Rae Technology
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Founder | Samir Arora |
| Fate | Technology assets transferred to NetObjects in 1995; restructured as Venture Capital LLC |
| Headquarters | Cupertino, California , United States |
Key people | Samir Arora (CEO and President), David Kleinberg (VP Sales and Marketing), Dave Dell'Aquila (VP Products), Dianna Mullins (VP Operations) |
| Products | Rae Assist (Personal Information Manager) |
| Parent | Apple (predecessor environment) |
Rae Technology emerged in 1992 as a software enterprise spun off from Apple. The company gained recognition primarily for its Personal Information Manager product, Rae Assist, and served as the forerunner to NetObjects. After transferring its web design innovations to NetObjects in 1995, Rae Technology discontinued its public operations.
Roots in Apple Computer
The inception of Rae Technology can be traced back to Apple's environment during the 1980s. Samir Arora, an Indian software engineer, played a significant role in pioneering research focused on navigation tools and hypermedia. Prior to the widespread adoption of the Internet and web browser, Apple anticipated that rapid and adaptable access to interconnected information would be central to future computing. This vision was illustrated in the 1987 "Knowledge Navigator" concept video, which Arora helped develop while working within John Sculley's team.
Arora contributed as a member of Apple's initial 4th Dimension development group and headed the applications tools division responsible for both 4D and Hypercard. To enable efficient navigation of mobile and online data, Arora led a team—including Dave Dell'Aquila, Sal Arora, Raj Narayan, and Jeet Kaul—in building SOLO (Structure of Linked Objects), an application framework designed for this purpose.[1][2]
From a technical perspective, SOLO represented a proprietary programming language crafted to generate collections of application programming interfaces (APIs).[3]
Rae Technology and Rae Assist
Leveraging applications built on the SOLO framework, Samir Arora established Rae Technology as a spin-off from Apple. The company was based on Apple’s campus and featured a board composed of senior executives from Apple.[3]
The executive team included Samir Arora as CEO and President, David Kleinberg serving as Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Dave Dell'Aquila overseeing Products as Vice President, and Dianna Mullins managing Operations as Vice President.
In 1993, Rae Technology introduced Rae Assist, among the earliest Personal Information Manager solutions. This software allowed users to manage contacts, appointments, corporate profiles, schedules, and interconnected records.[4] Between 1993 and 1995, three iterations—versions 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0—were released exclusively for the Mac platform.
Professional services
In addition to software production, Rae Technology undertook corporate database initiatives for clients such as Chevron and Wells Fargo. The Wells Fargo online banking project offered valuable insights into how the Web would serve enterprise needs going forward. The flexible SOLO architecture was positioned as a foundation to meet evolving demands in website development, leading to preparations for foundational patents related to web design software.
From Rae to NetObjects
Although detailed financial records for Rae Technology are not publicly available, it is believed that revenues from the specialized PIM market were modest, with full licenses priced at $199 and upgrade options at $29. With web design patents underway, Rae shifted its technology assets and focus toward a new entity. Established in 1995, NetObjects received an initial capital infusion of $1.5 million from Rae Technology.
The core leadership from Rae—including Samir Arora, Sal Arora, and David Kleinberg—continued with NetObjects alongside designer Clement Mok, who had contributed to the Wells Fargo project. Following this transition, Rae Technology restructured into a Venture Capital LLC and has since remained inactive in the public sphere while maintaining legal existence.
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