Founded in 1993 by Chris Wellens and Marshall Rose, it was the first company formed specifically to test network protocol compliance.

In his thought experiment, Maxwell imagined a double chamber with a uniform mixture of hot and cold gas molecules.

[citation needed] The Maxwell product sits in the middle of a network conversation and opens or closes a figurative "door" on the basis of specific criteria.

The engineers asked Interop to create an interoperability lab where these network communication issues could be worked out in a private and less stressful environment.

Interop's founder and CEO Dan Lynch concluded that the industry needed an interoperability testing lab.

[citation needed] The results persuaded several major corporations that interoperability testing would be a critical component of functioning networks.

In 2002, Wellens hired Auerbach, who was part of Cisco's Advanced Internet Architecture group, to serve as chief technology officer at InterWorking Labs.

An advisory board consisted of several members of the IETF who have expertise in networking protocols (Andy Bierman, Jeff Case, Dave Perkins, Randy Presuhn, and Steve Waldbusser).

Computer networks that keep economies, transportation, energy, and food supplies flowing commonly belong to the critical infrastructure of a region.