PARC (Palo Alto Research Center)
PARC, formerly known as Xerox PARC, is the Palo Alto Research Center, located in California, in the high-tech area that has become known as Silicon Valley.
Research areas at PARC include the physical, social and computer sciences. The research center developed a great number of concepts that have become integral to modern life, as well as others that have not yet found their place.
Disruptive technologies invented at PARC include:
- The laser printer.
- Smalltalk, an object-oriented programming language that was hugely influential on future programming trends.
- The personal workstation.
- The WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) programming interface.
- The first graphical user interface (GUI), developed for Xerox's Alto personal computer.
- Ethernet, a global standard for connecting workstations, files, printers and so on through a coaxial cable for a local area network (LAN).
- A refreshable electronic paper called Gyricon.
In 2002, PARC was incorporated, under that name, as an independent, wholly-owned subsidiary of Xerox.