Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteiTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
PMC-Sierra announced on March 3, 2000, that it would acquire Extreme Packet Devices for approximately US$415 million in PMC shares. The deal brought in a Canadian fabless semiconductor company developing high-speed IP and ATM traffic-management chips. PMC recorded the acquisition as completed in April 2000, but the planned X-1 chipset later ran into delays and product-goal problems; by April 2001, EE Times reported that PMC appeared to have shut down the effort.
When did PMC-Sierra acquire Extreme Packet Devices?
The companies signed the acquisition agreement on March 2, 2000. PMC-Sierra announced the transaction the next day, March 3, and its later SEC filing records completion in April 2000.
![Network Lab Scenarios I [Network Basics & LAN]: Becoming the Network Expert with Packet Tracer](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41FMBB31kLL._SL160_.jpg)
Contemporaneous EE Times coverage said Extreme Packet Devices (EPD) had been founded in early 1999. It was a privately held, fabless semiconductor company based in Kanata, Ontario, Canada, with more than 60 employees when the acquisition was announced.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →How much did PMC-Sierra pay?
PMC-Sierra announced a purchase price of approximately US$415 million in PMC shares. The transaction used exchangeable shares: PMC’s 2002 Form 10-K records approximately 2,000,000 exchangeable shares issued in the completed acquisition. The filing also records $5.8 million in merger-related costs. Those costs are separate from the announced share value, not an additional purchase price.
#1 Best Overall
What did Extreme Packet Devices make?
EPD was developing semiconductor technology for high-speed IP and ATM traffic management and packet processing at 10 Gbit/s. The intended market included OC-48 and OC-192 multiservice switches and routers, equipment designed to carry different types of network traffic over high-capacity links.
The goal was to help network equipment provide Quality of Service (QoS)—managing traffic so that voice, video and data could receive appropriate treatment as they crossed a network. PMC-Sierra’s acquisition announcement described the technology as relevant to QoS guarantees and multiservice switching.
Rank #2
- Network administrators' main fears are that SSL inspection will have a performance impact or cause something to break, impacting the user experience. Sophos Firewall removes the blind spots caused by encrypted traffic by allowing you to use SSL inspection while maintaining performance efficiency.
- TLS 1.3 Decryption: Remove an enormous blind spot with intelligent TLS inspection that’s fast and effective, supporting the latest standards with extensive exceptions and point-and-click policy tools to make your job easy.
- Deep Packet Inspection: Stop the latest ransomware and breaches with high-performance streaming deep packet inspection, including next-gen IPS, web protection, and app control, as well as deep learning and sandboxing powered by SophosLabs Intelix.
- Sophos Firewall and the XGS Series appliances with dedicated Xstream Flow Processors enable the ultimate in application acceleration, high-performance TLS inspection, and powerful threat protection
- Specifications: Firewall throughput: 3,700 Mbps | Firewall IMIX: 2,500 Mbps | Firewall Latency (64 byte UDP): 6 µs| IPS throughput: 1,015 Mbps | Threat Protection throughput: 240 Mbps
Where its chips fit in a network system
PMC-Sierra’s later SEC description of its product categories helps explain the intended role. Packet and cell processors inspect packets and perform management functions; traffic managers schedule and queue packets as they move through switches. EPD’s planned technology targeted this demanding traffic-management layer, rather than a consumer-facing device or standalone networking product.
Why did the X-1 product effort falter?
EPD’s planned X-1 was a three-piece chipset intended for OC-192 traffic management. EE Times reported in April 2001 that the project had been delayed and was having difficulty meeting its product goals. The publication said PMC appeared to have shut down EPD.
PMC-Sierra CFO John W. Sullivan later described the commercial and staffing problems: the traffic-management device was late, design wins were “peeling away” as customers sought alternatives, and the EPD group had fallen from about 60 people to about 13. His account points to a product that struggled both to meet its development targets and to retain customer commitments while delayed.
Acquisition timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Early 1999 | EPD founded as a system-on-chip semiconductor startup, according to contemporaneous EE Times coverage. |
| March 2, 2000 | PMC, a new subsidiary and EPD signed the acquisition agreement, as recorded in an Ontario Securities Commission decision. |
| March 3, 2000 | PMC-Sierra announced the acquisition for approximately US$415 million in shares. |
| April 2000 | PMC’s SEC filing records completion of the acquisition. |
| April 2001 | EE Times reported apparent shutdown of EPD following delays to the X-1 OC-192 traffic-management chipset. |
What the acquisition ultimately meant
PMC-Sierra presented EPD as a complementary addition to its broadband communications semiconductor business. The strategic fit was clear: EPD aimed to supply advanced traffic-management technology for high-capacity switches and routers. But the available reporting also shows the gap between an acquisition’s technical promise and a commercial product: delays, difficulty meeting product goals and eroding design wins preceded the reported shutdown.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #4
- Used Book in Good Condition
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
