Tandberg

Tandberg was a Norwegian electronics and telecommunications-equipment company whose history extended from consumer radios and audio recording equipment to professional videoconferencing and visual-communications infrastructure. Founded in Oslo in 1933 by Vebjørn Tandberg as Tandbergs Radiofabrikk, the company initially produced radios, loudspeakers and microphones. Early products such as the Tommeliten, Corona, Huldra and Sølvsuper helped establish the business in the Norwegian consumer-electronics market. During the 1950s, Tandberg expanded into reel-to-reel tape recorders. Its recorders became known for engineering sophistication, solid construction and comparatively accessible pricing. The company introduced multiple tape speeds, stereo recording and playback systems, transistorized designs and cross-field recording. Cross-field technology, introduced with the Model 6X, was later licensed to Akai. Tandberg equipment was also used in institutional settings, including language laboratories, and its recorders gained international visibility when machines were used to record meetings in the White House during the Kennedy administration. Tandberg entered television manufacturing in the 1960s and acquired the Norwegian electronics company Radionette in 1972. By the middle of the 1970s, television had become its largest business and employment had grown substantially. A severe economic downturn placed the company under intense financial pressure. The original company became insolvent in 1978 after a shareholder revolt removed Vebjørn Tandberg from control; he died by suicide later that year. Following the bankruptcy, the business was divided. Tandberg Data, under Siemens control, took over the computer-terminal and tape-recording activities and evolved into a computer-storage company. The remaining operations continued under the Tandberg name, while the consumer-audio division was later separated as Tandberg Audio and the television operations became Tandberg Television. The surviving Tandberg business gradually moved away from consumer electronics and toward videoconferencing. The company developed an ISDN picture telephone in 1989 and launched the integrated Vision H.320 system in 1993. It subsequently built a portfolio spanning desktop endpoints, immersive conference rooms, video-enabled telephones, multipoint control units, gateways, call-control software, recording systems and management platforms. Tandberg expanded its international presence in the 1990s, including a United States office and North American sales and distribution acquisitions. Its acquisition of Internet Technology AS in 1999 strengthened its expertise in H.323 and IP-based communications. By 2000, the company had made its product family IP-capable and was addressing enterprise and service-provider networks. Further acquisitions broadened its software and infrastructure capabilities. Delante supported integration work, Ridgeway Systems and Software contributed firewall and network-address-translation traversal technology, IVIGO added mobile-video gateway expertise, and Ectus strengthened streaming and archiving. In 2007, Tandberg acquired Codian, a United Kingdom supplier of multipoint conferencing infrastructure, for approximately $270 million according to contemporary reference material. Tandberg later launched the MXP endpoint family and, in 2009, introduced full-high-definition C-series systems, including EX-series desktop products. Cisco Systems agreed to acquire Tandberg in 2009. After increasing its offer to almost $3.4 billion, Cisco obtained control of more than 90 percent of Tandberg shares and completed the acquisition in April 2010. Tandberg products and technology were subsequently integrated into Cisco's TelePresence and collaboration portfolio. The Tandberg name continued to appear on products for a period, but the company was officially rebranded under Cisco in 2011. Tandberg Data followed a separate corporate path and became associated…

Tandberg began in Oslo in 1933 as Tandbergs Radiofabrikk, founded by Vebjørn Tandberg. Its first radio, the Tommeliten, used earphones, while later models including the Corona, Huldra and Sølvsuper used loudspeakers and helped establish the company in Norway. Radios, microphones and loudspeakers formed the initial product base. The company opened a Kjelsås branch plant in the early 1950s to manufacture reel-to-reel tape recorders. Tandberg's Model 2 Hi-Fi, Model 3 Stereo, Model 5 and Model 6 introduced progressively more capable multi-speed and stereo functions. The Model 6X used cross-field recording to improve high-frequency performance, a technique Tandberg licensed to Akai. Tandberg also developed tape equipment for language laboratories and gradually replaced valve electronics with transistorized designs. By 1969, the company's consumer recorders were fully transistorized. Television became another major activity. Tandberg began making television sets at Kjelsås in 1960, opened a second plant at Kjeller in 1966 and added color television in 1969. The 1972 purchase of Radionette reinforced its position in Norwegian electronics. By 1976, televisions were the company's principal product and the factories employed approximately 3,500 people. A major economic downturn then caused a sharp deterioration in the business. A shareholder revolt displaced Vebjørn Tandberg, who died by suicide in August 1978, and the company declared bankruptcy in December. The bankruptcy resulted in a corporate split. Siemens controlled Tandberg Data, which assumed the computer-terminal and tape-recording operations and concentrated on computer storage. The remaining activities continued as Tandberg, without the Radiofabrikk name. Tandberg continued audio development, including Actilinear and Dyneq technologies, while its consumer-audio division was separated as Tandberg Audio in 1984. Television activities were later organized as Tandberg Television. The continuing Tandberg business increasingly focused on videoconferencing. It developed an ISDN picture telephone in 1989 and introduced the integrated Vision H.320 picture telephone in 1993. Later Vision products included Grand Vision, Master Vision, Compact Vision and Vision600 systems. Tandberg opened its first United States office in 1995 and expanded its North American sales and support presence through acquisitions in 1997. The company adopted Internet Protocol communications as standards matured. Its 1999 acquisition of Internet Technology AS added expertise in H.323 and commercial voice-over-IP work. In 2000, Tandberg made its product range IP-capable and expanded into multipoint control units, gateways, gatekeepers and service-provider infrastructure. Delante, Ridgeway Systems and Software, IVIGO and Ectus added software integration, firewall traversal, mobile-video gateway and streaming capabilities. The MXP endpoint family launched in 2004, SIP support was introduced in 2005, and the Codian acquisition in 2007 added a significant conferencing-infrastructure portfolio. In 2009, Tandberg introduced C-series full-HD endpoints, including EX-series desktop appliances. Cisco Systems agreed to acquire Tandberg that year. After raising its offer and securing control of more than 90 percent of the shares, Cisco completed the acquisition on 19 April 2010. Tandberg was formally rebranded to Cisco in 2011, although Tandberg product names and technology remained visible in Cisco's TelePresence portfolio for some time. Tandberg Data remained a separate company focused on computer tape storage.

1. 2011Rebranded under Cisco

   The Tandberg business was officially rebranded to Cisco, while Tandberg technology and product terminology continued in parts of the portfolio.

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2. 2010Cisco acquisition completed

   Cisco completed its acquisition of Tandberg on 19 April 2010.

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3. 2009C-series high-definition endpoints introduced

   Tandberg launched a full-HD endpoint family, including desktop EX-series systems.

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4. 2007Codian acquired

   The acquisition expanded Tandberg's portfolio of multipoint conferencing and gateway infrastructure.

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5. 2000Product line becomes IP-capable

   Tandberg adopted IP-based videoconferencing using the H.323 standard across its product range.

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6. 1993Vision H.320 launched

   The integrated Vision H.320 videoconferencing system entered the market.

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7. 1989First ISDN picture telephone developed

   Tandberg developed an early ISDN-based picture telephone, marking its strategic shift toward videocommunications.

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8. 1978Bankruptcy and corporate split

   The original company entered bankruptcy after an economic downturn; its activities were subsequently divided between Tandberg Data and the continuing Tandberg business.

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9. 1972Radionette acquired

   Tandberg purchased Norwegian electronics company Radionette, strengthening its television business.

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10. 1960Television production begins

    The Kjelsås plant began producing television sets.

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11. 1952First Tandberg reel-to-reel recorder

    Tandberg introduced its first reel-to-reel tape recorder and began a major expansion into recording technology.

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12. 1933Tandbergs Radiofabrikk founded

    Vebjørn Tandberg established the company in Oslo, initially producing radios and related audio equipment.

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Engineering-led provider of high-quality audio and visual-communications technology, positioned around interoperability, reliable professional infrastructure and advanced conferencing performance.

• Tandberg reel-to-reel tape recordersAudio recording equipment1952

  Tandberg's reel-to-reel recorders were central to the company's reputation in the 1950s and 1960s. Models introduced multi-speed operation, stereo recording and playback, transistorized electronics and cross-field recording. The range served consumers as well as educational and institutional users, including language laboratories.

• Vision systemsVideoconferencing systems1993

  The Vision family represented Tandberg's early professional videoconferencing platform. It began with ISDN and H.320 systems and expanded into integrated and higher-performance configurations such as Grand Vision, Master Vision, Compact Vision and Vision600.

• MXP seriesVideoconferencing endpoints2004

  Introduced in 2004, the MXP family covered professional video endpoints for meeting rooms and desktop use. The systems supported standards-based communications and formed an important part of Tandberg's portfolio before the later C-series generation.

• C-series and EX-seriesHigh-definition videoconferencing endpoints2009

  Launched in 2009, the C-series brought full-high-definition video to Tandberg's endpoint portfolio. EX-series appliances targeted desktop and personal collaboration use, while the broader family progressively replaced MXP products.

• T1 and T3Immersive conferencing

  T1 and T3 were immersive conferencing systems designed to create a room-scale, high-presence meeting experience. They formed part of Tandberg's enterprise telepresence offering and were later integrated into Cisco's TelePresence portfolio.

• Codian multipoint systemsConferencing infrastructure2002

  Codian products, acquired by Tandberg in 2007, included multipoint control units and gateways. The technology continued under Tandberg Codian branding and was later supported and developed by Cisco for conferencing and TelePresence infrastructure.

• Expressway firewall traversalNetwork and collaboration software2004

  Developed from Ridgeway Systems and Software technology, Expressway enabled H.323 video endpoints to place calls across firewalls and network-address-translation environments. It addressed a major deployment barrier for enterprise videoconferencing.

• 2009Accept Cisco acquisition offerM&A

  Cisco sought to expand its collaboration and TelePresence business through Tandberg's endpoints, infrastructure and enterprise customer base.

  What changed. Tandberg accepted Cisco's recommended offer after Cisco increased the proposed consideration to almost $3.4 billion and obtained tenders representing more than 90 percent of the shares.

  Aftermath. Cisco completed the acquisition in April 2010 and later rebranded the business under Cisco.

  Acquisition offer. almost US$3.4 billion (2009)

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• 2007Acquire CodianM&A

  Tandberg wanted to strengthen its conferencing-infrastructure business with multipoint-control and gateway technology.

  What changed. Tandberg acquired Codian for approximately $270 million in cash and shares, according to the reference material.

  Aftermath. Codian products continued under Tandberg Codian branding and later became part of Cisco's conferencing-infrastructure portfolio.

  Acquisition consideration. approximately US$270 million (2007)

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• 1999Acquire Internet Technology ASStrategy

  Tandberg sought deeper expertise in H.323 and IP communications as videoconferencing began moving from circuit-switched networks toward packet-based services.

  What changed. The company acquired Internet Technology AS and used its development experience to support IP-based videoconferencing.

  Aftermath. The acquisition contributed to Tandberg's subsequent transition to an IP-capable product portfolio.

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• 2010Alleged use of x264 algorithm in patent applicationControversy

  An x264 developer publicly alleged that a Tandberg Telecom patent application filed in 2008 described an algorithm contributed to the x264 open-source project shortly beforehand. Tandberg disputed the allegation, asserting independent discovery, and filed emails, an affidavit and an information-disclosure statement with the USPTO in 2011.

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• 2010Cisco completes Tandberg acquisition

  Cisco completed its acquisition after more than 90 percent of Tandberg shares had been tendered, bringing the company into Cisco's collaboration business.

  M&ALeadership change
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• 2009Cisco makes recommended offer for Tandberg

  Cisco Systems announced a recommended acquisition offer for Tandberg and later raised it to almost $3.4 billion.

  M&A
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• 2007Tandberg acquires Codian

  Tandberg acquired UK videoconferencing-infrastructure supplier Codian, adding multipoint-control and gateway products.

  M&A
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• 1978Tandberg files for bankruptcy after financial downturn

  The original Tandberg company became insolvent after a severe economic downturn and a period of corporate instability.

  Bankruptcy
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1. Tandberg