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File:Logo-BroadOn.png
File:Logo-BroadOn.png
File:Logo-RouteFree.png
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</gallery>'''Acer Cloud Technology''' (formerly known as '''iGware''', '''BroadOn''' (stylized as '''𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝𝑶𝒏'''), and '''RouteFree''') is a software engineering company which contributed to hardware, software, and online platform development for several of Nintendo's consoles. It was launched in April 2000 as RouteFree, and was subsequently renamed to BroadOn in 2003 and iGware in 2009. The company merged with Acer in 2011 with a $320 million deal and became Acer Cloud Computing. Prior to the merger with Acer, RouteFree/BroadOn/iGware contributed to a number of Nintendo's software and hardware projects, assisting with the design and development of the [[iQue Player]], Wii, Wii U, 3DS, as well as other unreleased projects such as the [[iQue Box]] and [[iQue NetCard]].
</gallery>'''Acer Cloud Technology,''' formerly known as '''iGware''', '''BroadOn''' (stylized as '''𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝𝑶𝒏'''), and '''RouteFree (stylized as 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞''') is a software engineering company which contributed to hardware, software, and online platform development for several of Nintendo's consoles. It was launched in April 2000 as RouteFree, and was subsequently renamed to BroadOn in 2003 and iGware in 2009. The company merged with Acer in 2011 with a $320 million deal and became Acer Cloud Computing. Prior to the merger with Acer, RouteFree/BroadOn/iGware contributed to a number of Nintendo's software and hardware projects, assisting with the design and development of the [[iQue Player]], Wii, Wii U, DSi and 3DS, as well as other unreleased projects such as the [[iQue Box]] and [[iQue NetCard]].
RouteFree was founded by Chinese-American entrepreneur Dr. Wei Yen, who previously worked at [[Silicon Graphics]] on the Nintendo 64 development team. He then started [[ArtX]] to assist with the development of the GameCube; after ArtX was bought out by [[ATI]], he formed RouteFree to assist with Nintendo's future projects.
RouteFree was founded by Chinese-American entrepreneur Dr. Wei Yen, who previously worked at [[Silicon Graphics]] on the Nintendo 64 development team. He then started [[ArtX]] to develop graphics hardware for PC motherboard chipsets, and was asked by Nintendo to assist with the development of the GameCube; after ArtX was bought out by [[ATI]], he formed RouteFree to assist with Nintendo's future projects.
==Contributions to Nintendo products==
==Contributions to Nintendo products==
RouteFree's first known contribution to Nintendo's products was assisting in the development of the [[iQue Player]], a Nintendo 64-based console intended for the Chinese market. The iQue Player featured rewritable storage and a basic online/e-commerce infrastructure, leading RouteFree to engineer an infrastructure design which would later be reused (to some extent) for all of Nintendo's future consoles up to the present day. In 2003, shortly before the release of the iQue Player, RouteFree changed their name to BroadOn. BroadOn then began working on 2 additional projects for [[iQue]], both of which were unannounced and never released; the [[iQue NetCard]], a Game Boy Advance cartridge with network support and rewritable storage, and the [[iQue Box]], a successor to the iQue Player based on GameCube hardware. Ultimately, both of these projects were cancelled and the work done on them (particularly the NetCard) was shifted over to the Wii project (then known as [[NNGC]]).
RouteFree's first known contribution to Nintendo's products was assisting in the development of the [[iQue Player]], a Nintendo 64-based console intended for the Chinese market. The iQue Player featured rewritable storage and a basic online/e-commerce infrastructure, leading RouteFree to engineer an infrastructure design which would later be reused (to some extent) for all of Nintendo's future consoles up to the present day.
Additionally, some code contributions and opened issues made by RouteFree/BroadOn in the early 2000s point to them working on a Linux-based environment for PowerPC devices featuring multimedia and peer-to-peer networking. It is unknown what the significance of this was or if it was related to their work with Nintendo.
In 2003, shortly before the release of the iQue Player, RouteFree changed their name to BroadOn. BroadOn then began working on 2 additional projects for [[iQue]], both of which were unannounced and never released; the [[iQue NetCard]], a Game Boy Advance cartridge with network support and rewritable storage, and the [[iQue Box]], a successor to the iQue Player based on GameCube hardware. Ultimately, both of these projects were cancelled and the work done on them (particularly the NetCard) was shifted over to the Wii project (then known as [[NNGC]]).
BroadOn then assisted in the design of the software and hardware for the Wii console, in collaboration with Nintendo and [[ATI]]; their contributions to the Wii include [[IOS]], the [[Hollywood]] chip, and the [[Wii Shop Channel]].
BroadOn then assisted in the design of the software and hardware for the Wii console, in collaboration with Nintendo and [[ATI]]; their contributions to the Wii include [[IOS]], the [[Hollywood]] chip, and the [[Wii Shop Channel]].
