By Mark Evans, special to Local Tech Wire
Editor’s note: Mark Evans is a marketing, communications, content and social media consultant who offers strategic and tactical services to start-ups. He also is a journalist based in Canada who has written extensively about Nortel. His latest blog is reprinted with permission.
It has been nearly a year since Nortel filed for bankruptcy protection, and five months since the company announced it was going to sell all of its assets instead of attempting to emerge as the New Nortel.
Here’s a scorecard of what’s been sold, and what’s still on the block:
In February, Nortel sold its data-switch business (part of of its Layer 4 to Layer 7 portfolio) to Israel’s Radware for $17.7-million. The assets were part of Nortel’s $7.8-billion purchase of Alteon WebSystems in 2000.
The CDMA wirleess business and LTE R&D unit was sold to Ericsson for $1.13-billion. Ericsson has hired 800 ex-Nortel employees. Nokia Siemens Networks made an original stalking horse bid of $650-million.
The metro Ethernet network business, considered to be Nortel’s “crown jewel” a year ago when it was put on the block, was acquired by Ciena Corp. for $769-million after outbidding Nokia Siemens. Ciena, which originally bid $511-million, plans to hire 2,000 MEN employees.
Avaya bought Nortel’s enterprise business for $900-million, nearly double the $475-million “stalking horse” offer it originally made.
Hitachi purchased certain software assets and technology related to next generation packet core network components for $10-million.
Total Proceeds: $2.82-billion
What’s Still on the Block
Nortel’s GSM/GSM-R business, which will likely go on the auction block later this year.
The carrier business, including an industry-leading VOIP unit
A portfolio of more than 3,000 patents, including the much-coveted long-term evolution patents that will attract plenty of interest, including Research in Motion.
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