Inference Corporation

Inference Corporation

Company type	Private
Industry	Software, Artificial intelligence
Predecessor	Computer Mathematics Corporation (acquired)
Founded	1979
Fate	Acquired by eGain Corporation in 2000
Headquarters	Los Angeles , United States
Products	Automated Reasoning Tool (ART), ART-IM

Inference Corporation was a software firm from the United States that focused on developing artificial intelligence technologies.

History

Founded in 1979 and headquartered in Los Angeles, Inference gained recognition in the 1990s for creating a case-based reasoning application for Compaq Computer Corporation. This software resolved printer problems, such as unclear printouts, without requiring assistance from help desk personnel. Notably, the program was remarkably compact, stored on only three floppy disks.

The company’s Automated Reasoning Tool (ART) began as a solution for mainframe computers and was later adapted for personal computers. This product evolved into ART-IM, an Information Management system introduced in 1988.

Prominent enterprises including Ford and AOL utilized software developed by Inference to enhance their customer support operations. In 2000, Inference was purchased by eGain Corporation. Prior to this acquisition, Inference had itself acquired Computer Mathematics Corporation, established in 1981 and known for the SMP (computer algebra system), along with another company in 1999.

Automated Reasoning Tool

The Automated Reasoning Tool (ART) was created by Paul Haley, Chuck Williams, Brad Allen, and Mark Wright to facilitate rule-based knowledge representation employing frame and procedural techniques within knowledge bases. ART’s origins trace back to an expert system NASA used for analyzing radar data during space missions.

During the mid-1980s, ART’s syntax served as a foundation for NASA’s CLIPS system. The tool is derived from OPS5 but was further refined and expanded specifically for use by Inference Corporation.