HID Global - History

History

Originally formed to develop radio frequency identification technologies, HID Global was formed in 1991 as Hughes Identification Devices, a subsidiary of Hughes Aircraft with offices in California and Scotland.The original 125-kilohertz proximity technology had been pioneered by Destron IDI, Boulder, Colorado and used in many applications including Animal Identification, Tyre tracking and in motor vehicle and aircraft industries to track parts, and the company’s founders thought there would be markets interested in using this technology for other purposes.

In 1994 the office in Scotland was closed and the European business passed to a UK based independent distributor, ID Plus Ltd who were later acquired by HID Corporation Ltd in August 1999.

In October 1995, Hughes management, with help from Citibank Venture Capital, combined its military communications and display products groups with its AML Wireless Systems organization and Hughes Identification Devices (HID) to form Palomar Technologies Corporation. It was at that point that the decision was made to focus efforts on RFID for physical access control, and five years later, the company was acquired by the world's largest lock-maker, Swedish conglomerate ASSA ABLOY AB.

Hughes Identification Devices, Division of Hughes Aircraft

Hughes Identification, which began as a division of Hughes Electronics Corp., made the cards and card readers many businesses and government agencies use to limit access to their offices. Its clients included Motorola, International Business Machines Corp. and numerous colleges. As part of Palomar Technologies, Hughes Identification enjoyed swift growth as the private sector became increasingly concerned about security. It was acquired by ASSA ABLOY in January 2001 for about $250 million in cash, adding the Irvine company's electronic systems to its more old-fashioned product line.

ASSA ABLOY

ASSA ABLOY is a supplier of door-opening solutions. Since its founding in 1994, ASSA ABLOY has an international group with over 29,000 employees and sales of around SEK 35 billion.

Assa Abloy was formed in 1994 when ASSA AB was detached from Swedish security firm Securitas AB. Shortly thereafter the Finnish high-security lock manufacturer Abloy Oy (a subsidiary of the Finnish company Wärtsilä) was acquired, with 4,700 employees and sales of SEK 3 billion and a listing on the Stockholm Stock Exchange. The company acquired ESSEX in 1996 to establish a strong position in the U.S. commercial security market. ASSA ABLOY made a number of other acquisitions through the late 1970s, and in 2000 made its largest acquisition with the purchase of Yale Intruder Security, making it the world’s leading lock company. By 2001, ASSA ABLOY comprised more than 100 companies worldwide. The company continued to acquire more than four dozen companies through 2010.