Aricent

{{Short description|Former company}} {{Prose|date=July 2020}} {{Infobox company | name = Aricent/Altran Americas | logo = Aricent Logo (1).jpg | type = Defunct Company (acquired by Altran) | key_people = | products = Product and service engineering (largely digital and software products and services) | num_employees = 10,000<ref>{{cite web | title=About Us | publisher=Aricent | url=http://www.aricent.com/about | access-date=2016-05-28 | archive-date=2016-03-07 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307014502/https://www.aricent.com/about | url-status=dead }}</ref> | homepage = | foundation = 1985 (founding of Future Software Communications); 1991 (founding of Hughes Software Systems); merged after acquisition in 2004. | defunct = 2019 | location = Santa Clara, California and later New York, New York (USA)<br /> Gurgaon, Haryana (India) | industry = R&D Services }}

'''Aricent''' was a global design and engineering services company. It was acquired by French-based company Altran in 2018 and renamed Altran North America in April 2019<ref name=au>{{cite web|title=About Us|url=https://www.aricent.com/about/overview|publisher=Aricent|access-date=May 28, 2016|date=27 February 2016|archive-date=28 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190128012313/https://www.aricent.com/about/overview|url-status=dead}}</ref> and Altran Americas in early 2020. With Altran's acquisition by Capgemini, the successors of Aricent are incorporated into Capgemini Engineering and to a lesser extent, Capgemini Invent.

Aricent was best known for developing telecom software which is used by telecom giants such as Cisco Systems, Juniper Networks, Nokia Networks, Oracle, Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, and Nortel.

==History==

Aricent is the successor to '''Hughes Software Systems''', which was established in 1991, as a subsidiary of Hughes Electronics,<ref>{{cite web |title=KKR Current Investments |publisher=KKR |url=http://www.kkr.com/investments/current-invest.html |access-date=2006-10-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060825033305/http://www.kkr.com/investments/current-invest.html |archive-date=2006-08-25 |url-status=dead }}</ref> with funding from Sequoia Capital.<ref name="auto">{{cite web |title=Aricent - Sequoia Capital | publisher=Sequoia Capital | url=http://www.sequoiacap.com/company/aricent/ | access-date=2006-10-26| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061110065836/http://www.sequoiacap.com/company/aricent/| archive-date= 10 November 2006 | url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Aricent Debuts As Communications Software Pure Play |publisher=KKR |url=http://www.kkr.com/news/press_releases/2006/10-26-06.html |access-date=2006-10-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061031224639/http://www.kkr.com/news/press_releases/2006/10-26-06.html |archive-date=2006-10-31 |url-status=dead }}</ref> * 1985: Future Software Communications founded by KV Ramani, a TCP/IP stack developer from India which will eventually merge with Hughes Software Systems.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.dqindia.com/kv-ramani/ | title=KV Ramani }}</ref> * 1991: Hughes Software Systems (HSS) founded by KV Ramani in Nehru Place, New Delhi to develop software solutions in the areas of VSAT-based networks for voice and data, cellular wireless telephony, packet switching, and multi-protocol routing. Pioneered the development of Protocol Stacks.<ref>{{cite news|title=Flextronics takes over FutureSoft |url=http://www.thehindu.com/2004/08/27/stories/2004082703941500.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150118023538/http://www.thehindu.com/2004/08/27/stories/2004082703941500.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 January 2015 |work=The Hindu |date=27 August 2004}}</ref> * 2004: Flextronics bought HSS to form Flextronics Software Systems and merged with Future Software headquartered.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.greatlakes.edu.in/blog/kv-ramani-founder-future-software-pvt-ltd-and-ex-chairman-nasscom-on-entrepreneurship-and-successful-business-models|title=KV Ramani, Founder, Future Software Pvt Ltd and Ex Chairman, NASSCOM on 'Entrepreneurship and successful business models' |date=24 June 2010 |publisher=Great Lakes Institute of Management}}</ref> Acquired Frog Design for approximately $25 million.<ref>{{cite news|title=One Great Leap for Frog Design|work=BusinessWeek|url=http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/apr2006/id20060419_040862.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060421132853/http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/apr2006/id20060419_040862.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 21, 2006|access-date=2010-03-04}}</ref> * 2005: Expanded development operations in Kyiv, Kherson and Vinnytsia in Ukraine; Randburg, South Africa; and Beijing, China. Was delisted from India's stock market in preparation for sale. * 2006: Was acquired by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Sequoia Capital as part of a $900 million sales of software companies.<ref name="auto"/> The transaction represented the largest private equity buy-out in Indian history.<ref>{{cite news | title=Buyout deal by KKR is India's largest ever | work=International Herald Tribune | url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/04/17/business/kkr.php | access-date=2006-10-31| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061024042626/http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/04/17/business/kkr.php| archive-date= 24 October 2006 | url-status= live}}</ref> * 2007: Acquired Datalinx; launched service provider offerings.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/business-news/aricent-buys-us-firm-in-global-market-quest/article1-247777.aspx |title=Aricent buys US firm in global market quest |date=13 September 2007 |work=Hindustan Times}} {{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> * 2008: The Family Office, a multi-family office company with headquarters in Bahrain also joined in funding Aricent.<ref>{{cite web | title=Aricent Announces New Funding from KKR and The Family Office | publisher=Aricent | url=http://www.aricent.com/en/releases/content.press_release/kkr_tfo_investment_2008-09-23.html | access-date=2008-09-23 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081009094733/http://www.aricent.com/en/releases/content.press_release/kkr_tfo_investment_2008-09-23.html | archive-date=9 October 2008 | url-status=dead }}</ref> * 2011: Rebranded to Aricent Group.<ref>{{cite web | title=Rebranded to Aricent Group | publisher=Aricent | url=http://www.convergedigest.com/2011/05/aricent-undertakes-rebranding.html | access-date=2011-05-21}}</ref> * 2011: Opened engineering and development center for testing and wireless technologies in Vietnam<ref>{{cite news|url=http://english.thesaigontimes.vn/Home/business/other/15411/|title=Aricent opens software center in town - Aricent opens software center in town|work=Saigon Times|access-date=2015-05-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304083833/http://english.thesaigontimes.vn/Home/business/other/15411/|archive-date=2016-03-04|url-status=dead}}</ref> * 2013: Rebranded to Aricent. * 2015: Acquired SmartPlay Technologies, a semiconductor service based firm for $180 million. As part of the deal, SmartPlay's 1,200-plus staff joined Aricent's staff. * 2018: Altran acquired Aricent,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.altran.com/us/en/news_press_release/completion-aricent-acquisition-altran-assumes-global-leadership-engineering-rd-services/|title = With completion of Aricent acquisition, Altran assumes global leadership in Engineering and R&D Services}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=PM |first=Indulal |title=KKR seeks to log out from Aricent, its oldest investment in India |work=The Economic Times |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/banking/finance/kkr-seeks-to-log-out-from-aricent-its-oldest-investment-in-india/articleshow/61650420.cms |access-date=2022-03-16}}</ref> with Aricent operating as ''Altran North America'' in the Americas; * 2019: Capgemini announced plans to acquire Altran Group <ref>{{Cite news|url=https://in.reuters.com/article/altran-ma-capgemini/capgemini-plans-to-acquire-altran-for-3-6-billion-euros-idINASP0013G3|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128233131/https://in.reuters.com/article/altran-ma-capgemini/capgemini-plans-to-acquire-altran-for-3-6-billion-euros-idINASP0013G3|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 28, 2020|title=Capgemini plans to acquire Altran for 3.6 billion euros|newspaper=Reuters|date=24 June 2019}}</ref> * 2020: Capgemini acquired Altran Group in April, with the majority of Altran staff (including most former Aricent employees) incorporated into Capgemini Engineering. Frog incorporated into Capgemini Invent.

==References== {{reflist|30em}}

Category:Privately held companies based in New Jersey Category:Defunct software companies of the United States Category:Companies based in Palo Alto, California Category:Software companies established in 1991 Category:Software companies of Ukraine Category:KKR & Co. companies Category:1991 establishments in California Category:2020 disestablishments in California Category:Software companies disestablished in 2020 Category:2020 mergers and acquisitions