iconectiv
{{Short description|American communications services provider}}
{{lowercase title}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox company
| logo = Iconectiv-logo.png
| name = iconectiv
| type = Joint venture
| predecessor = Bell Telephone Laboratories
| former_name = Central Services Organization, Inc. (1983)
Bell Communications Research, Inc. (1984-1999)
| industry = Telecom Research
| foundation = {{start date and age|1983|10}}
| hq_location = Bridgewater, New Jersey, U.S.
| key_people = Richard Jacowleff (CEO)
| products = Fraud & Identity
Numbering
Messaging
Network & Operations
Industry Registries
| owners = Koch Equity (2024-present)
Ericsson (2012–2024)
Francisco Partners (16.7%, 2017–present){{cite web |title=Francisco Partners buys 16.7% stake in Ericsson's iconectiv |url=https://www.telecompaper.com/news/francisco-partners-buys-167-stake-in-ericssons-iconectiv--1186963 |website=Telecompaper.com |access-date=29 September 2017 |archive-date=October 9, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171009144022/https://www.telecompaper.com/news/francisco-partners-buys-167-stake-in-ericssons-iconectiv--1186963 |url-status=live }}
| num_employees = 500+ (2017)
| homepage = {{Official URL}}
}}
iconectiv supplies communications providers with network planning and management services. The company’s cloud-based information as a service network and operations management and numbering solutions span trusted communications, digital identity management{{cite web |title=Scam attacks are on the rise, but can they be fully stopped or prevented? |date=March 17, 2022 |url=https://cybernews.com/privacy/scam-attacks-are-on-the-rise-but-can-they-be-fully-stopped-or-prevented |publisher=Cybernews |access-date=December 1, 2023 |archive-date=October 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003042301/https://cybernews.com/privacy/scam-attacks-are-on-the-rise-but-can-they-be-fully-stopped-or-prevented/ |url-status=live }} and fraud prevention.{{cite web |title=Here's how thieves may use your phone to steal from you |url=https://www.kvue.com/article/news/investigations/defenders/heres-how-thieves-may-use-your-phone-to-steal-from-you/269-46ca2d24-de04-461a-93d3-2de41713c65b |website=KVUE |date=November 23, 2022 |access-date=December 1, 2023 |archive-date=March 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230321153201/https://www.kvue.com/article/news/investigations/defenders/heres-how-thieves-may-use-your-phone-to-steal-from-you/269-46ca2d24-de04-461a-93d3-2de41713c65b |url-status=live }} Known as Bellcore after its establishment in the United States in 1983 as part of the break-up of the Bell System, the company's name changed to Telcordia Technologies after a change of ownership in 1996. The business was acquired by Ericsson in 2012, then restructured and rebranded as iconectiv in 2013.
A major architect of the United States telecommunications system, the company pioneered many services, including caller ID, call waiting, mobile number portability, and toll-free telephone (800) service. It also pioneered the prepaid charging system and the Intelligent Network.
Headquartered in Bridgewater, New Jersey (U.S.), iconectiv provides network and operations management, numbering, registry and fraud prevention services for the global telecommunications industry. It provides numbering services in more than a dozen countries, including serving as the Local Number Portability Administrator (LNPA) for the United States. In that capacity, iconectiv manages the Number Portability Administration Center (NPAC), the system that supports the implementation of local number portability.
Founding
iconectiv was established on October 20, 1983, as Central Services Organization{{Cite web |url=http://assignments.uspto.gov/assignments/assignment-tm-1931-0213.pdf |title=Restated Articles of incorporation of Bell Communications Research, Inc. |access-date=February 9, 2012 |archive-date=June 23, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150623231752/http://assignments.uspto.gov/assignments/assignment-tm-1931-0213.pdf |url-status=live }} as part of the 1982 Modification of Final Judgment that broke up the Bell System. It later received the name Bell Communications Research. Nicknamed Bellcore, it was a consortium established by the Regional Holding Companies upon their separation from AT&T. Since AT&T retained Bell Laboratories, the operating companies desired a separate research and development facility. Bellcore, the tenth company to register an Internet domain name in comTLD, provided joint research and development, was involved in standards setting, training, and centralized government point-of-contact functions for its co-owners, the seven Regional Holding Companies that were themselves divested from AT&T as holding companies for the 22 local Bell Operating Companies.
Bellcore's initial staff and corporate culture were drawn from the nearby Bell Laboratories locations in northern New Jersey, plus additional staff from AT&T and regional operating companies. The company originally had its headquarters in Livingston with dedication by New Jersey Governor Thomas Kean in 1985, but moved its headquarters to Morristown a decade later. Bellcore also operated the former Bell System Center for Technical Education in Lisle, Illinois.
Separation from the Baby Bells
In 1996, the company was provisionally acquired by Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC).{{cite book |title=The SAIC Solution: How We Built an $8 Billion Employee-Owned Technology Company |author=Dr. J. Robert Beyster with Peter Economy |year=2007 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-0470097526 |url=https://archive.org/details/saicsolutionhoww00beys |url-access=registration}} The sale was closed one year later, following a regulatory approval process that covered every U.S. state individually. Since the divested company no longer had any ownership connection with the Regional Bell Operating Companies (Baby Bells), the name was changed to Telcordia Technologies in 1999.{{Cite web |url=http://assignments.uspto.gov/assignments/assignment-tm-1932-0381.pdf |title=State of Delaware, Office of the Secretary of State, March 17, 1999 |access-date=February 10, 2012 |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402105418/http://assignments.uspto.gov/assignments/assignment-tm-1932-0381.pdf |url-status=live }} The headquarters was moved to Piscataway, New Jersey.Tim McElligott & Jason Meyers, [https://web.archive.org/web/20160624233951/https://business.highbeam.com/137453/article-1G1-107953901/bellcore-30 BELLCORE 3.0], Connected Planet, September 22, 2003 – accessed July 8, 2010
The former headquarters campus in Morristown and its offices and laboratories in Red Bank, New Jersey, are former Bell Labs locations that were transferred to Telcordia.
Equal stakes in the company were sold in March 2005 to Providence Equity Partners and Warburg Pincus.{{cite web |title=SAIC Completes Sale of Telcordia to Providence Equity and Warburg Pincus |url=https://investors.leidos.com/news-and-events/news-releases/press-release-details/2005/SAIC-Completes-Sale-of-Telcordia-to-Providence-Equity-and-Warburg-Pincus/default.aspx |website=Leidos.com |access-date=April 30, 2019 |archive-date=April 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190430075611/https://investors.leidos.com/news-and-events/news-releases/press-release-details/2005/SAIC-Completes-Sale-of-Telcordia-to-Providence-Equity-and-Warburg-Pincus/default.aspx |url-status=live }}
Acquisition by Ericsson
On June 14, 2011, Ericsson announced an agreement to acquire Telcordia for $1.15 billion.[http://www.ericsson.com/us/news/1523267 Ericsson to acquire Telcordia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301085446/http://www.ericsson.com/us/news/1523267 |date=March 1, 2012 }}, press release, Ericsson, 2011-06-14 On January 12, 2012, Telcordia became a wholly owned subsidiary of Ericsson.{{cite web |url=http://www.ericsson.com/news/1576841 |title=Ericsson closes Telcordia acquisition |date=2012-01-12 |access-date=January 12, 2012 |archive-date=June 18, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130618152234/http://www.ericsson.com/news/1576841 |url-status=live }} On June 15, 2011, Ericsson announced the completion of the purchase from private-equity firms Providence Equity Partners and Warburg Pincus,{{cite web |url=https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/06/14/ericsson-to-acquire-telcordia-for-1-15-billion |title=Ericsson to Acquire Telcordia for $1.15 Billion |work=New York Times |date=June 14, 2011 |access-date=2012-08-30 |archive-date=March 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180312022344/https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/06/14/ericsson-to-acquire-telcordia-for-1-15-billion/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303714704576385210649690654 |title=Ericsson Says It Will Buy Telcordia for $1.15 Billion |work=Wall Street Journal |date=June 14, 2011 |access-date=2012-08-30 |archive-date=March 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180302121719/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303714704576385210649690654 |url-status=live |last1=Das |first1=Anupreeta }} with the goal to pursue industry trends that include mobile broadband, managed services/outsourcing and global OSS/BSS transformation.{{cite web |url=http://tbri.com/analyst-perspectives/special-reports/pgView.cfm?document=6922 |title=Ericsson deepens back-office focus with Telcordia acquisition |work=Connected Planet |access-date=2012-08-30 |archive-date=July 1, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701012456/http://tbri.com/analyst-perspectives/special-reports/pgView.cfm?document=6922 |url-status=live }} The acquisition, which officially closed on January 12, 2012,{{cite web |url=http://www.vanillaplus.com/news/item/1515-ericsson-closes-telcordia-acquisition-for-us$115bn-after-short-delay |title=Ericsson closes Telcordia acquisition for US $1.15bn after short delay |work=Vanilla Plus |access-date=2012-08-30 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} added about 2,600 employees to Ericsson's staff.{{cite web |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-14/ericsson-agrees-to-acquire-telcordia-for-1-15-billion-in-an-all-cash-deal.html |title=Ericsson To Buy Telcordia For $1.2 Billion To Add Services |work=Bloomberg |access-date=2012-08-30 |archive-date=November 25, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111125042238/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-14/ericsson-agrees-to-acquire-telcordia-for-1-15-billion-in-an-all-cash-deal.html |url-status=live }} On June 4, 2012, Telcordia and its products were officially rebranded as Ericsson.{{cite web |url=http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=221601 |title=Say Goodbye To Telcordia |work=Light Reading |access-date=2012-08-30}}
In the process of integration, Telcordia's Advanced Technology Solutions business unit, the company's research arm, was rebranded as Applied Communication Sciences, and became a wholly owned subsidiary of Ericsson that operated independently on day-to-day operations pursuant to a proxy structure mandated by the U.S. government.{{cite web |url=http://www.telecomlead.com/information/telcordia-applied-communication-sciences-becomes-wholly-owned-subsidiary-of-telcordia-technologies-6212 |title=Telcordia Applied Communication Sciences Becomes Wholly Owned Subsidiary Of Telcordia Technologies |work=OSS News Review |date=January 19, 2012 |access-date=2012-08-30 |archive-date=June 17, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160617103429/http://www.telecomlead.com/information/telcordia-applied-communication-sciences-becomes-wholly-owned-subsidiary-of-telcordia-technologies-6212 |url-status=live }} In October 2012, Applied Communication Sciences relocated its headquarters to Basking Ridge, New Jersey, occupying the former headquarters of AT&T Wireless.
In February 2013, Ericsson launched iconectiv for its interconnection business.{{Cite web |title=Interconnection solutions renamed iconectiv |url=http://www.ericsson.com/news/130214-interconnection-solutions-renamed-iconectiv_244129229_c |date=14 February 2013 |website=Ericsson |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130218074301/http://www.ericsson.com/news/130214-interconnection-solutions-renamed-iconectiv_244129229_c |archive-date=18 February 2013}} During this time, Ericsson maintained its corporate presence in Plano, Texas and iconectiv's corporate presence in New Jersey. In July 2017, iconectiv moved its headquarters from Piscataway to Bridgewater, New Jersey.{{cite web |url=http://www.iconectiv.com/news-events/global-piscataway-telecommunications-firm-moving-bridgewater |title=Global Piscataway Telecommunications Firm Moving to Bridgewater |work=iconectiv.com |access-date=2017-08-04 |archive-date=August 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170804113830/http://www.iconectiv.com/news-events/global-piscataway-telecommunications-firm-moving-bridgewater |url-status=live }}
In August 2024, Ericson announced a sale of iconectiv to Koch Equity for $1 billion.{{cite web | url=https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/ericsson-sells-iconectiv-to-koch-equity-for-1bn/ | title=Ericsson sells iconectiv to Koch Equity for $1bn | date=August 21, 2024 }}
Francisco Partners investment
On August 10, 2017, Francisco Partners announced a $200 million investment in iconectiv and received a 16.7 percent ownership stake in the company.{{cite web |title=Francisco Partners completes investment in Ericsson's iconectiv business |url=https://www.ericsson.com/en/press-releases/2017/8/francisco-partners-completes-investment-in-ericssons-iconectiv-business |website=Ericsson.com |access-date=29 September 2017 |language=en |archive-date=October 9, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171009150516/https://www.ericsson.com/en/press-releases/2017/8/francisco-partners-completes-investment-in-ericssons-iconectiv-business |url-status=live }}
Notable clients
In 2015, iconectiv won a contract procured by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to operate the Number Portability Administration Center (NPAC).{{cite web |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/blog/techflash/2015/03/neustar-loses-bid-for-lucrative-contract-after-fcc.html |title=NeuStar loses bid for lucrative contract after FCC recommendation |author=Kasra Kangarloo |date=2015-03-26 |publisher=Washington Business Journal |access-date=2015-06-23 |archive-date=August 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160807181956/http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/blog/techflash/2015/03/neustar-loses-bid-for-lucrative-contract-after-fcc.html |url-status=live }} The service had been operated by Neustar Inc. for 18 years. iconectiv completed the transition from Neustar on May 29, 2018 becoming the Local Number Portability Administrator (LNPA) for the United States.{{cite web |title=Layoffs at Ericsson's iconectiv |url=https://www.lightreading.com/oss-bss/bss-(inc-billing-revenue-assurance)/layoffs-at-ericssons-iconectiv/d/d-id/745335 |website=Light Reading |language=en |access-date=May 16, 2019 |archive-date=December 10, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181210094048/https://www.lightreading.com/oss-bss/bss-(inc-billing-revenue-assurance)/layoffs-at-ericssons-iconectiv/d/d-id/745335 |url-status=live }}
iconectiv was awarded the contract from CTIA to provide Common Short Code (CSC) Registry Services, effective January 1, 2016.{{cite news |title=CTIA names Iconectiv to manage short-code registry |url=http://www.telecompaper.com/news/ctia-names-iconectiv-to-manage-short-code-registry--1095207 |work=Telecompaper |date=31 July 2015 |access-date=4 May 2016 |archive-date=March 8, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308063728/http://www.telecompaper.com/news/ctia-names-iconectiv-to-manage-short-code-registry--1095207 |url-status=live }}
In 2019, the Secure Telephone Identity Governance Authority (STI-GA) selected iconectiv as the U.S. STI Policy Administrator for supervising measures to ensure voice calls have accurate caller ID.{{Cite web |title=Mitigating Illegal Robocalling Advances with Secure Telephone Identity Governance Authority Board's Selection of iconectiv as Policy Administrator |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190530005549/en/Mitigating-Illegal-Robocalling-Advances-Secure-Telephone-Identity |date=2019-05-30 |website=Business Wire |language=en |access-date=2020-05-16 |archive-date=July 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726182118/https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190530005549/en/Mitigating-Illegal-Robocalling-Advances-Secure-Telephone-Identity |url-status=live }}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website}}
- [http://telecom-info.njdepot.ericsson.net/site-cgi/ido/docs2.pl?ID=&page=gr_process Telcordia Generic Requirements]
- [https://www.ericsson.com/en/about-us/history/company/the-consequences-of-expansion/ericsson-acquired-telcordia Telcordia is now part of Ericsson]
{{AT&T Spinoffs}}
{{Telecommunications}}
{{Authority control}}
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Category:Research and development organizations
Category:Companies based in Middlesex County, New Jersey
Category:Telecommunications companies established in 1983
Category:Piscataway, New Jersey
Category:American subsidiaries of foreign companies