Alteon WebSystems
{{short description|Computer network hardware company}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Alteon WebSystems Incorporated
| logo = AlteonWebSystems.png
| foundation = {{start date and age|1996}}
| founder =
| fate = Acquired by Nortel in 2000
Acquired by Radware in 2009
| location_city = San Jose, California
| location_country = United States
| key_people =
| industry = Computer networking
| products = Network switches
Network interface controllers
| parent = Radware
| homepage = {{URL|https://www.radware.com/products/alteon}}
| footnotes =
}}
File:Logo of Alteon Networks.svg
File:Logo of AlteonWebSystems.svg
Alteon WebSystems (originally Alteon Networks, Inc.) is a division of Radware that produces application delivery controllers.
Alteon was acquired by Nortel Networks on October 4, 2000.{{cite news |title= Nortel Networks Completes Acquisition of Alteon WebSystems |date= October 5, 2000 |work= News release |publisher= Nortel |url= http://www.Nortel.com/corporate/news/newsreleases/2000c/10_05_0000660_alteon_closing.html |accessdate= June 8, 2011 |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20110716114820/http://www.nortel.com/corporate/news/newsreleases/2000c/10_05_0000660_alteon_closing.html |archivedate= July 16, 2011 |url-status= dead }}
On February 22, 2009 Nortel Networks sold the Alteon application switching line to Radware.
History
Alteon Networks was founded in 1996 by Mark Bryers, John Hayes, Ted Schroeder and Wayne Hathaway. Initial venture capital investors were Matrix Partners and Sutter Hill Ventures. Dominic Orr became chief executive in October 1996.{{Cite news |title= Alteon Appoints New Chief Executive Officer: Former Bay Networks Executive Dominic Orr Joins Fast Growing Startup |work= Press release |date= October 14, 1996 |url= http://www.alteon.com/prelease3.html |url-status=dead |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/19970113130828/http://www.alteon.com/prelease3.html |archivedate= January 13, 1997 |accessdate= August 27, 2013 }}
Alteon introduced innovative products such as the ACEswitch 180, which was the first network switch to deliver Ethernet with selectable speed, 10/100 or 1000 Mbit/s, on every port via autonegotiation. Their ACEdirector Layer 4-7 switch was designed as an integrated services front-end and server load balancer. They also introduced Jumbo Frames (up to 9,000 bytes) with their ACEnic adapters, and supported by their switches.{{cite news|title=Alteon still stumping for Jumbo Frames |author=Jeff Caruso |work=Network World |date=October 22, 1998 |url=http://www.networkworld.com/news/1022alteon.html |accessdate=July 4, 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015084400/http://www.networkworld.com/news/1022alteon.html |archivedate=October 15, 2012 }}
In addition to server switches, Alteon produced the first network interface controller (NIC) in 1997 that used Gigabit Ethernet (demonstrated at the Networld + Interop trade show in September 1996).{{Cite news |title= Alteon Networks and Network Appliance Demonstrate Gigabit Ethernet Connectivity at NetWorld+Interop Atlanta |work= Press release |date= September 18, 1996 |url= http://www.alteon.com/prelease1.html |url-status=dead |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/19970113130927/http://www.alteon.com/prelease1.html |archivedate= January 13, 1997 |accessdate= August 27, 2013 }}
Alteon's third generation Gigabit Ethernet NIC (code named "Tigon") became the basis for Broadcom's family of Ethernet controllers (series BCM570x) {{cite web |title= bge - Broadcom BCM570x/5714/5721/5750/5751/5752/5789 PCI Gigabit Ethernet adapter driver |author= Bill Paul |work= Ubuntu FreeBSD manual |url= http://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/intrepid/man4/bge.4freebsd.html |accessdate= June 8, 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20111006211740/http://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/intrepid/man4/bge.4freebsd.html |archive-date= October 6, 2011 |url-status= dead |df= mdy-all }} and has shipped over 60 million copies. It was used in low-cost adapters from vendors such as 3Com.{{cite news |title= Gbit Ethernet primed for mainstream servers |work= EE Times |date= March 16, 2001 |author= David Lammers |url= http://www.eetimes.com/design/communications-design/4140184/Gbit-Ethernet-primed-for-mainstream-servers |accessdate= June 8, 2011 }}
In July 2000, Nortel Networks announced it was buying Alteon for US$6 billion in stock. The deal had originally been announced with a value of $7.8 billion, but the stock market plummeted before the deal closed in October.{{cite news |title= Nortel Networks to Acquire Alteon WebSystems for US$7.8 Billion - Will Establish Leadership Position in Delivering High-Performance Internet Data Centers for the New Networked Economy |work= News release |publisher= Nortel |date= July 28, 2000 |url= http://www.nortel.com/corporate/news/newsreleases/2000b/07_28_0000483_apache.html |accessdate= June 8, 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110103074151/http://www.nortel.com/corporate/news/newsreleases/2000b/07_28_0000483_apache.html |archive-date= January 3, 2011 |url-status= dead |df= mdy-all }}
Nortel rolled the ACEDirector and ACESwitch products into its Personal Internet product line, but one year later sales had slowed down.{{cite news |title= Nortel's Alteon play gets mixed results |work= Network World |author= Phil Hochmuth |date= July 30, 2001 |url= http://www.networkworld.com/news/2001/0727alteon.html |accessdate= July 4, 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121015084352/http://www.networkworld.com/news/2001/0727alteon.html |archive-date= October 15, 2012 |url-status= dead |df= mdy-all }}
On February 22, 2009 Nortel Networks announced they would sell the Alteon application switching line to Radware, for $17.65 million.[http://www.radware.com/newsevents/pressrelease.aspx?id=6925 Radware Enters into Agreement to Acquire Nortel’s Layer 4-7 Application Delivery Business]{{cite news |title= Radware pays $18 million for Nortel's Alteon assets |author= Ann Bednarz |work= Network World |date=April 2, 2009 |url= http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/2009/033009netop2.html |accessdate= June 8, 2011 }}
In November 2013, Radware announced the Alteon NG, marketed as an application delivery controller.{{Cite web|url=http://www.radware.com/NewsEvents/PressReleases/radware-launches-alteon-ng-next-generation-adc/|title = Radware Launches Alteon NG – Next Generation Application Delivery Controller}}
References
{{Reflist|1}}
External links
- {{web archive|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20001007001240/http://www.alteonwebsystems.com/|title=Official website (Alteon Networks, Inc.)}}
- {{web archive|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20001019052726/http://www.alteonwebsystems.com/main.asp|title=Official website (Alteon WebSystems)}}
{{Dot-com Bubble}}
Category:1999 initial public offerings
Category:2000 mergers and acquisitions
Category: Companies formerly listed on the Nasdaq
Category:Defunct computer companies of the United States
Category:Defunct computer hardware companies
Category:Defunct networking companies