Cerent Corporation
Cerent Corporation was an optical equipment maker based in
The Cerent 454
Cerent's first product was the Cerent 454 (later the Cisco 15454). The Cerent 454 was a second generation SONET ADM (Add-Drop Multiplexor) that also supported TCP/IP data switching. When operating as a pure ADM, the 454 could add and drop circuits from
Other advantages of the Cerent 454 included: smaller form factor, higher port density, greater chip integration, and lower power consumption than competitors at the time.[citation needed] The unit also was one of the first network elements to utilize TCP/IP and a web server on its management interface (the first TCP/IP management network was Ditech Communications in its DWDM system, marketed in 1996) meaning it could be managed over a standard TCP/IP network as opposed to a more restrictive OSI network interface which was the standard in telecom networks at the time. This decision, while initially controversial, was promoted by Chip Roberson, for two pragmatic reasons: first, a TCP/IP stack came packaged with the embedded operating system from Wind River Systems and, second, the cost to acquire, test and support an OSI stack and associated network was comparatively cost-prohibitive for a young startup.
Founding Team
The primary founders of the company were: Raj Singh, Jay Sethuram, Ajaib Bhadare and Paul Elliott. The rest of the founding team (as of funding by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers) consisted of:
- Petaluma - Systems (Cerent)
- Ajaib Bhadare
- Paul Elliott
- Chip Roberson
- David Scott
- Mountain View - Chip Design (Siara)
- Raj Singh
- Jay Sethuram
- Mike Iriarte
- Anu Nigam
- Burnaby - Network Management System (Siara)
- Alnoor Shivji
- Sigfried Luft
The founding board of directors was: Raj Singh, Vinod Nair and Don Green (often referred to as "The Father of Telecom Valley").[citation needed]
Mike Hatfield soon after joined the team as CEO, replacing Raj Singh.[citation needed]
Purchase by Cisco Systems
In August 1999, the company was sold to
In November 1999, Redback bought Siara Systems for $4.3 billion.[4]
References
- ^ "Redback Networks is Acquiring Siara Systems in $4.3 Billion Deal". Wall Street Journal. 29 November 1999.
- ^ Cisco had already invested approximately $300 million in Cerent during a prior round; the reported $6.9 billion was for the shares it did not already own.
- ^ Cisco buys Cerent, Monterey Networks
- ^ Redback to buy Siara Systems for $4.3 billion