List of defunct Network Processor companies
Encyclopedia
During the dot-com
/internet
bubble of the late 1990s and early 2000, the proliferation of many dot-com start-up companies
created a secondary bubble in the telecommunications/computer networking infrastructure and telecommunications service provider
markets. Venture capital
and high tech
companies rushed to build next generation infrastructure equipment for the expected explosion of internet traffic.
As part of that investment fever, Network processor
s were seen as a method of dealing with the desire for
more network services and the ever increasing data-rates of communication networks.
It has been estimated that dozens of start-up companies were created in the race to build the processors that would be a component of the next generation telecommunications equipment. Once the internet investment bubble burst, the telecom network upgrade cycle was deferred for years (perhaps for a decade). As a result, the majority of these new companies went bankrupt.
As of 2007, the only companies that are shipping network processors in sizeable volumes are Cisco Systems
, Marvell
, Freescale, Cavium Networks
and AMCC
.
Gigabit Ethernet
Dot-com bubble
The dot-com bubble was a speculative bubble covering roughly 1995–2000 during which stock markets in industrialized nations saw their equity value rise rapidly from growth in the more...
/internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
bubble of the late 1990s and early 2000, the proliferation of many dot-com start-up companies
Startup company
A startup company or startup is a company with a limited operating history. These companies, generally newly created, are in a phase of development and research for markets...
created a secondary bubble in the telecommunications/computer networking infrastructure and telecommunications service provider
Service provider
A service provider is an entity that provides services to other entities. Usually, this refers to a business that provides subscription or web service to other businesses or individuals. Examples of these services include Internet access, Mobile phone operators, and web application hosting...
markets. Venture capital
Venture capital
Venture capital is financial capital provided to early-stage, high-potential, high risk, growth startup companies. The venture capital fund makes money by owning equity in the companies it invests in, which usually have a novel technology or business model in high technology industries, such as...
and high tech
High tech
High tech is technology that is at the cutting edge: the most advanced technology currently available. It is often used in reference to micro-electronics, rather than other technologies. The adjective form is hyphenated: high-tech or high-technology...
companies rushed to build next generation infrastructure equipment for the expected explosion of internet traffic.
As part of that investment fever, Network processor
Network processor
A network processor is an integrated circuit which has a feature set specifically targeted at the networking application domain.Network processors are typically software programmable devices and would have generic characteristics similar to general purpose central processing units that are commonly...
s were seen as a method of dealing with the desire for
more network services and the ever increasing data-rates of communication networks.
It has been estimated that dozens of start-up companies were created in the race to build the processors that would be a component of the next generation telecommunications equipment. Once the internet investment bubble burst, the telecom network upgrade cycle was deferred for years (perhaps for a decade). As a result, the majority of these new companies went bankrupt.
As of 2007, the only companies that are shipping network processors in sizeable volumes are Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems, Inc. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in San Jose, California, United States, that designs and sells consumer electronics, networking, voice, and communications technology and services. Cisco has more than 70,000 employees and annual revenue of US$...
, Marvell
Marvell Technology Group
Marvell is an American producer of storage, communications and consumer semiconductor products.Founded in 1995, Marvell Technology Group Ltd. has operations worldwide and approximately 5,700 employees. Marvell’s U.S. operating subsidiary is based in Santa Clara, California and Marvell has...
, Freescale, Cavium Networks
Cavium Networks
Cavium is a San Jose, California-based company specializing in ARM-based and MIPS-based network, video and security processors. Cavium offers processor and board level products targeting routers, switches, appliances, storage and servers.-Major acquisitions::...
and AMCC
Applied Micro Circuits Corporation
Applied Micro Circuits Corporation is a fabless semiconductor company designing network and embedded Power Architecture , and server processor ARM , optical transport and storage solutions...
.
OC-768/40Gb Routing
- ClearSpeedClearSpeedClearSpeed Technology Ltd is a semiconductor company, formed in 2002 to develop enhanced SIMD processors for use in high-performance computing and embedded systems. Based in Bristol, UK, the company has been selling its processors since 2005...
- left Network processor market, reverted back to supercomputing applications - Propulsion Networks - defunct
- BOPS - left Network processor market, reverted back to DSP applications
OC-192/10Gb Routing
- Terago - defunct
- Clearwater Networks - originally named Xstream Logic, defunct
- Silicon Access - defunct
- LexraLexraLexra was a semiconductor intellectual property core company based in Waltham, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1997 and began developing and licensing semiconductor intellectual property cores that implemented the MIPS-I instruction set, except for the four unaligned load and store ...
- defunct - Fast-Chip - defunct
- Cognigine Corp. - defunct
- Internet Machines - morphed into IMC Semiconductors, a PCI-Express chip vendor
- Acorn Networks - defunct
- XaQti - acquired by Vitesse, product line discontinued
OC-48/2.5Gb Routing
- IP Semiconductors - defunct
- Entridia - defunct
- Stargate Solutions - defunct
Gigabit EthernetGigabit EthernetGigabit Ethernet is a term describing various technologies for transmitting Ethernet frames at a rate of a gigabit per second , as defined by the IEEE 802.3-2008 standard. It came into use beginning in 1999, gradually supplanting Fast Ethernet in wired local networks where it performed...
Routing
- Sibyte - acquired by BroadcomBroadcomBroadcom Corporation is a fabless semiconductor company in the wireless and broadband communication business. The company is headquartered in Irvine, California, USA. Broadcom was founded by a professor-student pair Henry Samueli and Henry T. Nicholas III from the University of California, Los...
, product line discontinued - PMC-SierraPMC-SierraPMC-Sierra is a fabless semiconductor company which develops and sells devices into the communications, storage, printing, and embedded computing marketplaces.-Corporate history:...
- product line discontinued
OC-12 Routing
- C-port - acquired by MotorolaMotorolaMotorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
(now Freescale), product line discontinued - IBMIBMInternational Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
- PowerNP product line discontinued - Sitera - acquired by Vitesse, product line discontinued
VOIP products
- Silicon Spice - acquired by BroadcomBroadcomBroadcom Corporation is a fabless semiconductor company in the wireless and broadband communication business. The company is headquartered in Irvine, California, USA. Broadcom was founded by a professor-student pair Henry Samueli and Henry T. Nicholas III from the University of California, Los...
, product line discontinued - Malleable TechnologiesMalleable TechnologiesMalleable Technologies is a private company founded in 1998 by Curtis Abbott. Malleable created a specialized processor called "MECA" or "Malleable Embedded Communications Accelerator" that had a reconfigurable array connected to a microprocessor. Through this array, specialized DSP-like...
- acquired by PMC-SierraPMC-SierraPMC-Sierra is a fabless semiconductor company which develops and sells devices into the communications, storage, printing, and embedded computing marketplaces.-Corporate history:...
, product line discontinued
Traffic Managers
- Extreme Packet Devices - acquired by PMC-SierraPMC-SierraPMC-Sierra is a fabless semiconductor company which develops and sells devices into the communications, storage, printing, and embedded computing marketplaces.-Corporate history:...
, product line discontinued - Azanda - acquired by Cortina, product line being sold as CS53xx family
- Teradiant - defunct
- Orologic - acquired by Vitesse, product line discontinued
- Maker Communications - acquired by ConexantConexantConexant Systems, Inc. is an American semiconductor company, formerly the semiconductor division of Rockwell International. Currently it's privately owned by Golden Gate Capital, an equity firm headquartered in San Francisco.-History:...
, product line discontinued
Packet Classifiers
- SwitchOn - acquired by PMC-SierraPMC-SierraPMC-Sierra is a fabless semiconductor company which develops and sells devices into the communications, storage, printing, and embedded computing marketplaces.-Corporate history:...
, product line discontinued - FastChip - defunct
Switch Fabrics
- AbrizioAbrizioAbrizio was a fabless semiconductor company which made switching fabric chip sets . Their chip set, the TT1, was used by several large system development companies as the core switch fabric in their high value communication systems.-Founding:It was founded in 1997 by Professor Nick McKeown as a...
- acquired by PMC-SierraPMC-SierraPMC-Sierra is a fabless semiconductor company which develops and sells devices into the communications, storage, printing, and embedded computing marketplaces.-Corporate history:...
, product line discontinued - Stargen - left Networking market for Computer Server market
Security products
- Chrysalis-ITS - defunct