Infogear

InfoGear Technology Corporation, founded in 1995, was a startup technology and services company focused on the market for Internet appliances.

InfoGear had offices in California and an R&D center in Israel. InfoGear developed a line of Internet appliances, of which the best known was the iPhone, an award-winning Internet screenphone. The first-generation iPhone shipped in 1997 and the second in 1999. It was ultimately distributed in the United States, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.

The InfoGear Network provided user-relevant information and services in conjunction with e-commerce, content and service partners.

InfoGear was acquired by Cisco Systems on March 16, 2000.

Management Team

The company was managed by a blue-ribbon management team from National Semiconductor, Apple, Sun Microsystems, Sprint, Silicon Graphics, and Cypress:

CEO, Robert Marshall, replaced in 1996 by Ed Cluss Jr.

VP of Sales, Steve Ursebach

VP of Business, Development Jeff Oscodar

VP of Marketing, Jim Greenway, replaced in 1997 by Dennis Tsu

CTO, VP Product Operations, Ike Nassi

VP of Development, Chaim Bendelec

VP of Operations, Malachi Moynihan

CFO, James Mackaness.

Company History

The company’s history can be divided into three distinct phases:

Phase 1 – 1995 – 1996 (Bob Marshall, CEO) - Partnership with CIDCO systems and the introduction of the first iPhone (CIDCO iPhone)

Phase 2 – 1997 – 2000 (Ed Cluss, CEO) - Purchase of the iPhone II intellectual property from CIDCO, InfoGear introduction of iPhone to Consumer Market, exploration of the "J-Phone" concept, and porting of InfoGear Networks to GSM mobile phones (code named Ducati).

Phase 3 - 2000 – Present – Purchase of InfoGear by Cisco Systems. Operation by Cisco until network was shut down [date unknown].