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Penril DataComm Networks, Inc.
Company typePublic
Industry
  • Computer
  • Telecommunications
Founded1968; 56 years ago (1968) in Gaithersburg, Maryland
Defunct1996; 28 years ago (1996)
FatePartially acquired by Bay Networks; remainder spun off into Access Beyond
Products
  • Networking hardware
  • Networking software

Penril DataComm Networks, Inc.[1][2][3][4] was a computer telecommunications hardware company[5] that made some acquisitions[6] and was eventually split into two parts: one was acquired by Bay Networks[7] and the other was a newly formed company named Access Beyond.[8] The focus of both company's products was end-to-end data transfer. By the mid-1990s, with the popularization of the internet, this was no longer of wide interest.

History

[edit]

Penril,[9][10][11] whose earnings reports[12][13][10] and other financials[14][15] were followed by The New York Times in the 1990s, made several acquisitions[16][10] but also grew internally.[12] Following its Datability acquisition[17] it renamed itself Penril Datability Networks.[18]

By the time the 1968-founded[19][20] Penril was acquired by Bay their name was Penril DataComm Networks.[7] The company, which as of 1985 "had made 14 acquisitions in 12 years,"[21] also had done extensive work regarding quality control,[22] and leveraged their product line by what The Washington Post called clever packaging: "software, cables, instructions and telephone support" sold to those less technically skilled as "Network in a Box."[23]

Datability

[edit]

Datability Software Systems Inc. was the initial name[24] of what by 1991 became 'Datability, Inc.', "a manufacturer of hardware that links computer networks."[25] The 1977-founded firm began as a software consulting company, especially in the area of databases. To speed up project development they built a program generator, which they marketed as Control 10/20[26][27] (targeted at users of Digital Equipment Corporation's DECsystem-10 and DECSYSTEM-20). After trying their hand at time-sharing they built hardware[28] to enhance bridging these computers to DEC's VAX product line. In particular they focused on Digital's LAT protocol, selling "boxes" that reimplemented the protocol, at a lower price than DEC's. They later expanded into other areas of telecommunications hardware[29] The firm relocated to a larger manufacturing plant in 1991[25] and was acquired by Penril in 1993.[10]

Access Beyond

[edit]

Access Beyond was initially housed by Penril,[30] from which it was spun off.[2] A securities analyst noted that Access began operations with no debt.[30] They subsequently merged with Hayes Corporation.[31] Some of the funds brought to the merger came from a sale by Penril of two of its divisions, each bringing about $4 million.[32][33]

Ron Howard

[edit]

Ron Howard, founder of Datability,[29][34] became part of Penril when the latter acquired the former,[1] and was CEO of Access Beyond when it was spun off by Penril.[30] Access merged with Hayes Microcomputer Products[31] and was renamed Hayes Corp, at which time[35] Howard became executive VP of business development and corporate vice chairman of Hayes.[31]

People

[edit]

In the matter of hiring immigrants, in an industry where recent arrivals came from a culture of six day work weeks, and subcontracting was then common,[36] these assembly line workers at Penril comprised about 25%, compared to double in other firms. Placement was overseen by government agencies.[37]

Controversy

[edit]

Penril had a joint development agreement, beginning in 1990, with a Standard Microsystems Corporation (SMSC) subsidiary. A dispute arose, and the matter was brought to court.[38]

Penril was awarded $3.5 million in 1996.[39]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Jerry Knight (November 18, 1996). "Tales Of 2 Tech Firms -- With Very Different Endings". The Washington Post.
  2. ^ a b "Penril Is Spinning Off Its Remote Access Business". The New York Times. November 6, 1996.
  3. ^ "Penril to Shed Units and Focus Solely on Remote-Access". Wall Street Journal. June 18, 1996.
  4. ^ "Trailing, but gaining". The Los Angeles Times. June 22, 1997.
  5. ^ "Who decides ..." The New York Times. January 9, 2018.
  6. ^ "Penril Corp. Acquires Data Products Firm". The Washington Post. July 4, 1985.
  7. ^ a b "Bay Networks to Buy Some Penril Datacomm Assets". The New York Times. June 18, 1996.
  8. ^ Bob Starzynski (November 11, 1996). "Penril Shareholders to Vote on Changes". BizJournals (Washington).
  9. ^ "Small Stocks Record Losses On Tech-Sector Weakness". Wall Street Journal.
  10. ^ a b c d "Penril Datacomm Networks Inc. (NMS) reports earnings for Qtr". The New York Times. December 8, 1993.
  11. ^ "Technology Briefs". Wall Street Journal.
  12. ^ a b "Penril Datacomm Networks Inc. (NMS) reports earnings for Qtr". The New York Times. December 11, 1991.
  13. ^ "Penril DataComm Networks Inc. reports earnings". The New York Times. October 5, 1992.
  14. ^ "Open Positions on Short Sales Off 1.5% on Nasdaq". The New York Times. May 25, 1991.
  15. ^ "Open Positions on Short Sales Are 5% Higher on Nasdaq". The New York Times. August 25, 1993.
  16. ^ "Company News". The New York Times. May 15, 1992. a subsidiary of Penril .. acquired
  17. ^ June 1996 Peter Behr (April 29, 1998). "Buyouts Send Tech Firms Packing". The Washington Post.
  18. ^ "Franklin Telecom to Open Sales Office in N.C." The Los Angeles Times. May 27, 1997.
  19. ^ "the POST 200: 57, PENRIL DATACOMM NETWORKS INC". The Washington Post.
  20. ^ "Will Small Stocks Continue To Climb Higher?". The Washington Post. March 4, 1991.
  21. ^ Stan Hinden (May 6, 1985). "1985: A Year of Challenge". The Washington Post.
  22. ^ Sandra Sugawara (December 23, 1991). "Questing for Quality". Wall Street Journal.
  23. ^ "What the analysts say". The Washington Post. May 15, 1995.
  24. ^ "Alice Early Wed In Massachusetts". The New York Times. September 9, 1984. a computer-systems consultant for Datability Software Systems Inc. in New York
  25. ^ a b Sarah Bartlett (September 22, 1991). "Neighbors Challenge New York's Tax Reputation". The New York Times.
  26. ^ "Datability Control 10/20 installed". Computerworld. April 13, 1981. p. 24.
  27. ^ "Datability Control 10/20 Simplifies Information Management". Computerworld. April 13, 1981. p. 24.
  28. ^ "Mead Data Central evaluating Datability box". Computerworld. March 12, 1990. p. 49.
  29. ^ a b Ciorey Sandler (July 10, 1989). "Datability's Howard: Aiming To Get The Message Across". Digital News. p. 86.
  30. ^ a b c Bob Starzynski (September 23, 1996). "Penril DataComm plans to cut 90 jobs". BizJournals (Washington).
  31. ^ a b c Evan RamstadStaff (July 30, 1997). "Hayes Micro, Access Beyond Plan to Merge, Get Infusion". Wall Street Journal.
  32. ^ TechniPower "Penril Sells Division to Raise Money". BizJournals (Washington). July 29, 1996.
  33. ^ Electro-Metrics Bob Starzynski (March 10, 1997). "Access Beyond Completes Changes". BizJournals (Washington).
  34. ^ founded 1977 "Old idea, new firm for Hayes CEO". BizJournals (Washington). March 1, 1999.
  35. ^ "Hayes Microcomputer Products Inc". The New York Times. December 27, 1997.
  36. ^ Stan Hinden (April 9, 1990). "Silencing the Boom". The Washington Post. the DataComm division of Penril .. has subcontractors that manufacture modems in ..
  37. ^ Elizabeth Tucker (February 22, 1988). "High-Tech, High Hopes". The Washington Post.
  38. ^ Bob Starzynski (October 7, 1996). "Penril Settles Suit". BizJournals (Washington).
  39. ^ "Digest". The Washington Post. September 27, 1996.
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