Connectix introduced the QuickCam in 1994, widely recognized as the first commercially available webcam.
Connectix was founded in 1988 by Jan L. D. F. de Vries and Jon Garber and became known for inventive Macintosh peripherals and software. The company introduced the QuickCam in 1994. It connected to a computer through a serial port and captured low-resolution black-and-white images for video communication and other experiments.
The QuickCam was expensive by contemporary consumer standards and initially supported only Apple Macintosh computers. Even so, it demonstrated that ordinary personal computers could handle live camera images. Later models added color and broader compatibility as internet video and instant messaging became more popular.
Logitech acquired Connectix’s webcam business in 1998 and continued the QuickCam brand. That acquisition explains why Logitech is frequently named in later webcam histories. The original product, however, was a Connectix creation, and the term webcam became much more common after internet access and video-chat services expanded.