Alcatel Explained

Alcatel
Industry:	Telecommunications
Founded:	1970
Defunct:	2006
Fate:	Merged
Successor:	Alcatel-Lucent

Alcatel SA was a French telecommunications company.

In 2006, it merged with Lucent Technologies to form Alcatel-Lucent.^[1]

History

Predecessors

• 1898 – French engineer Pierre Azaria sets up the Compagnie Générale d'Électricité (CGE).^[2]
• 1919 – Aaron Weil creates the "Téléphone privé" (Private telephone)
• 1925 – CGE becomes part of Compagnie Générale des Câbles de Lyon. Bell Telephone Laboratories is created.
• 1927 – The company is growing, and takes the name of "Téléphonie Industrielle et Commerciale" (TELIC)
• 1928 – Alsthom is formed by Société Alsacienne de Constructions Mécaniques and Compagnie Française Thomson-Houston.
• 1946 – The CIT is created (Compagnie Industrielle de Téléphone) with CGE (Compagnie Generale d'Electricité)
• 1947 – ALSATEL is created. (Société Alsacienne et Lorraine de Télécommunication et d'Electronique) to enable sales expansion.
• 1952 – In the United States, ITT Corporation buys a controlling interest in Kellogg Switchboard and Supply Company and rebrands its products to ITT Kellogg.^[3]
• 1954 – TELIC acquires COFRATEL (Compagnie Française du Téléphone).
• 1960 – TELIC delivers the complex Crossbar technology.
• 1965 – CGE acquires TELIC, becoming a subsidiary of CIT.

Alcatel

• 1970 – Alcatel is created by merging CIT and ENTE, a department of the SACM (Société Alsacienne de Constructions Mécaniques).
• 1970 – Ambroise Roux becomes CGE's chairman. He then becomes the honorary chairman until his death in 1999.
• 1977 – First PBX is created, controlled by an electronic CPU.
• 1980 – Minitel is launched
• 1982 – Jean-Pierre Brunet becomes CGE's chairman.
• 1984 – Georges Pebereau becomes CGE's chairman. Thompson telecommunications is absorbed by CGE.^[4] Cables de Lyon buys Thompson Jeumont Cables and Kabelmetal.
• 1985 – Alsthom Atlantique becomes Alsthom. Alcatel is formed when CIT-Alcatel and Thompson telecommunications merge.^[5]
• 1986 – ITT Corporation sells its international telecommunications and cable business (including ITT Kellogg) to Alsthom, creating Alcatel N.V., a Netherlands company in which ITT retains a 37% stake.^[6] A majority stake in Cables de Lyon becomes a subsidiary of Alcatel N.V.^[7] Pierre Suard becomes CGE chairman.
• 1987 – CGE is privatized.^[8] Alsthom wins contract for TGV Atlantique for the Northern TGV network.
• 1989 – CGE and the British General Electric Company form GEC Alsthom, which allows Alsthom to sells its products outside France. CGEE-Alsthom becomes Cegelec. AT&T Technologies reorganizes with the following business units: Network systems, Global Business Communications, Microelectronics and Consumer Products.
• 1991 – CGE changes its name to Alcatel Alsthom and acquires Rockwell Technologies transmission equipment division.^{[9] [10] [11]} Cables de Lyons is renamed Alcatel Cable and takes over AEG Kabel.
• 1991 – Alcatel acquires Telettra, an Italian telecommunication systems company.
• 1992 – Alcatel Alsthom acquires AEG Kabel. ITT Corporation sells its remaining stake in Alcatel N.V. for around $3.6billion.
• 1993 – Alcatel Alsthom acquires STC Submarine systems from now Nortel Networks.
• 1994 - Alcatel Networks Systems received the Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing at the Richardson, Texas, Longview, Texas, Raleigh, North Carolina, Clinton, North Carolina, and Nogales, Mexico locations.^[12]
• 1995 – Serge Tchuruk was appointed chairman and CEO of Alcatel Alsthom. He restructured the company to focus on telecommunications equipment.^[13]
• 1997 - Alcatel Telecom received the IndustryWeek's Best Plants Award for the Raleigh, North Carolina, USA plant under Alcatel Network Systems.^[14]
• 1998 – Alcatel Alsthom split. Alsthom GEC becomes Alstom through an IPO (with Alcatel retaining 24%). Alcatel sells Cegelec to the newly formed Alstom. Alcatel acquires DSC Communications for $4.4 billion^[15] and Packet Engines^[16]
• 1999 – Alcatel acquires Xylan, Assured Access and Internet Devices. Alcatel increases its stake in Thomson CSF to 25.3% and decreases its stake in Framatome to 8.6%.
• 2000 – Alcatel sells the DSL modem business to Thomson Multimedia and acquires Newbridge, Genesys and Innovative Fibers. Alcatel spins off its cable unit into Nexans.^[17] Lucent spins off Avaya Inc.
• 2001 – Alcatel sells its stake in Alstom. Alcatel buys back Alcatel Space investment from Thales, and reduces its stake in Thales to 20.03%. Alcatel sells its 2.2% stake in Areva. Alcatel sells DSL modem business to Thomson Multimedia. Lucent spins off its microelectronics business into Agere Systems via an IPO.
• 2002 – Alcatel acquires Astral Point Communications Inc., Telera Corporation, and control of Alcatel Shanghai Bell. Alcatel sells its microelectronic business to STMicroelectronics, its stake in Thomson, 10.3M shares of Thales, and 1.5M shares of Nexans.
• 2003 – Alcatel acquires iMagicTV, and TiMetra Inc. It sells a 50% stake in Atlinks, and its optical business to Avanex.
• 2004 – Alcatel acquires eDial Inc. Alcatel and TCL form a joint venture: Alcatel Mobile Phones, with Alcatel holding a 45% stake. Alcatel and Draka Holdings form a joint venture: Draka Comteq B.V. with Alcatel holding a 49.9 stake.^[18] Alcatel finalizes its acquisition of Spatial Wireless but sells 7.1M shares of Avanex.
• 2005 – Alcatel sells its 45% stake of the Alcatel Mobile Phones venture back to TCL.^[19]

Notes and References

1. News: Bajaj . Vikas . 2006-04-02 . Alcatel and Lucent Agree to Merge in $13.4 Billion Deal . 2024-04-19 . The New York Times . en-US . 0362-4331.
2. Web site: ASN-History. 3 September 2016.
3. Web site: Kellogg Switchboard & Supply Co. . 2024-05-14 . Encyclopedia of Chicago.
4. Web site: Thomson part of CGE.
5. Web site: Alcatel is formed . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130430162114/http://www.insead.edu/v1/projects/cgep/Research/Industrystudies/Telecommunications/ONA4060502.pdf . 2013-04-30 .
6. News: Cohen . Roger . 1992-03-04 . COMPANY NEWS; ITT Accepts $3.6 Billion Alcatel Sale . registration . 2024-05-14 . The New York Times . en-US . 0362-4331.
7. Web site: Cables dy Lyon subsidiary of Alcatel .
8. Web site: CGE privatized.
9. Web site: Alcatel-Lucent Company History. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131105165822/http://www.alcatel-lucent.com/about/history. 2013-11-05.
10. News: New York Times coverage of Rockwell unit sale. The New York Times . 1991-07-13.
11. Web site: CGE acquires Rockwell.
12. Web site: Alcatel Networks Systems; Richardson, TX, Longview, TX, Raleigh, NC, Clinton, NC, & Nogales, Mexico – United States – Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing – 1994 . www.bpir.com . Best Practice . 4 January 2024.
13. Web site: Alcatel and Lucent Talks. 15 March 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120821105444/http://www.crn.com/news/channel-programs/18835976/alcatel-lucent-talks-collapse.htm;jsessionid=2zgPg3yS5zZimDE8LRW6ng**.ecappj02. 21 August 2012. dead. dmy-all.
14. Web site: IndustryWeek's Best Plants Award Winners, 1990-2022 . www.industryweek.com . IndustrialWeek . 8 January 2024.
15. News: Alcatel acquires DSC for $4.4 billion. NY Times . 1998-06-05. Seth. Schiesel.
16. News: Alcatel Buys Packet Engines. https://archive.today/20130209150249/http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/1998/10/15583 . 2013-02-09 . Wired . 1998-10-13. dead.
17. News: Nexans Press Release. Oct 9, 2000. 15 March 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20150419170825/http://www.nexans.com/eservice/Corporate-en/navigatepub_142514_-3790/From_Alcatel_s_Cables_and_Components_business_come.html. 19 April 2015. dead. dmy-all.
18. News: Draka Press Release. May 17, 2004.
19. News: TCL Unit to Buy 45% Stake of Mobile-Phone Venture From Alcatel. Bloomberg . 2005-05-16.