Formed in 1987[1] by Mitch Kapor after his departure from Lotus Software, the initial business plan of the company was to build an object-oriented PC desktop environment providing a variety of applications.

)[citation needed] Following its acquisition by Notework Corporation, ON Technology proceeded to expand its product line through a series of small product/company acquisitions, including email software (DaVinci, a message handling system-based email product), antivirus technology, corporate Internet usage monitoring, IP firewall, and desktop systems management.

[citation needed] In 1995, the company went public, providing additional structural methods to perform most of the product acquisitions listed above.

The company distinguished itself through its go-to-market model, incorporating a 30-day free trial alongside significant marketing and telesales to reach a large number of small to medium-sized customers.

In 1998, the company restructured its operations and sold off its "free-trial" small/medium business products to Elron Software.