Numecent introduces Cloudpaging as a new category of computing

New technology worthy of the term “groundbreaking” will revolutionize software delivery and use. Numecent makes any application a web application.

By Jon Peddie

Numecent just came out of stealth mode to introduce their cloudpaging technology for downloading apps and mixed-media content. Few technologies deserve the term “groundbreaking.” This is one of them.

cloud delivery illustration man on cliff — The Numecent vision: get your desktop application delivered where you need it, when you need it. (Source: Numecent)

No install, no disc clogging, no delay, no trail. Numecent is calling their technology cloudpaging, which allows users to turn any Windows app (or even the OS itself) automatically into a cloud-enabled version with full license control. It launches with 10 granted fundamental patents, including licenses of the patents to Microsoft and Citrix.

The application can be run without installation, and almost instantly on any PC, or tablet; and at the device’s speeds by streaming native x86 instructions. Imagine a virtual copy of Photoshop running multiple virtual plugins from different sources on any PC, all at native speed. Numecent technology says they can do that today.

The technology consists of non-linear paging of software instructions from the cloud with local pixel processing. Not progressive downloads or pixel streaming—that’s a significant point and difference. Cloudpaging is an on-demand pull & heuristic push of pages of instructions. After an app gets used a bit by enough users, it develops a predictive push of pages as the server learns what demands are being made most frequently. It learns program behavior and your behavior. Therefore, it only pulls instructions as needed or used—a page at a time. This leverages the local GPU resource. And best of all there is no installation; it executes full speed in a sandbox. It is much better than progressive downloads (as much as 100x), and it uses considerably less network resource compared to pixel streaming (as much as 100x less).

Apps appear in your Start menu as any local software normally would, and all data is also stored locally. When you are done with the software, it vanishes without a trace from the target device—no Registry changes, no leftover DLLs.

All is as it was before you cloudpaged the application. Data created with a cloudpaged app remains even after the software is no longer on your PC. Once you’ve started a cloudpaged app, it can even work without a live net connection. Games, for example, are playable for a grace period governed by the licensing policy. Applications and games can be played with full local peripheral support.

cadcam potential — The delivery and use of any application, including 3D design, has the potential to be redefined by Numecent's cloudpaging technology.

Who are those guys?

More than $50M has been put into the development of cloudpaging technology. The company started as Endeavors in 2000 with a grant from DARPA and it has been in stealth mode. In 2009 Osmond Kent, founder of 3Dlabs and part-time angel was asked about taking on a bigger role. Kent and his associates acquired Endeavors and changed the name to Numecent.

Tomorrow: Numecent’s first spin-off goes after the gaming market.