Ubique was a
software
Software is a set of computer programs and associated documentation and data. This is in contrast to hardware, from which the system is built and which actually performs the work.
At the lowest programming level, executable code consists ...
company based in Israel.
In 1994 the company launched the first social-networking software, which included instant messaging, voice over IP (Commonly known as VoIP), chat rooms, web-based events, collaborative browsing. It is best known for the Virtual Places software product and the technology used by
Lotus Sametime
HCL Sametime Premium (formerly IBM Sametime and IBM Lotus Sametime) is a client–server application and middleware platform that provides real-time, unified communications and collaboration for enterprises. Those capabilities include presence ...
. It is now part of
IBM Haifa Labs
IBM is a globally integrated enterprise operating in 170 countries. IBM's R&D history in Israel began in 1972 when Professor Josef Raviv established the IBM Israel Scientific Center in the Technion's Computer Science Building in Haifa. Today, ov ...
.
Technology
Virtual Places
Ubique's best-known product is Virtual Places, a
presence-based chat program in which users explore web sites together. It is used by providers such a
VPChatan
and eventually evolved into
Lotus Sametime
HCL Sametime Premium (formerly IBM Sametime and IBM Lotus Sametime) is a client–server application and middleware platform that provides real-time, unified communications and collaboration for enterprises. Those capabilities include presence ...
.
Virtual Places requires a server and client software. Users start Virtual Places along with a web
browser and sign into the Virtual Places server.
Avatars
Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearance ...
are overlaid onto the web browser and
users are able to collaborate with each other while they all visit web sites in real time.
Some Virtual Places consumer-oriented communities are still alive on the Web and are using the old version of it.
Instant Messaging and Chat
With the technology developed for Virtual Places, Ubique created an
instant messaging
Instant messaging (IM) technology is a type of online chat allowing real-time text transmission over the Internet or another computer network. Messages are typically transmitted between two or more parties, when each user inputs text and trigge ...
and
presence technology platform which evolved into Lotus Sametime.
History
1994 – Ubique Ltd was founded in Israel by
Ehud Shapiro
Ehud Shapiro ( he, אהוד שפירא; born 1955) is a multi-disciplinary scientist, artist, entrepreneur and Professor of Computer Science and Biology at the Weizmann Institute of Science. With international reputation, he made fundamental cont ...
and a group of scientists from
the
Weizmann Institute
The Weizmann Institute of Science ( he, מכון ויצמן למדע ''Machon Vaitzman LeMada'') is a public research university in Rehovot, Israel, established in 1934, 14 years before the State of Israel. It differs from other Israeli univ ...
to develop
real-time
Real-time or real time describes various operations in computing or other processes that must guarantee response times within a specified time (deadline), usually a relatively short time. A real-time process is generally one that happens in defined ...
,
distributed computing
A distributed system is a system whose components are located on different computer network, networked computers, which communicate and coordinate their actions by message passing, passing messages to one another from any system. Distributed com ...
products. The
company developed a presence-based chat system known as Virtual Places along with real-time
instant messaging
Instant messaging (IM) technology is a type of online chat allowing real-time text transmission over the Internet or another computer network. Messages are typically transmitted between two or more parties, when each user inputs text and trigge ...
and
presence technology software. These were the very early days of the web, which at the time had only static data. Ubique's mission was "to add people to the web".
1995 –
America Online
AOL (stylized as Aol., formerly a company known as AOL Inc. and originally known as America Online) is an American web portal and online service provider based in New York City. It is a brand marketed by the current incarnation of Yahoo! Inc. ...
Inc. purchased Ubique with the intention to use Ubique's Virtual
Places technology to enhance and expand its existing live online interactive communication for both the AOL consumer online service and the new
GNN brand service. Only the GNN-branded Virtual Places product was ever released.
1996 – GNN was discontinued in 1996. Ubique's management, with the support of AOL, decided to look for other markets for Virtual Places technology. The outcome was that Ubique shifted Virtual Places from the consumer market to focus on
presence technology and instant messaging for the corporate market. AOL divested Ubique but remained as a principal investor while Ubique sought a new owner.
1998 - Ubique was acquired by
Lotus/
IBM to integrate the core
technology of instant messaging and
presence functions into a software product integrated with
Lotus/
IBM.
2000 - Lotus announced Lotus Sametime using Ubique's technology.
2006 - Elements of Ubique along with other Israeli-based companies were integrated into the
newly created
IBM Haifa Labs
IBM is a globally integrated enterprise operating in 170 countries. IBM's R&D history in Israel began in 1972 when Professor Josef Raviv established the IBM Israel Scientific Center in the Technion's Computer Science Building in Haifa. Today, ov ...
. The Lab develops
Session Initiation Protocol
The Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is a signaling protocol used for initiating, maintaining, and terminating communication sessions that include voice, video and messaging applications. SIP is used in Internet telephony, in private IP telepho ...
(SIP) infrastructure and features of real-time collaboration, including session management, presence awareness, subscriptions and notifications, text messaging, developer toolkits, and mobile real-time messaging infrastructure.
[http://www.haifa.il.ibm.com/info/news_ibm_softwarelab.html IBM establishes Software Lab in Israel]
References
{{Reflist
External links
IBM Haifa Labs website
Instant messaging
Software companies of Israel
Israeli companies established in 1994
IBM acquisitions