Tekelec
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Tekelec, Inc. (NASDAQ:[TKLC]), (founded 1979 in California, now headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina, USA) is an industry leader building smart carrier networks through an innovative combination of signaling, switching, and applications. Tekelec's customers include telecommunications carriers, network service providers, and contact center operators.
Primary products
Tekelec's network signaling products help direct and control voice and data communications. They enable carriers to control, establish and terminate calls. They also enable carriers to offer intelligent services, which include any services other than the call or data transmission itself. Examples include familiar products such as call waiting, caller ID, voice messaging, toll free calls (e.g., telephone calls to telephone numbers with 800/888/877/866 area codes in North America), prepaid calling cards, text messaging and local number portability. Some of Tekelec's network signaling products also allow the monitoring and surveillance of network elements while the network is in operation and deliver revenue assurance features such as fraud protection.
Tekelec's next-generation switching products are focused primarily on creating and enhancing next-generation switching solutions for both traditional (TDM-based) and new (packet-based) Class 4, Class 5, and wireless applications. The switching portion of a network carries and routes the actual voice or data comprising a call. Tekelec believes that voice and data networks will increasingly interoperate, or converge. Network convergence should provide opportunities to expand the sales of our switching solutions which are designed specifically for converged networks.
Corporate history
Jean-Claude Asscher
In 1961, Jean-Claude Asscher founded Tekelec-Airtronic, SA, a French electronics company with emphasis on the aviation industry. Jean-Claude Asscher serves as the president and chairman of the board of directors of as Tekelec-Airtronic, SA. Jean-Claude Asscher of France and Edouard Givel of Switzerland have what is considered by the Securities and Exchange Commission of the USA to have a group member interest in the ownership of all of Tekelec-Airtronic, SA (a French corporation), Tekelec, Inc. (a US corporation), Tekelec F (a French corporation), and Natinco SA (a Luxembourg corporation)[link] as well as Tekelec-Airtronic, NV (a Netherlands corporation) and Tekelec-Airtronic GmBH (a German corporation).
In 1979, Jean-Claude Asscher founded Tekelec, Inc. as a North American company specializing in telecommunications products, such as telecommunications test equipment initially. Tekelec, Inc. is not now and has never been a subsidiary of Tekelec-Airtronic, SA, but Tekelec, Inc. was initially financed by procedes earned by Jean-Claude Asscher through Tekelec-Airtronic, SA. Greater than 5% of Tekelec, Inc. is owned by Tekelec F, a corporation whose shares are owned by Jean-Claude Asscher and his wife Muriel Asscher as well as by Edouard Givel.[link]
For many years, Jean-Claude Asscher was president, CEO, and chairman of the board of directors of both Tekelec-Airtronic, SA and Tekelec, Inc. In recent years Jean-Claude Asscher has served as only chairman of Tekelec, Inc.'s board of directors while continuing to be the president of Tekelec-Airtronic, SA's board of directors as well as its chairman. Jean-Claude Asscher also serves as the chairman of the board of directors for TraceSpan and the chairman of the board of directors for Ixia.[link]
Test equipment division sold to Catapult Communications
During July 2002, Tekelec sold its diagnostic test equipment division to Catapult Communications. Tekelec's first products in 1979 and the early 1980s were from this division. Diagnostic test equipment is used by telecommunications service providers and equipment manufacturers to test their network and their equipment for proper operation.
IEX subsidiary acquired and sold
During April 1999, Tekelec, Inc. purchased IEX for $163 million. During second quarter 2006, Tekelec, Inc. sold the IEX subsidiary to Nice Systems (an Israeli corporation) for $200 million. IEX contact center products provide workforce management and intelligent call routing systems for single and multiple site contact centers. Tekelec markets it's contact center products primarily to customers in industries with significant contact center operations such as financial services, telecommunications, telemarketing, technical support, and retail.
Santera Systems acquired
Commencing in second quarter 2003 and completing in third quarter 2005, Tekelec incrementally acquired all of the former Santera Systems, Inc. The T9000, T8000, and T3000 products have their origins at Santera Systems. The T9000 product family is composed of the T8000 media gateway and the T3000 call controller. Multiple dozens of T8000 MGs may be controlled by a single T3000. The T3000 call controller (also known as a soft-switch) interacts with signaling systems, such as Tekelec's Eagle 5 among others.
Taqua Systems acquired
During the first quarter 2004, Tekelec, Inc. acquired Taqua Systems for $85 million. The T7000 product has its origins at Taqua Systems. The T7000 is a class 5 switch with an integrated call controller that is aimed at small switching centers such as rural service providers.
Steleus acquired
During August 2004, Tekelec, Inc. purchased Steleus Group, Inc., for $56 million. Tekelec's network management products have their origin at Steleus.
Vocal Data acquired
During September 2004, Tekelec, Inc. purchased Vocal Data for $27.5 million. The T6000 product has its origin at Vocal Data. The T6000 is an application server that interacts with a soft-switch such as a T3000 to provide value-added services and conveniences beyond what was traditionally performed in the TDM PSTN.
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