Eicon Technology (CloudMonk.io)
Eicon Technology
Cloud Monk worked for Eicon Paris as a Sale Engineer for several years in the early 1990s.
Eicon Technology was a company that played a significant role in the development and manufacturing of communication and networking hardware, particularly during the 1980s and 1990s. It became well-known for producing WAN (Wide Area Network) connectivity solutions, primarily through ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) and X.25 technologies. While there is no specific RFC directly associated with Eicon Technology, its products and contributions are related to various standards and RFCs that define communication protocols like X.25 and ISDN, such as RFC 877 and RFC 1356.
Eicon Technology's primary products included a range of hardware solutions for connecting corporate networks to WAN services, which were essential for businesses needing reliable and secure data communication over long distances. At the time, X.25 was a commonly used protocol for packet-switched networks, and many of Eicon Technology's products focused on enabling communication over these networks. By producing hardware that supported standards like X.25, Eicon Technology helped businesses integrate their local networks with broader public data networks.
Another key area of focus for Eicon Technology was ISDN, which was widely used in the 1990s for digital telephony and data transmission. ISDN provided faster and more reliable connectivity compared to older analog systems, and Eicon Technology produced cards and hardware that allowed businesses to take advantage of this technology. While the adoption of ISDN has since declined with the rise of broadband internet and IP-based communication systems, Eicon Technology's contributions helped pave the way for early digital communication solutions.
In terms of networking protocols, Eicon Technology's products adhered to many of the RFCs that defined standards for X.25 and ISDN communication. For instance, RFC 877 details the encapsulation of IP datagrams over X.25 networks, which was directly applicable to the types of networking hardware produced by Eicon Technology. Similarly, RFC 1356 addresses multiprotocol interconnects over X.25 and ISDN, providing guidelines for how multiple communication protocols could be transmitted over the same network infrastructure. Eicon Technology's hardware solutions were built to comply with these standards, ensuring compatibility with global networking systems.
Eicon Technology also played a role in the development of remote access solutions, which allowed businesses to connect to their corporate networks from remote locations. This was particularly important in an era before widespread high-speed internet, as WAN connections like X.25 and ISDN provided reliable links between geographically dispersed offices. By producing hardware that supported these protocols, Eicon Technology enabled companies to create remote working environments and branch office connectivity long before modern VPNs and broadband connections became common.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, as networking technology shifted towards IP-based systems and broadband internet, Eicon Technology adapted its product offerings to reflect these changes. The company expanded into providing solutions for VoIP (Voice over IP) and other internet-based communication systems, helping businesses transition from traditional PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) services to newer digital technologies. Although the company eventually shifted away from its original focus on X.25 and ISDN, its early contributions to networking hardware remained significant.
One of the notable products from Eicon Technology was its Diva Server series, which provided ISDN connectivity and supported multiple communication protocols for business applications. These products allowed for the integration of voice and data services over a single ISDN line, which was revolutionary at the time and helped companies reduce costs by consolidating their communication services. The Diva Server series was compatible with the standards outlined in various RFCs, ensuring that it could be deployed in a wide range of networking environments.
While Eicon Technology was eventually acquired and merged with other companies, its legacy remains in the form of the hardware and standards it helped establish in the early days of wide-area networking. The company's adherence to international standards, such as those specified in RFC 877 for X.25 and RFC 1356 for multiprotocol interconnects, contributed to the growth of global networking infrastructure. As a result, Eicon Technology's products were used by businesses worldwide to create reliable and scalable communication networks.
As the networking landscape evolved, many of the technologies that Eicon Technology focused on, such as X.25 and ISDN, became less relevant with the rise of broadband internet and IP-based services. However, the impact of Eicon Technology on early networking remains notable, particularly in the context of corporate networking and global communications. By enabling businesses to connect to public data networks and adopt new digital communication technologies, Eicon Technology played a key role in shaping the early WAN landscape.
Conclusion
Eicon Technology was a key player in the development of networking hardware, particularly for WAN connectivity over X.25 and ISDN networks. Although there is no specific RFC directly associated with the company, its products were aligned with standards like RFC 877 and RFC 1356, which define how IP traffic could be transmitted over public data networks. Through its hardware solutions, Eicon Technology helped businesses adopt digital communication technologies and connect their local networks to broader public infrastructures. While the company has since been absorbed into other ventures, its contributions to the early networking industry continue to be recognized as foundational to the growth of wide-area networking.