Paradyne Networks, Inc. was a manufacturer of

computer networking A computer network is a collection of communicating computers and other devices, such as printers and smart phones. In order to communicate, the computers and devices must be connected by wired media like copper cables, optical fibers, or b ...

and

telecommunication Telecommunication, often used in its plural form or abbreviated as telecom, is the transmission of information over a distance using electronic means, typically through cables, radio waves, or other communication technologies. These means of ...

s hardware, based in

Largo, Florida Largo is the third largest city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States, as well as the fourth largest in the Tampa Bay area. As of the 2020 Census, the city had a population of 82,485, up from 77,648 in 2010 United States Census, 2010. Larg ...

. The company formed in 1969 as Paradyne Corporation to supply computer communications systems and expanded steadily through the 1970s and 80s. During these period they operated in the high-end

modem The Democratic Movement (, ; MoDem ) is a centre to centre-right political party in France, whose main ideological trends are liberalism and Christian democracy, and that is characterised by a strong pro-Europeanist stance. MoDem was establis ...

market and competed with Motorola Codex, Racal-Milgo, and divisions of AT&T and IBM. As one of its first major purchases after the 1982

Breakup of the Bell System The Bell System held a virtual monopoly over telephony infrastructure in the United States since the early 20th century until January 8, 1982. This divestiture of the Bell Operating Companies was initiated in 1974 when the United States Departme ...

AT&T AT&T Inc., an abbreviation for its predecessor's former name, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the w ...

purchased the company for $250 million in 1989 and renamed it to AT&T Paradyne. The company grew to become a major supplier in the

digital subscriber line Digital subscriber line (DSL; originally digital subscriber loop) is a family of technologies that are used to transmit digital data over telephone lines. In telecommunications marketing, the term DSL is widely understood to mean asymmetric dig ...

(DSL) industry as that expanded. When AT&T spun off

Lucent Lucent Technologies, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications equipment company headquartered in Murray Hill, New Jersey. It was established on September 30, 1996, through the divestiture of the former AT&T Technologies busines ...

in 1996, Paradyne moved to the new company. Lucent quickly sold Paradyne to

Texas Pacific Group TPG Inc., previously known as Texas Pacific Group and TPG Capital, is an American private equity firm based in Fort Worth, Texas. TPG manages investment funds in growth capital, venture capital, public equity, and debt investments. The firm in ...

(

TPG Capital TPG Inc., previously known as Texas Pacific Group and TPG Capital, is an American private equity firm based in Fort Worth, Texas. TPG manages investment funds in growth capital, venture capital, public equity, and debt investments. The firm in ...

) for $175 million where it became Paradyne Networks, Inc.."Lucent Technologies agrees to sell AT&T Paradyne unit"
''The New York Times'', June 20, 1996. The company was acquired by Zhone Technologies in 2005 for US$183.6 million.

References

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External links

* * {{authority control Telecommunications equipment vendors Networking companies of the United States American companies established in 1969 Former AT&T subsidiaries Defunct computer companies of the United States Defunct computer hardware companies

References

Further reading

External links