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Zarlink Timeline

1973
Mitel Corporation is founded in Ottawa, Canada as a telecommunications equipment manufacturer. Its first product is a tone receiver, an electronic device used to translate tones received from touchtone telephones into electronic signals for telephone systems.

1975
Mitel combines its tone receiver with LSI chip technology to produce a tone-to-pulse converter. The product allows the telephone companies' existing electro-mechanical switches to operate with the new touchtone phones, significantly extending the life of older CO (Central Office) equipment.

1976
Mitel begins developing internal semiconductor capability with the purchase of an IC manufacturing facility - know as a wafer foundry, or fab - in Bromont, Quebec, east of Montreal. From 1976 to 1992, Mitel's Semiconductor division operates primarily as a captive supplier to the company's telecommunications equipment business, with some chips sales to other electronic firms.

1977
Mitel develops and patents an Isolated Oxide Silicon Gate (ISO) CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) manufacturing process that is unequalled in producing ICs that combine high-speed transmission with low-power consumption.

1978
Mitel's new semiconductor capability and its rapid development of CMOS chips enables the company to enter the PBX (Private Branch Exchange) market. The SX-200 is a low-power, compact, microprocessor-controlled analog telephone switch and the most successful PBX product ever. Key components include the MT8804, the industry's first analog cross-point chip.

1980
Invests $72 million to expand the Bromont wafer foundry.

1981
Mitel begins trading on the NYSE.

1982
Develops the industry's first T1/E1 framer chip.

1983
Mitel's new plant in Caldicot, Wales is a combined PBX manufacturing and semiconductor hybrid operation.

1984
Introduces the SX-2000, its first digital PBX. The MT8870 single-chip tone receiver significantly contributes to the machine's unique combination of high performance and compact size.

1992
Mitel begins executing a strategic decision to build a merchant semiconductor business. In 1992, Mitel Semiconductor had revenue of about CDN$40 million. Eight years later, semiconductor revenue reaches CDN$600 million.

1995
Introduces integrated T1/E1 PLL (Phase Locked-Loop) trunk synchronizer.

1996
Mitel Semiconductor buys ABB Haffo in Sweden, a manufacturer of optoelectronic semiconductor components and mixed-signal ASICs (Applications Specific Integrated Circuits) for medical applications.

 

Introduces the industry's first echo cancellation chip.

1997
Introduces a leading VCSEL (Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser) for fiber optic transmission systems.

1998
Mitel acquires GEC-Plessey Semiconductor in the UK. Mitel gains wireless technology and communications ASIC expertise, including a leading position in RF (Radio Frequency) technology.

2000
Mitel buys California-based Vertex Networks, Inc., a fabless semiconductor company providing high-performance solutions for the LAN (Local Area Network) and WAN (Wide Area Network) access markets.

2001
Mitel sells its telephony-based Communications Systems Business and emerges as Zarlink Semiconductor - a "pure play" semiconductor company focusing on communications ICs and optical components. In March 2001, Patrick Brocket is named the first CEO of Zarlink Semiconductor.

 

Zarlink begins a four-year period of significant product expansion, introducing demodulator chips for satellite and terrestrial STBs (set-top boxes), its first family of Gigabit Ethernet switching chips, 128- and 32-channel voice echo cancellers, and the industry's highest capacity TDM switching devices capable of processing thousands of voice/data channels. Develops its first digital timing chip for SONET/SDH systems.

2002
Zarlink sells its foundry in Bromont, Canada to Dalsa Corporation, and its wafer fabrication facility in Plymouth, UK to X-FAB Semiconductor Foundries AG.

 

Develops new surge protection ICs used in implanted medical devices, such as neurostimulators, implantable defibrillators, and pacemakers. Unveils the industry's first high-density CESoP (Circuit Emulation Services-over-acket) packet processor to allow service providers to carry TDM traffic over IP networks.

2003
Zarlink expands its timing portfolio to offer a comprehensive range of digital, analog and module synchronization products.

2004
Given Imaging selects Zarlink's ultra low-power RF transmitter chip for use in the world's first swallowable camera capsule. Zarlink's RF chip transmits two movie-quality images per second from the capsule, allowing a more thorough and non-invasive examination of the gastrointestinal tract. 

2005
Zarlink Semiconductor appoints Kirk K. Mandy as CEO. Dr. Stan Swirhun, founder and CEO of Picolight, joins the company to heads its Optical business unit.

 

Launches the ZL70100 MICS (Medical Implant Communication Service) ultra low-power transceiver chip for wireless communication systems linking implanted medical devices and base stations.

 

In October, Zarlink announces the sale of its RF Front-End consumer business to Intel.

2006
Zarlink acquires the optical I/O (in/out) business of Primarion. This technology is deployed in optical modules used for interconnect in data centers and super-computing applications. Zarlink sells its Packet Switching product group to Conexant Systems.

2007
Zarlink acquires Legerity Holdings, Inc., a leading developer and supplier of voice ICs for carrier, enterprise and residential gateway equipment. Combining the products and expertise of Zarlink's Network Communications group and Legerity, Wired Communications delivers a range of voice enhancement and timing and synchronization products for the access, residential and enterprise markets.

 

Dr. Adam Chowaniec and Oleg Khaykin join the Board of Directors.

 

Zarlink introduces the industy's first integrated active optical cable, ZLYnx, for data center interconnect. The cable extends iterconnect reach, while providing weight and flexibility advatages. Zarlink also introduces a family of Video IP Surveillance (VIPS) camera and control room optical transceiver products that improve the performance and reduce installation and expansion costs of video surveillance systems.  

2008
Zarlink announces that it is the first vendor to support volume production of active optical cables for data center and computer cluster interconnect applications, shipping over 10,000 cables to major data center operators as well as InfiniBand and Ethernet switch vendors and system integrators.

 

The Compay sells its Analog Foundry in Swindon, UK to MHS Electronics UK Ltd.

 

Zarlink's ZL70101 MICS chip for in-body communications wins an EE Times Product of the Year award.