The ATML Period
It was formed in June 1993 as Advanced Telecommunication Modules Ltd, a company incorporated in the UK, as a spin-off from Olivetti Research Laboratory in Cambridge. The founders included by Dr Hermann Hauser and Professor Andy Hopper. ATML was a manufacturer of ATM products and a player in the "ATM to the desktop" market.
In September 1997, due to slow uptake in the ATM systems business, the company opted for a new business strategy focusing on semiconductor design and licensing. There was a substantial headcount reduction at that time.
In February 1998, the Company changed its name to Virata Limited. The choice of name derived from a product family name used by ATML, but it was also derived from an Italian verb meaning "to change course" as used in the nautical context of "tacking" - making progress against a prevailing headwind.
Financial backing for the ATML and Virata Ltd business came in the form of five rounds of VC funding, raising a total of $71 million. An IPO and Secondary Offering would come later.
In July 1998, Virata acquired RSA Communications, a company based in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The company description circa 1999 was: "Virata delivers highly-integrated semiconductors and communications software to Internet access equipment suppliers targeting DSL and broadband wireless devices. Virata's systems expertise, products and support services simplify development; maximize opportunity for differentiation and speed time-to-market."
A typical product is the Helium 210-80 launched in August 2001.
Read more about this topic: Virata Corporation
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