Skip Links

Network World

  • Social Web 
  • Email 
  • Close

(Comma separation for multiple addresses)
Your Message:

3Com: one of the longest running shows in networking

Founded in 1979, Ethernet pioneer 3Com has had several incarnations
By Tim Greene , Network World , 11/11/2009
  • Share/Email
  • Tweet This
  • Comment
  • Print


Now consumed by HP in a $2.7 billion deal announced Wednesday, 3Com has a long and varied history, summarized here.

1979 – 3Com is founded, and it turns out that Bob Metcalfe, the father of Ethernet, is the father of 3Com, too. He holds the post of CEO for three years.

1981 – The company ships its first product, an Ethernet adapter.

1984 – Its initial public offering yields $10 million in stock revenue.

1986 – The company relies on sales of NICs, servers and its network operating system 3+ for most of its sales.

1988 – 3Com ships 3+Open, the first network operating system based on Microsoft’s LAN Manager.

1987 – The company buys Bridge Communications, maker of multi-protocol bridges.

1990 – Facing stiff competition from Microsoft and Novell, 3Com gets out of the network operating system business.

1990 – Eric Benhomou is named president and CEO of the company. He stepped down as CEO in 2001, but he remains chairman.

1994 – The company buys switch maker Synernetics, remote-access server maker Centrum Communications and ATM vendor NiceCom.

1995 – 3Com buys hub and switch vendor ChipCom for $775 million.

1997 – The company spends $7.3 billion to buy U.S. Robotics, the maker of modems and Palm handhelds.

2000 – 3Com gets out of the large enterprise switching market and spins off Palm as a separate entity.

2003 – The company creates a joint venture with Huawei – H-3C - in an effort to get back into large enterprise switching. The headquarters moves from Santa Clara to Marlborough, Mass.

2004 – 3Com buys IPS maker Tipping Point for $430 million.

2006 – 3Com buys out the H-3C joint venture for $882 million.

2007 – Bain Capital agrees to buy the company with help from Huawei for $2.2 billion, but federal regulators block the deal. 3Com spins out Tipping Point as a separate publicly held business.

2008 – Robert Mao is named CEO and sets up shop in China where H-3C claims dominance.

2009 – 3Com takes another run at the U.S. large enterprise market. The company agrees to be bought by HP for $2.7 billion.

  • Share/Email
  • Tweet This
  • Comment
  • Print

Partner Content

Gartner 2009 Magic Quadrant for Job Scheduling

Gartner has positioned BMC CONTROL-M in the Leaders Quadrant of their "2009 Magic Quadrant for Job Scheduling." The report assesses the ability to execute and completeness of vision of key vendors in the marketplace. Read a full copy today, courtesy of BMC Software.

Download whitepaper

Dell's SMART Approach to Workload Automation

Read a compelling case study by EMA, Inc. to learn how Dell uses BMC CONTROL-M to cut cost and increase productivity with workload automation.

Download whitepaper

Workload Automation Cost Savings 2 Minute Video

A major computer manufacturer uses BMC CONTROL-M and just four people to schedule and run over 85,000 jobs every month. By switching to BMC CONTROL-M, they more than quadrupled the workload without adding a single staff member.  See how in this 2-minute video overview.

Go to video

Comment
Login
Forgot your account info?
Add comment
Anonymous comments subject to approval. Register here for member benefits.
Have a NetworkWorld account? Log in here. Register now for a free account.

Videos

rssRss Feed