I'd say it was successful, it was certainly out on plenty of tours and one off's in its heyday, remember you could only hire the system from LSD (now part of PRG) and at the time the were a big player! I believe the reason for the unique system of having a separate data pair per fixture from FOH was due to concern about infringing on a patent that Vari-Lite held. I loved the way they managed to name an interface UGLI, that and the tales of lighting cigarettes from the beam out of the Icon although I never witnessed it myself so could be an old wives tale!