley companies, to pursue the possibility of creating an appliancelike computer tailored to consumers who have no computer expertise.
  9. 1 2 Clark, Don (2011-09-20). "Startup Veteran Takes On Mobile Video with Klip". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2015-10-24. Rossmann on Tuesday unveiled Klip, a new startup...
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 "Alain Rossmann". LinkedIN. Retrieved 2015-10-24.
  11. 1 2 He belongs to the X1976 promotion, cf. the website of the Association des anciens élèves de l’École polytechnique (the AX) (the Old fellows association). His record shows that he is also an "ingénieur des ponts et chaussées" (i.e. civil works engineer, in his case coming from Polytechnique and so being a civil servant) and asked to be freed from his duties with the French State ("en disponibilité", i.e. on leave).
  12. ↑ Website of the library of the École Polytechnique Archived 2015-03-02 at the Wayback Machine , thumb index « BCX Catalogs → Polytechnicien family », search for « Alain Rossmann », you then get : « Rossmann, Alain Simon (X 1976) ».
  13. ↑ Swartz, Jon; Krantz, Matt; Martin, Scott (2011-10-07). "What's next for Apple?". USA Today. Retrieved 2015-10-24. "We all live in the world that Steve invented," says Alain Rossmann, who worked with Jobs at Apple in the mid-1980s.
  14. ↑ Evangelista, Benny (2011-09-26). "Alain Rossmann's Flip: social video on smart phone". SFGate. Retrieved 2015-10-24. Rossmann was an Apple evangelist under Steve Jobs during the development of the first Macintosh computer.
  15. ↑ Guglielmo, Connie (2012-10-08). "In Photos: Apple Alumni: Where Are They Now? - Joanna Hoffmann". Forbes. Archived from the original on October 8, 2012. Retrieved 2015-10-24. She is married to Alain Rossmann, another former member of the Mac team and longtime Silicon Valley entrepreneur
  16. ↑ Terdiman, Daniel (2009-01-22). "Recollections of the Mac's creators". CNET. Archived from the original on 2015-01-23. Retrieved 2015-09-07.
  17. ↑ "Radius Completes IPO". InfoWorld. 1990-08-27. p. 40. Retrieved 2015-10-24.
  18. ↑ Flynn, Laurie J. (2001-03-27). "TECHNOLOGY BRIEFING: DEALS; LSI LOGIC TO BUY C-CUBE MICROSYSTEMS". The New York Times. Retrieved 2015-10-24.
  19. ↑ "1993 Discover Awards: Winner: Personal Communicator: Celeste Baranski & Alain Rossmann, EO". Discover Magazine. 1993-10-01. Retrieved 2015-04-10.
  20. ↑ CNet Investor.com (2000-07-24). "Stock Wealth of CEOs". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2015-10-24. Alain Rossmann Phone.com +81,547,200 630,631,477
  21. ↑ Martin, Scott (2011-11-20). "Klip reels in $8 million". USA Today. Retrieved 2015-10-24. In the dot-com boom, he served as CEO of mobile browser start-up OpenWave, formerly Phone.com, which launched one of the sizzling-hot IPOs of the era.
  22. ↑ Stone, Brad (2007-04-29). "Vudu Casts Its Spell on Hollywood - New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved 2015-10-24. 'This shift can look very slow in the beginning and very sudden at some moment in the future,' says Alain Rossmann, a Silicon Valley veteran and the chairman of Vudu.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.