Metaswitch

File:Metaswitch office, Enfield, UK.jpg

Metaswitch (then Data Connection) was founded in 1981 by seven former IBM employees led by Ian Ferguson, who remained on the board of directors until the company's acquisition by Microsoft.{{cite web|url=http://network-technologies.metaswitch.com/company/history.aspx|title=History|work=Metaswitch Networks}}{{cite web|url=http://www.opticalkeyhole.com/interviews/metaswitch.asp|title=MetaSwitch - Engineered for Success in VoB/VoIP |work= Optical Keyhole|date=15 March 2004|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070820124301/http://opticalkeyhole.com/interviews/metaswitch.asp|archivedate=20 August 2007}}{{cite web|url=http://www.metaswitch.com/company/board-of-directors|title=Board of Directors|work=Metaswitch Networks}}{{Cite web|title=METASWITCH NETWORKS LTD - Filing history (free information from Companies House)|url=https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/01578918/filing-history|access-date=2020-07-15|website=beta.companieshouse.gov.uk|language=en}} The company's earliest business areas included IBM Systems Network Architecture (SNA) and retail point of sale systems. In the 1990s, the company began developing network protocol software.

In 2000, the company launched the Metaswitch brand, which provided softswitches and network management systems designed to enable telephone service providers to migrate to Voice over IP (VoIP) networks while still supporting legacy telephone technologies. By 2008, the Metaswitch division was responsible for 78% of the company's revenue.{{cite web|url=http://connectedplanetonline.com/software/news/metaswitch-touts-growth-1029/index.html |title=Metaswitch Touts 22% Growth |work=Connected Planet Online |date=29 October 2008 |last=Karpinski |first=Rich |archivedate=21 July 2011 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721004253/http://connectedplanetonline.com/software/news/metaswitch-touts-growth-1029/index.html |url-status=dead }}

In April 2009, the company announced intentions to consolidate all of its products and business operations under the Metaswitch brand, with two business units: the Carrier Systems Division and Network Protocol Division.{{cite web|url=http://www.fiercevoip.com/story/metaswitch-forum-2009-metaswitch-appoints-lazar-ceo-adds-denuccio-board-consolidates-brand/200 |title=MetaSwitch Forum 2009: MetaSwitch appoints Lazar CEO, adds DeNuccio to board, consolidates brand |work=FierceVoIP |publisher=FierceMarkets |date=8 April 2009 |last=Mohney |first=Doug |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101211113959/http://www.fiercevoip.com/story/metaswitch-forum-2009-metaswitch-appoints-lazar-ceo-adds-denuccio-board-consolidates-brand/200 |archivedate=11 December 2010 |url-status=dead }} In October 2009, the company rebranded itself as Metaswitch Networks, to reflect the growing focus on the products and services that it sells to telephone service providers.{{cite press release|url=http://www.metaswitch.com/news/press-releases/2009/metaswitch-networks-annual-results-show-revenue-growth-strong-profitability|title=Metaswitch Networks Annual Results Show Revenue Growth, Strong Profitability and Market Share Gains|publisher=Metaswitch Networks|date=7 October 2009|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111109113201/http://www.metaswitch.com/news/press-releases/2009/metaswitch-networks-annual-results-show-revenue-growth-strong-profitability|archivedate=9 November 2011}}

In August 2011, the company formally changed its name from Data Connection Ltd to Metaswitch Networks Ltd.{{cite web|url=http://www.companiesintheuk.co.uk/ltd/metaswitch-networks|title=Metaswitch Networks|publisher=Companies in the UK}}

In July 2014, the company moved some of its software to open-source with the launch of Project Calico.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/07/10/metaswitch_opens_nfv_code_as_project_calico/ |title=Metaswitch opens NFV code as Project Calico|website=The Register |language=en-US|access-date=2018-01-01}} Project Calico was subsequently spun out into an independent startup, [http://www.tigera.io Tigera, Inc.], with Andy Randall (formerly the general manager of Metaswitch’s Networking Business Unit) as CEO.{{Cite web |last=Tozzi |first=Christopher |date=20 May 2016 |title=Tigera Plans to Solve the Container Networking Challenge |url=https://www.sdxcentral.com/articles/news/tigera-plans-to-solve-the-container-networking-challenge/2016/05/ }}

In May 2020, Microsoft announced a definitive agreement to acquire Metaswitch Networks.{{cite web|title=Microsoft announces definitive agreement to acquire Metaswitch Network|date=14 May 2020|url=https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2020/05/14/microsoft-announces-definitive-agreement-to-acquire-metaswitch-networks-expanding-approach-to-empower-operators-and-partner-with-network-equipment-providers-to-deliver-on-promise-of-5g}}{{cite web |url=https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2020/05/14/microsoft-announces-definitive-agreement-to-acquire-metaswitch-networks-expanding-approach-to-empower-operators-and-partner-with-network-equipment-providers-to-deliver-on-promise-of-5g/ |title=Microsoft announces definitive agreement to acquire Metaswitch Networks, expanding approach to empower operators and partner with network equipment providers to deliver on promise of 5G |date=14 May 2020 |first=Yousef |last=Khalidi |accessdate=12 October 2021}} On 15 July 2020, the acquisition was completed.{{cite web|title=Microsoft Completes Metaswitch Networks Acquisition |date=16 July 2020|url=https://www.channele2e.com/investors/private-equity/microsoft-completes-metaswitch-networks-acquisition}}

In June 2024, Microsoft made major cuts to its Azure for Operators business, which then included most of Metaswitch.{{Cite web |title=Layoffs crash into Microsoft's Azure for Operators |url=https://www.lightreading.com/cloud/layoffs-crash-into-microsoft-s-azure-for-operators |access-date=2025-02-07 |website=www.lightreading.com |language=en}}

In December 2024, Alianza announced that it had signed a definitive agreement to acquire Metaswitch from Microsoft.{{Cite web |date=2024-12-10 |title=Alianza Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire Metaswitch from Microsoft {{!}} Alianza |url=https://www.alianza.com/press-releases/alianza-to-acquire-metaswitch-from-microsoft/ |access-date=2025-02-07 |website=www.alianza.com |language=en-US}} On 04 March 2025, the acquisition was completed.{{Cite web |date=2025-03-04 |title=Alianza Completes Acquisition of Metaswitch from Microsoft to Empower Service Provider Growth and Help Telcos Close a Massive Gap in Services Revenue - Full-Stack Communications for Service Providers {{!}} Alianza |url=https://www.alianza.com/press-releases/alianza-completes-acquisition-of-metaswitch-from-microsoft/ |access-date=2025-03-05 |website=www.alianza.com |language=en-US}}

In March 2010, the firm acquired AppTrigger Inc, a provider of service broker software in Richardson, Texas.{{cite press release |url= http://www.metaswitch.com/news/press-releases/2010/metaswitch-enters-service-broker-market-acquisition-apptrigger |title= Metaswitch Enters Service Broker Market with Acquisition of AppTrigger |publisher= Metaswitch Networks |date= 9 March 2010 |url-status= dead |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20111109113505/http://www.metaswitch.com/news/press-releases/2010/metaswitch-enters-service-broker-market-acquisition-apptrigger |archivedate= 9 November 2011 }} In April 2011, it acquired Colibria AS, a provider of Rich Communication Suite (RCS) software in Oslo, Norway.{{cite press release|title=Metaswitch Acquires Colibria|date=6 April 2011|publisher=Metaswitch Networks|url=http://www.metaswitch.com/news/press-releases/2011/metaswitch-acquires-colibria|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111109114232/http://www.metaswitch.com/news/press-releases/2011/metaswitch-acquires-colibria|archivedate=9 November 2011}} In February 2017, Metaswitch acquired OpenCloud Ltd, a provider of an open mobile services platform.{{Cite news|url=http://www.lightreading.com/mobile/volte-rich-communications/metaswitch-eyes-volte-with-opencloud-buy/d/d-id/730336|title=Metaswitch Eyes VoLTE With OpenCloud Buy {{!}} Light Reading|work=Light Reading|access-date=2017-03-13|language=en}}

In 1987, Metaswitch established the Employee Benefit Trust (EBT) to hold shares of the company on behalf of the employees, which enabled company-wide profit sharing.{{cite web|url=http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=40555|title=DCL: Hiring Toward Profits |work=Light Reading|publisher=UBM TechWeb|date=22 September 2003|last=Jander|first=Mary|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20031103090221/http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=40555|archivedate=3 November 2003}}{{cite web|url=http://www.metaswitch.com/company/stability.aspx |title=Stability |work=Metaswitch Networks |archivedate=12 June 2010 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612162730/http://www.metaswitch.com/company/stability.aspx |at=Ownership |quote=The company is privately held by top-tier investment firms Francisco Partners and Sequoia Capital, as well as the Employee Benefit Trust (EBT), which distributes a share of profit to all employees… |url-status=dead }}

In January 2008 Francisco Partners, a private equity firm, and Sequoia Capital, a venture capitalist firm, invested an undisclosed sum in Metaswitch.{{cite press release|publisher=Metaswitch Networks|date=14 January 2008|title=Francisco Partners and Sequoia Capital make significant investment in Data Connection and MetaSwitch|url=http://www.metaswitch.com/news/press-releases/2008/francisco-partners-and-sequoia-capital-make-significant-investment-data-con|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120120225525/http://www.metaswitch.com/news/press-releases/2008/francisco-partners-and-sequoia-capital-make-significant-investment-data-con|archivedate=20 January 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://connectedplanetonline.com/software/news/metaswitch-finding-investment-0114/ |title=MetaSwitch gets cash infusion |work=Connected Planet Online |date=14 January 2008 |last=Wilson |first=Carol |archivedate=21 July 2011 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721004341/http://connectedplanetonline.com/software/news/metaswitch-finding-investment-0114/ |url-status=dead }}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.metaswitch.com Official website]

{{Microsoft}}

{{Auth}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Metaswitch}}

Category:Networking companies

Category:Networking software companies

Category:Telecommunications equipment vendors

Category:Companies based in the London Borough of Enfield

Category:British companies established in 1981

Category:Telecommunications companies established in 1981

Category:Software companies established in 1981

Category:2020 mergers and acquisitions

Category:Microsoft acquisitions

Category:Microsoft subsidiaries

Category:British subsidiaries of foreign companies

Category:Software companies based in London