Harris Corporation
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| Harris Corporation | |
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| Type | Public (NYSE: HRS) |
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| Founded | 1895 |
| Headquarters | Melbourne, Florida |
| Key people | Howard Lance, Chairman, President & CEO |
| Industry | Conglomerates |
| Products | Defense and Communications |
| Revenue |  $3.5 billion USD (2005) |
| Employees | ~14,000 (2006) |
| Website | www.harris.com |
Harris Corporation NYSE: HRS is an international communications equipment company that produces wireless equipment, electronic systems, and both terrestrial and spaceborne antennas for use in the government, defense, and commercial sectors. It is also the largest private-sector employer in Brevard County, FL (6391 of 13000+ company-wide). The company was the parent of Intersil (Harris Semiconductor). Most of the numerous wireless start-ups in South Brevard County were founded and are staffed by former Harris Corporation engineers and technicians. The company's Digital Telephone Systems (DTS) division was sold to Teltronics.
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[edit] History
The "Harris Automatic Press Company" was originally founded in Niles, Ohio in 1895. They spent the next 60 years developing lithographic processes and printing presses before acquiring Intertype Corp. and Gates Radio in 1957, expanding their reach into broadcasting and typesetting. In 1959, they acquired PRD Electronics of Brooklyn, New York, gaining microwave technology. In 1967, they merged with Radiation, Inc. of Melbourne, Florida, a developer of antenna, integrated circuit, and modem technology used in the space race: the semiconductor business that later became Intersil in 1999 was born of this development, and the company headquarters was moved from Cleveland to Melbourne in 1978. In 1969, Harris Corporation acquired RF Communications and Farinon, furthering its microwave assets. The printing operations were sold off in 1983, and is now known as GSS Printing Equipment, and acquired Lanier Worldwide, which itself was spun-off from Harris Corporation in the late 1990s.
In the late 1980s, Harris bought the semiconductor division of RCA after GE's acquisition of RCA, later selling the same to Texas Instruments in the later 1990s or very early 2000s. TI still (as of Sept. 2006) makes the CD4000 family of CMOS logic chips originally offered by RCA and acquired by TI through Harris.
[edit] Today
Harris is a large, multinational corporation headquartered in Melbourne, Florida with nearly 14,000 employees. Through numerous acquisitions, the size of Harris has grown significantly within the past decade. Harris has offices in 21 countries and 147 locations worldwide.
[edit] Board of Directors
- Howard L. Lance - Chairman of the Board
- Thomas A. Dattilo
- Terry D. Growcock
- Lewis Hay III
- Karen Katen
- Stephen P. Kaufman
- Leslie F. Kenne
- David B. Rickard
- Dr. James C. Stoffel
- Gregory T. Swienton
- Hansel E. Tookes II
[edit] Broadcast Communications
Harris' Broadcast Communications division has grown at a rapid pace, providing content management and on-air graphic solutions to news and sports television stations.
More recently, it was responsible for airing the 2006 NCAA March Madness on CBS in High-Definition Television. Broadcast Communications also provides hardware necessary for radio stations to broadcast in high definition.
[edit] RF Communications
Harris' Radio Frequency Communications Division (RFCD) provides secured wireless communications to America's military and law-enforcement officials. Its products include manpack and handheld multiband tactical radios. RFCD is also an industry leader in high-grade programmable encryption technology. Its Sierra-II embeddable encrpytion chip is widely used for securing government communications, and was recently chosen for the UK CHIM(P) Program.
[edit] Microwave Communications
Harris provides Microwave Communication solutions for Broadcast Companies, Public Safety organizations, and private enterprises, including digital radios, leased line replacement, and network management.
Harris Microwave Communications supports almost all United States and International digital cellular telephone service providers (like Sprint, Verizon, and Cingular).
On September 5, 2006, Harris Corporation announced that their Microwave Communications Division would be merged with Stratex Networks, creating a new company, Harris Stratex Networks, Inc. The current president of the Microwave Communications Division at Harris, Guy M. Campbell, will become CEO of the new company, and Stratex's CEO, Thomas Waechter, will become Chief Operating Officer. Stratex's current executive Chairman, Charles Kissner, will become non-executive Chairman of the Board and Harris' current CEO Howard Lance will be on the company's board of directors.
[edit] Government Communications Systems Division
Harris GCSD provides technical communications and consulting services to civil, defense, homeland security, and maritime agencies and also operates the Harris Technical Services Corporation (HTSC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Harris Corporation, as well as Harris Enterprise Services (HES), which was created after Harris acquired the Orkand Corporation in 2004.
[edit] List of Harris Acquisitions
Below is a list of all Harris Acquisitions, starting in 1995.
- Aastra Digital Video (2006)
- Optimal Solutions, Inc. (2006)
- Leitch Technology (2005)
- Orkand Corporation (2004 - Now Harris Enterprise Services)
- Encoda Systems (2004)
- ImageLinks, Inc. (2004)
- Hirschmann Multimedia Communications Network (2001)
- Exigent International, Inc. (2001)
- Wavtrace, Inc. (2000)
- Lucent Technologies' Point-to-Point Microwave Business (2000)
- Louth Automation (2000)
- Audio Broadcast Group, Inc. (1999)
- Pacific Research & Engineering Corporation (1999)
- CHOICE Microsystems (1999)
- Intraplex, Inc. (1999)
- Afga Copying Systems, Inc. (1998)
- Trans-Comp, Inc. (1998 - Spun-Off with Lanier Worldwide)
- Northeast Broadcast Lab (1997)
- NovAtel Communications (1995)
- Triplett Corporation's Cellular and Telecommunications Business (1995)
[edit] External links
[edit] Division Websites
- Government Communications Systems Division
- RF Communications
- Broadcast Communications
- Microwave Communications
- Harris Technical Services Corporation
- Harris Enterprise Services
