VisiCorp was an early personal computer software publisher. Its most famous products are VisiOn

Vision

Vision or visions may refer to:* Visual perception, interpreting what is seen* Visual system, the sensory mechanism of eyesight* Vision , inspirational experiences* Hallucination, vivid conscious perception in the absence of a stimulus...

 and VisiCalc

VisiCalc

VisiCalc was the first spreadsheet program available for personal computers. It is often considered the application that turned the microcomputer from a hobby for computer enthusiasts into a serious business tool...

.

It was founded in 1976 by Dan Fylstra

Dan Fylstra

Dan Fylstra is a pioneer of the software products industry. In 1975 he was a founding associate editor of BYTE Magazine. In 1978 he co-founded Personal Software. Personal Software became the distributor of a new program called VisiCalc, the first widely used computer spreadsheet...

 and Peter R. Jennings as Personal Software, and first published Jennings' Microchess

Microchess

Microchess, by Peter R. Jennings, was originally a microcomputer chess program for the MOS Technology KIM-1 microcomputer, first released on December 18, 1976...

 program for the MOS Technology

MOS Technology

MOS Technology, Inc., also known as CSG , was a semiconductor design and fabrication company based in Norristown, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is most famous for its 6502 microprocessor, and various designs for Commodore International's range of home computers.-History:MOS Technology, Inc...

 KIM-1

KIM-1

The KIM-1, short for Keyboard Input Monitor, was a small 6502-based single-board computer developed and produced by MOS Technology, Inc. and launched in 1976...

 computer, and later Commodore PET

Commodore PET

The Commodore PET was a home/personal computer produced from 1977 by Commodore International...

 and Apple II

Apple II

The Apple II is an 8-bit home computer, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products, designed primarily by Steve Wozniak, manufactured by Apple Computer and introduced in 1977...

 versions. It later published a wider variety of games and some applications programs. In 1979 it released VisiCalc, which would be so successful that in 1982 the company was renamed "VisiCorp".

• VisiCalc was the first electronic spreadsheet
  Spreadsheet
  A spreadsheet is a computer application that simulates a paper accounting worksheet. It displays multiple cells usually in a two-dimensional matrix or grid consisting of rows and columns. Each cell contains alphanumeric text, numeric values or formulas...
  
   for personal computers, developed by Software Arts
  Software Arts
  Software Arts was a software company founded by Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston in 1979 to develop VisiCalc, which was published by a separate company, Personal Software Inc...
  
   and published by VisiCorp.
• VisiOn was the first GUI
  Gui
  Gui or guee is a generic term to refer to grilled dishes in Korean cuisine. These most commonly have meat or fish as their primary ingredient, but may in some cases also comprise grilled vegetables or other vegetarian ingredients. The term derives from the verb, "gupda" in Korean, which literally...
  
   for the IBM PC.

Early alumni of this company included Ed Esber

Ed Esber

Edward M. Esber, Jr. is the former CEO of Ashton-Tate and initiated its subsequent sale to Borland. Esber joined VisiCorp --as Exec VP of Sales and Marketing...

 who would later run Ashton-Tate

Ashton-Tate

Ashton-Tate was a US based software company best known for developing the popular dBASE database application. Ashton-Tate grew from a small garage-based company to become a multinational corporation...

, Bill Coleman

Bill Coleman

William Johnson Coleman was a jazz trumpeter from the swing era.He had his musical debut in 1927. Coleman's first recordings were with the Luis Russell orchestra, but all solos on record went to the rising star Henry "Red" Allen. This led to Bill Coleman's departure from the band. By 1935 he...

 who would found BEA Systems

BEA Systems

BEA Systems, Inc. specialized in enterprise infrastructure software products known as "middleware", which connect software applications to databases and was acquired by Oracle Corporation on April 29, 2008.- History :...

, Mitch Kapor

Mitch Kapor

Mitchell David Kapor is the founder of Lotus Development Corporation and the designer of Lotus 1-2-3. He is also a co-founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and was the first chair of the Mozilla Foundation...

 founder of Lotus Software

Lotus Software

Lotus Software is a software company with headquarters in Westford, Massachusetts...

 and the Electronic Frontier Foundation

Electronic Frontier Foundation

The Electronic Frontier Foundation is an international non-profit digital rights advocacy and legal organization based in the United States...

, Rich Melmon who would co-found Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...

, Bruce Wallace author of Asteroids in Space, and Brad Templeton

Brad Templeton

Brad Templeton is a software architect, civil rights advocate and entrepreneur. He graduated from the University of Waterloo....

 who would found early dot-com ClariNET.

VisiCorp was sold to Paladin Software after a legal feud between Software Arts

Software Arts

Software Arts was a software company founded by Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston in 1979 to develop VisiCalc, which was published by a separate company, Personal Software Inc...

 and VisiCorp.

External links

• VisiCorp 1978-1984 (Revised) - A history of VisiCorp from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.