Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

NeXT, Inc.
     
         The company founded by {Steve Jobs} [in ?] following
        his involuntary departure from {Apple Computer, Inc.}.  NeXT
        produced both the hardware and {operating system}
        ({NEXTSTEP}).  They changed their name to "NeXT Software" when
        they stopped making hardware and released NEXTSTEP For {Intel}
        processors.  The company was bought by Apple in 1997(?).
     
        (1999-11-25)