"The Network is the Computer" is aslogan that was originally coined byJohn Gage forSun Microsystems in 1984.[1][2][3][4][5] Contrary to popular belief, the slogan was not coined byScott McNealy.[6]Wired dubbed the phrase a "truism ofSilicon Valley".[7]
Sun employee Larry Wake said of the slogan, "When Sun originated that tag line in the early 1980s, it was actually quite audacious. It was a stake in the ground [stating] ‘Computers should be networked, or they're… not computers. Well, at least, you're missing their potential by a country mile.'"[1]
The first slogan used by Sun was "Open Systems for Open Minds";[1] "The Network is the Computer" has been the tagline of Sun for decades. According to Sun's former director of CAD/CAM marketing, the meaning of the slogan is that you had one window into thenetwork through yourdesktop computer and that with the appropriate software, other people's computing power could be utilized withoffloading. In 2010,Oracle bought Sun but without the slogan being discussed, used or defended. In July 2019,content delivery network providerCloudflare bought the rights to the expired trademark. John Gage stated in an interview withJohn Graham-Cumming that he was fine with Cloudflare having bought the rights because it meant Sun's efforts were successful.[1]
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