Though Microsoft appeared with its own network software, it was too late.
Banyan, based in this suburb west of Boston, has only 7.5 percent of the $1.2 billion market for network software.
The network software had to offer higher performance to compete head-on with Unix, he said.
Some of our network software actually needed my attention, but usually I was just tinkering to learn how it worked.
The hacker wanted to try, but couldn't figure out where we'd installed the network software.
"They were not particularly impressed by selling systems and network software," he said.
It is historically used as an embedded database in telecommunications equipment, network software, and similar systems.
An instant later he had the specs on the target's network software.
This will also require upgrading the network software in advance.
He said taxpayers would be asked to pay up to half a billion dollars to develop and deploy the necessary network software.