Genband
Encyclopedia
GENBAND is a privately held company which makes IP multimedia application and infrastructure products and solutions for fixed wire line, mobile, and cable network service providers. The company was formed in 1999 as General Bandwidth and since 2010 is headquartered in Frisco
, Texas
.
It has major operations in 50 countries and employs over 2,200 employees. GENBAND currently works with about 80 of the global top 100 network operators with global reach to over 80 countries.
, Texas
. The company received initial funding of $12 million from venture capitalists and has been private since then.
In 2004, Charles Vogt joined the company as CEO and President, and the company began to grow rapidly from 80 people to approximately 2,200 people today. In March 2006, General Bandwidth changed its name to GENBAND, Inc. and moved its headquarters to Plano
, Texas
. GENBAND started as media gateway vendor selling G6 media gateway, but later branched out to IP switching, IP Applications, IMS
and Session Border Controllers.
Through multiple acquisitions, the company has expanded its product portfolio significantly. GENBAND has grown from $5 million in revenues in 2004 to the market share leader of the $2.5 billion carrier voice over IP industry and has been recognized as an Inc. 5000 fastest growing company for five years in a row. In year 2010 GENBAND had US$ 750 million in revenues.
In 2007, GENBAND acquired Tekelec’s Switching Solutions Group, which expanded GENBAND’s product offerings in applications and SIP trunking gateways. In 2008, the company acquired Nokia Siemens Networks’ Surpass HiG media gateway product portfolio, including fixed-line trunking media gateways. The company concluded 2008 with the acquisition of NextPoint Networks, which included session border controller (SBCs) and security gateway offerings.
In 2010, GENBAND purchased Nortel Networks's Carrier VoIP and Application Solutions (CVAS) business for $182.5 million. Nortel accepted its Stalking horse offer
of $282 million, with adjustments that decreased the net sale price to about $100 million, without a formal bidding process.
The acquisition quadrupled the size of the company and made GENBAND the market share leader in carrier voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). GENBAND challenged the price formula used and in August 2011 a Canadian court reduced the price by $25 million -- bringing the final price to $157.7 million.
Following the acquisition, GENBAND announced a product roadmap based on GENBAND GENiUS, a software centric, unified IP Switching and Networking platform, which integrates the company's application, call control, session border and security products and simplifies building and managing networks.
In 2011, GENBAND acquired Cedar Point Communications, increasing its no. 1 VoIP market share position in the cable industry.
Frisco
Frisco may refer to:in places:*Frisco, Colorado*Frisco, Louisiana*Frisco, North Carolina*Frisco, Pennsylvania*Frisco, Texas*Frisco, Utah*Frisco City, Alabama*nickname for San Francisco, California in motion pictures:...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
It has major operations in 50 countries and employs over 2,200 employees. GENBAND currently works with about 80 of the global top 100 network operators with global reach to over 80 countries.
History
GENBAND was formed in 1999 as General Bandwith by Paul Carew, Brendon Mills, Ron Lutz and Steve Raich in AustinAustin
Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas.Austin may also refer to:-In the United States:*Austin, Arkansas*Austin, Colorado*Austin, Chicago, Illinois*Austin, Indiana*Austin, Minnesota*Austin, Nevada*Austin, Oregon...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. The company received initial funding of $12 million from venture capitalists and has been private since then.
In 2004, Charles Vogt joined the company as CEO and President, and the company began to grow rapidly from 80 people to approximately 2,200 people today. In March 2006, General Bandwidth changed its name to GENBAND, Inc. and moved its headquarters to Plano
Plano
Plano can refer to:*Plano cultures, the Late Paleo-Indian hunter-gatherer societies of the Great Plains of North America** Plano points, the chipped stone tools of the Plano culturesPlaces in the United States:...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. GENBAND started as media gateway vendor selling G6 media gateway, but later branched out to IP switching, IP Applications, IMS
IP Multimedia Subsystem
The IP Multimedia Subsystem or IP Multimedia Core Network Subsystem is an architectural framework for delivering Internet Protocol multimedia services. It was originally designed by the wireless standards body 3rd Generation Partnership Project , as a part of the vision for evolving mobile...
and Session Border Controllers.
Through multiple acquisitions, the company has expanded its product portfolio significantly. GENBAND has grown from $5 million in revenues in 2004 to the market share leader of the $2.5 billion carrier voice over IP industry and has been recognized as an Inc. 5000 fastest growing company for five years in a row. In year 2010 GENBAND had US$ 750 million in revenues.
In 2007, GENBAND acquired Tekelec’s Switching Solutions Group, which expanded GENBAND’s product offerings in applications and SIP trunking gateways. In 2008, the company acquired Nokia Siemens Networks’ Surpass HiG media gateway product portfolio, including fixed-line trunking media gateways. The company concluded 2008 with the acquisition of NextPoint Networks, which included session border controller (SBCs) and security gateway offerings.
In 2010, GENBAND purchased Nortel Networks's Carrier VoIP and Application Solutions (CVAS) business for $182.5 million. Nortel accepted its Stalking horse offer
Stalking horse offer
A stalking horse offer, agreement, or bid is an attempt by a debtor to test the market in advance of an auction. The intent is to maximize the value of its assets as part of a bankruptcy court-approved auction process.- Procedure :...
of $282 million, with adjustments that decreased the net sale price to about $100 million, without a formal bidding process.
The acquisition quadrupled the size of the company and made GENBAND the market share leader in carrier voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). GENBAND challenged the price formula used and in August 2011 a Canadian court reduced the price by $25 million -- bringing the final price to $157.7 million.
Following the acquisition, GENBAND announced a product roadmap based on GENBAND GENiUS, a software centric, unified IP Switching and Networking platform, which integrates the company's application, call control, session border and security products and simplifies building and managing networks.
In 2011, GENBAND acquired Cedar Point Communications, increasing its no. 1 VoIP market share position in the cable industry.
Products and Solutions
- GENBAND GENiUS - ATCA, IP-based unified services platform that delivers IP switching and networking solutions
- Application serverApplication serverAn application server is a software framework that provides an environment in which applications can run, no matter what the applications are or what they do...
- Session Border ControllerSession Border ControllerA session border controller is a device regularly deployed in Voice over Internet Protocol networks to exert control over the signaling and usually also the media streams involved in setting up, conducting, and tearing down telephone calls or other interactive media communications.SBC's original...
- Media gatewayMedia gatewayA Media gateway is a translation device or service that converts digital media streams between disparate telecommunications networks such as PSTN, SS7, Next Generation Networks or PBX...
s - IP switching
- Traffic ManagementBandwidth managementBandwidth management is the process of measuring and controlling the communications on a network link, to avoid filling the link to capacity or overfilling the link, which would result in network congestion and poor performance of the network.- Management :Bandwidth management mechanisms may be...
- IP PBXIP PBXAn IP PBX is a business telephone system designed to deliver voice or video over a data network and interoperate with the normal Public Switched Telephone Network ....
TrunkingTrunkingIn modern communications, trunking is a concept by which a communications system can provide network access to many clients by sharing a set of lines or frequencies instead of providing them individually. This is analogous to the structure of a tree with one trunk and many branches. Examples of...
Acquisitions
- 2006: BayPackets and Syndeo (Call Management Server and Media Gateway Controller)
- 2006: Siemens Switch Division and Technologies
- 2007: Tekelec’s Switching Solutions Group
- 2008: Nokia Siemens Networks’ Surpass HiG media gateway product portfolio
- 2008: NextPoint Networks (Session Border Controller)
- 2010: Nortel Networks’ Carrier VoIP and Applications Solutions division
- 2011: Cedar Point Communications (Cable IP softswitch)