Com-Net said to become part of M/A-COM
It was only 15 months ago that Com-Net, a systems integrator, acquired what then was Stockholm-based LM Ericsson’s Private Radio Systems Division in Lynchburg.
The Lynchburg, VA, News & Advance reported in its April 4 issue that Pittsburgh-based Com-Net had agreed to sell its radio equipment manufacturing subsidiary to M/A-COM, Lowell, MA.
M/A-COM is owned by Harrisburg, PA-based Tyco Electronics, which in turn is a part of the Tyco International family of companies operated from headquarters in Pembroke, Bermuda.
Reporter Chris Flores learned the news from a Com-Net employee. The employee attended a meeting on April 3 in Lynchburg facilities where most of the subsidiary’s 651 employees work. That’s when the sale of the Com-Net Ericsson Critical Radio Systems subsidiary was announced privately. As of April 17, Com-Net Ericsson had posted a link to Flores’ News & Advance story on its home page (www.com-netericsson.com). The link read that Com-Net had signed an agreement with M/A-COM, pending government approval.
Tyco International’s annual report indicates that the company has $29 billion in annual sales. That figure will be boosted when various pending acquisitions close. Tyco has been on a buying spree:
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On March 13, Tyco announced an agreement to acquire New York-based CIT Group, a commercial finance company, for the equivalent of $9 billion in stock.
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On Feb. 5, Tyco announced an agreement to acquire Cleveland-based Scott Technologies, a designer and manufacturer of respiratory systems and other life-saving devices for the firefighting and aviation markets, for the equivalent of $400 million in stock.
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On Jan. 31, Tyco announced an agreement to form a joint venture worth $400 million to deploy, own and sell bandwidth capacity on the Eastern Mediterranean undersea fiber-optic system of the TyCom Global Network. TyCom would be the majority owner of the venture, with Tel Aviv-based Bezeq International holding roughly a 20% share.
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On Jan. 5, Tyco acquired Westminster, MA-based Simplex Time Recorder for $1.15 billion in cash. Simplex manufactures fire and security products and communications systems including control panels, detection devices and system software. Simplex also installs, monitors and services fire alarms, security systems and access control systems.
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On Dec. 29, 2000, Tyco acquired Lucent Technologies’ Power Systems business unit for $2.5 billion in cash. The unit provides energy solutions and power products for telecommunications service providers and for the computer industry.
It was only 15 months ago that Com-Net, a systems integrator, acquired what then was Stockholm-based LM Ericsson’s Private Radio Systems Division in Lynchburg. Before Ericsson bought it, the business unit was the General Electric Mobile Communications Division.
In the land-mobile radio industry, M/A-COM, with 2,800 employees, is best known for its contract to build a statewide radio communications system in Pennsylvania using its OpenSky digital radio architecture. The system can use different brands of routers, servers and other parts of the computer-based network. The system is scalable, allowing small systems to have as many features as a big system, an aspect that is appealing to the public-safety community — which also likes the system’s use of off-the-shelf components.
Previous to OpenSky, M/A-COM’s land-mobile radio industry presence had mainly involved supplying passive antenna-site components. The company has not had an especially well-known name or a broad line of conventional and trunked radio products. The purchase of Com-Net’s radio manufacturing division would allow it to serve a bigger part of the market and would give it a large dealer network.
