M/A-COM Technology Solutions

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Examples of M/A-COM Technology Solutions RF circulator and isolator

M/A-COM Technology Solutions is a developer and producer of radio, microwave, and millimeter wave semiconductor devices and components. The company is headquartered in Lowell, Massachusetts, and in 2005 was Lowell's largest private employer.[1]

History

M/A-COM Technology Solutions (M/A-COM Tech) began in the 1950s as "Microwave Associates", a small supplier of magnetrons to the U.S. Army Signal Corps. The name was changed to M/A-COM in 1978 to reflect the company's growing involvement in the telecommunication industry. In May 1981, M/A-COM acquired Ohio Scientific. In the 1990s, M/A-COM was acquired by AMP Inc., which was in turn acquired by Tyco Electronics.

M/A-COM acquired the EDACS radio systems team and products and merged them with its own OpenSky resources. The combined company subsequently developed a P25 radio offering, and has grown its critical communications systems business to be a large player in the modern wireless two-way communications market.

June 2003, XMA Corporation, located in Manchester, New Hampshire, purchased from M/A-COM the Omni Spectra line of coaxial attenuators and terminations.

On May 13, 2008, Tyco Electronics announced that it would sell its RF Components and Subsystem Business to Cobham plc for $425 million. Tyco Electronics retained the wireless communications part of M/A-COM, but renamed it Tyco Electronics Wireless Systems.[2]

Transitions in 2008

On September 29, 2008 Tyco Electronics and Cobham announced the completion of the sale of Tyco Electronics’ M/A-COM Radio Frequency Components and Subsystems business to Cobham plc.[3] Tyco Electronics kept its Wireless Systems business unit, and changed its name from M/A-COM to Tyco Electronics Wireless Systems.

On January 15, 2009, the State of New York terminated its contract with Tyco Electronics Wireless Systems (often referred to as M/A-COM) due to ongoing and unresolved deficiencies with the OpenSky system.[4]

On February 13, 2009, Tyco Electronics filed a complaint against the New York State Office for Technology (NY-OFT), in the New York State Court of Claims, disputing the claims made by the OFT. In the complaint, Tyco Electronics disputed many of the NY-OFT’s public criticisms of both the company and the system, maintaining that SWN (which included OpenSky) ‘worked as contracted.’ The complaint also claimed the state hindered the company’s ability to build the system in a timely manner, defamed the company by stating that its technology did not work, and that the state inappropriately drew $50 million from the standby letter of credit the company established for the project.[5]

Sale to Harris and M/A-COM Technology Solutions

On March 31, 2009, Cobham plc announced that it had sold M/A-COM's commercial business segment, M/A-COM Technology Solutions, to John Ocampo, the owner of GaAs Labs.[6]

On May 29, 2009, Harris Corporation purchased the Wireless Systems business unit and all of its wireless communications technologies from Tyco Electronics for $675 million USD.[7]

References

External links