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{{short description|Former semiconductor company}} {{lead too short|date=April 2014}} {{ infobox company | name = | logo = File:PMC-Sierra logo.svg | type = Public | traded_as = {{NASDAQ was|PMCS}} | foundation = {{start date and age|1984|1|11}} | location_city = [[Sunnyvale, California]] | location_country = United States<ref name="SEC-1"/> | key_people = Greg Lang {{small|(CEO)}} | industry = [[Fabless semiconductor company]] | products = | revenue = | net_income = | num_employees = 1,500<ref name="SEC-2"/> | website = {{URL|http://pmcs.com}} | defunct = {{end date and age|2016|1|15}} | fate = Acquired by [[Microsemi]] }} '''PMC-Sierra''' was a global [[fabless semiconductor company]] with offices worldwide that developed and sold semiconductor devices into the storage, communications, optical networking, printing, and embedded computing marketplaces. On January 15, 2016, [[Microsemi]] Corporation completed the acquisition of PMC-Sierra through Microsemi's subsidiary Lois Acquisition.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://investor.microsemi.com/2016-01-15-Microsemi-Corporation-Completes-Acquisition-of-PMC-Sierra-Inc|title=Microsemi Corporation Completes Acquisition of PMC-Sierra, Inc.|website=microsemi.com|access-date=2016-01-19|archive-date=2017-02-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170203075924/http://investor.microsemi.com/2016-01-15-Microsemi-Corporation-Completes-Acquisition-of-PMC-Sierra-Inc/|url-status=dead}}</ref> == History == [[File:PMC Sierra - pano-sm.jpg|thumb|240px|Burnaby, Canada PMC-Sierra Building]] Sierra Semiconductor was founded in 1984 in [[San Jose, California]] by James Diller.<ref name="plug"/> It received funding on January 11, 1984 from [[Sequoia Capital]], and went public in 1991. Pacific Microelectronics Centre (PMC) in [[Burnaby, British Columbia]], Canada, was spun off from Microtel Pacific Research (the research arm of [[BC TEL]] at the time) to develop [[Asynchronous Transfer Mode]] (ATM) and later [[SONET]] [[integrated circuit]]s (chips). With investment from Sierra Semiconductor, PMC was established in 1992 as a private company focused on providing networking semiconductors, and became a wholly owned, independently operated subsidiary of Sierra Semiconductor in 1994. Microtel is part of [[Verizon Communications]]. In 1995, using ideas from UBC Electrical Engineering students, PMC revolutionized the optical networking chipset market with the first OC-12 (622 Mbit/s) S/UNI transceiver chips. This circuit-design breakthrough put the company 3 years ahead of Bell Labs in its optical transceiver development.<ref name="oc12-suni" /> In August 1996, Sierra Semiconductor announced its decision to exit the personal computer modem chipset business, to restructure its other non-networking products and focus on its networking products. 150 employees were made redundant.<ref name="modem"/> In late 1996, it acquired [[Bipolar Integrated Technology]] in [[Beaverton, Oregon]], for about $10 million to enter the [[Ethernet]] business. The headquarters was moved to Burnaby, and in June 1997, PMC Sierra overtook its parent, Sierra Semiconductor, changing its name to ''PMC-Sierra''.<ref name="findarticles"/> It acquired Integrated Telecom Technology Inc., San Jose, for $55 million in cash and stock in 1998.<ref name="plug" /> Between 2001 and 2015 the company had multiple rounds of layoffs. In 2001, 350 employees, or 24% of the total workforce, were laid off.<ref name="edn-1"/><ref name="marketwatch"/> Then in January 2003, 176 employees were laid off<ref name="marketwatch-1"/> and in June 2005, 89 employees were laid off.<ref name="edn-2"/> In August 2006, 30 to 40 employees were laid off.<ref name="edn-3"/> In 2007 two rounds of layoffs happened, first in March 2007, 175 employees were laid off<ref name="edn-4"/> and then in December 2007, 18 employees were laid off.<ref name="SEC-3"/> In July 2015, roughly 200 employees were laid off as part of a restructuring measure.<ref name="Q2-2015"/> In May 2006, PMC-Sierra acquired Passave, Inc., a developer of [[system-on-chip]] semiconductors for the [[fiber to the home]] access market in a stock-for-stock transaction valued at approximately $300 million. Passave was headquartered in [[Boston]] and had a development center in [[Tel Aviv]], Israel.<ref name="marketwatch-2"/> On October 22, 2010, PMC-Sierra acquired Wintegra Inc. for $240 million. Wintegra had 165 employees with the majority of its development team located in [[Raanana]], Israel, and [[Austin, Texas]].<ref name="Globes"/> A further acquisition was made on the 29th of May 2013 when PMC acquired IDT's Enterprise Flash Controller Business.<ref name="sr-1"/> During the fall of 2015, both [[Skyworks Solutions]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Skyworks to Acquire PMC-Sierra for $2 Billion in Cash |date=2015-10-05 |publisher=[[Business Wire]] |url=http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151005006797/en/ |archive-date=2015-10-09 |access-date=2015-10-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151009023509/http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151005006797/en |url-status=live }}</ref> and [[Microsemi]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Microsemi Corporation Announces Superior Proposal to Acquire PMC-Sierra, Inc. for $11.50 Per Share With Intent to Close in December 2015 |date=2015-10-19 |url=http://investor.microsemi.com/2015-10-19-Microsemi-Corporation-Announces-Superior-Proposal-to-Acquire-PMC-Sierra-Inc-for-11-50-Per-Share-With-Intent-to-Close-in-December-2015 |archive-date=2015-10-21 |access-date=2015-10-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151021231644/http://investor.microsemi.com/2015-10-19-Microsemi-Corporation-Announces-Superior-Proposal-to-Acquire-PMC-Sierra-Inc-for-11-50-Per-Share-With-Intent-to-Close-in-December-2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> were attempting to acquire PMC-Sierra. On November 24, 2015, Microsemi announced that they had entered into an agreement to acquire PMC-Sierra.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/microsemi-wins-battle-to-buy-pmc-sierra-1448371039|title=Microsemi Wins Battle to Buy PMC-Sierra|first=Anne|last=Steele|newspaper=Wall Street Journal|date=24 November 2015|archive-date=18 November 2016|access-date=10 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118134922/http://www.wsj.com/articles/microsemi-wins-battle-to-buy-pmc-sierra-1448371039|url-status=live}}</ref> == Technology == {{refimprove section|date=February 2015|talk=Sourcing for "Technology"}} PMC-Sierra provided broadband communications and storage [[semiconductors]] for metro, access, fiber to the home, wireless infrastructure, enterprise and channel storage, laser printers and customer premises equipment. PMC had more than 250 different semiconductor devices<ref name="directory"/> that were sold to equipment manufacturers, who in turn supplied their equipment to communications network service providers and enterprises. As a [[fabless]] semiconductor company, PMC-Sierra designed and tested products, with wafer fabrication and assembly outsourced functions to third party suppliers. PMC-Sierra's customers included [[Hewlett-Packard|HP]], [[EMC Corporation]], [[Huawei]], [[Cisco]], [[Alcatel-Lucent]], [[Fujitsu]], [[Hitachi]], [[Mitsubishi]], [[ZTE]] and [[Juniper Networks|Juniper]]. ===Storage=== PMC-Sierra offered products for storage networks and systems.<ref name="storage"/> The company provided an interconnect and controller product family for SAS and SATA storage systems and [[server computer]] RAID controllers. PMC-Sierra provided [[Fibre Channel]] controller and system interconnect products. PMC-Sierra acquired the channel storage business from [[Adaptec]]. This business was named "Adaptec by PMC" and made SAS/SATA RAID Adapters. In July 2013 PMC completed the acquisition of IDT's Flash controller business<ref>{{cite web|url=http://investor.pmcs.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=74533&p=irol-newsArticle_Print&ID=1837550|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160108043627/http://investor.pmcs.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=74533&p=irol-newsArticle_Print&ID=1837550|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 January 2016|title=PMC Completes Acquisition of IDT's Enterprise Flash Controller Business|date=July 15, 2013|publisher=PMC|access-date=18 November 2015}}</ref> and in August 2014 introduced the Flashtec line of non-volatile memory drives. ===Communications=== PMC-Sierra offered communication ICs for metro access, metro transport, FTTH/PON, Ethernet over SONET/SDH, Optical Transport Network (OTN) and wireless base transceiver stations (BTS).<ref name="ethernet"/> PMC-Sierra sold products for what is known as [[Ethernet in the first mile]], which generally uses a [[passive optical network]] to residential areas.{{citation needed|date=January 2011}} PMC-Sierra semiconductor devices allowed wireless service providers to deploy wireless [[mobile phone]] network equipment.<ref name="wireless"/> This included [[MIPS architecture|MIPS]]-based network processors for wireless back haul and [[radio frequency]] integrated circuits for wideband radio modules. The company's UniTRX chipsets were highly integrated, low-power RFICs for wideband radio modules that operated in the 400 MHz to 4 GHz frequency range. These solutions addressed the performance requirements of 3GPP and 3GPP2 macro base station radio transceivers with support of multiple standards such as MC-GSM, cdma2000ยฎ, WCDMA, and LTE. The company's DIGI-G4 chipset was PMC's latest OTN processor, and it enabled the transition to 400G line cards in OTN switched metro networks. It is the industry's densest single-chip 4x100G OTN processor with 50 percent less power per port. In March 2015 the PMC DIGI-G4 OTN processor was awarded a Lightwave Innovation Award <ref name="lightwaveonline.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/innovation-awards/pmc-digi-g4-otn-processor.html|title=PMC DIGI-G4 OTN Processor|author=Lightwave Staff|access-date=18 November 2015|archive-date=19 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151119082628/http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/innovation-awards/pmc-digi-g4-otn-processor.html|url-status=live}}</ref> with the judges citing "...substantial new features, technologies, and capabilities included in the upgrade..."<ref name="lightwaveonline.com"/> ===Printers=== PMC-Sierra has discrete and system-on-chip products for both laser and multi-function printers. == References == {{reflist|30em|refs= <ref name="SEC-1">{{cite web|url=http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=74533&p=IROL-secToc&TOC=aHR0cDovL2lyLmludC53ZXN0bGF3YnVzaW5lc3MuY29tL2RvY3VtZW50L3YxLzAwMDExOTMxMjUtMTAtMTc5MzAzL3RvYy9wYWdl&ListAll=1&sXBRL=1|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120715173230/http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=74533&p=IROL-secToc&TOC=aHR0cDovL2lyLmludC53ZXN0bGF3YnVzaW5lc3MuY29tL2RvY3VtZW50L3YxLzAwMDExOTMxMjUtMTAtMTc5MzAzL3RvYy9wYWdl&ListAll=1&sXBRL=1|url-status=dead|title=PMC - SEC Filings|date=15 July 2012|archive-date=15 July 2012|website=corporate-ir.net}}</ref> <ref name="SEC-2">{{cite web|url=http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=74533&p=irol-SECText&TEXT=aHR0cDovL2lyLmludC53ZXN0bGF3YnVzaW5lc3MuY29tL2RvY3VtZW50L3YxLzAwMDExOTMxMjUtMTAtMDM5MDk2L3htbC9zdWJkb2N1bWVudC8xL3BhZ2UvMTE%3d |title=10-K SEC filing|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120712215157/http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=74533&p=irol-SECText&TEXT=aHR0cDovL2lyLmludC53ZXN0bGF3YnVzaW5lc3MuY29tL2RvY3VtZW50L3YxLzAwMDExOTMxMjUtMTAtMDM5MDk2L3htbC9zdWJkb2N1bWVudC8xL3BhZ2UvMTE%3D|url-status=dead|archive-date=12 July 2012|website=corporate-ir.net}}</ref> <ref name="plug">{{Cite news |title= Pulling the plug |author= Robert Ristelhueber |date= September 1, 1998 |work= Electronics Design News |url= http://www.edn.com/electronics-news/4356418/Pulling-the-plug |access-date= October 28, 2013 |archive-date= October 29, 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131029225642/http://www.edn.com/electronics-news/4356418/Pulling-the-plug |url-status= live }}</ref> <ref name="modem">{{Cite news |title= Sierra Semiconductor Expects to Cut 150 Employees |date= August 31, 1996 |work= The New York Times |url= https://www.nytimes.com/1996/08/31/business/sierra-semiconductor-expects-to-cut-150-employees.html |access-date= October 28, 2013 |archive-date= November 13, 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131113210739/http://www.nytimes.com/1996/08/31/business/sierra-semiconductor-expects-to-cut-150-employees.html |url-status= live }}</ref> <ref name="findarticles">{{cite web|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EKF/is_n2172_v43/ai_19530977/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120714013319/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EKF/is_n2172_v43/ai_19530977/|url-status=dead|title=Former Sierra Semi completes restructuring - Electronic News|author=Crista Hardie Souza|date=14 July 2012|archive-date=14 July 2012|website=findarticles.com}}</ref> <ref name="edn-1">{{cite web|url=http://www.edn.com/article/CA184683.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120730093937/http://www.edn.com/article/CA184683.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=30 July 2012 |title=PMC Maximizes Acquisitions|author=Gale Morrison|date=December 3, 2001|work=EDN |access-date=18 November 2015 }}</ref> <ref name="marketwatch">{{cite web|url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/pmc-sierra-lay-off-350/story.aspx?guid=%7B38F50E04-D5BF-4019-B3E9-5C533945C62D%7D |title=PMC-Sierra to lay off 350. Retrieved on 2009-03-29 |publisher=Marketwatch.com |date=2001-10-18 |access-date=2014-05-08}}</ref> <ref name="marketwatch-1">{{Cite news |title= PMC-Sierra Lays Off 176 |date= January 17, 2003 |work= Electronics Design News |url= http://www.edn.com/electronics-news/4336818/PMC-Sierra-Lays-Off-176 |access-date= October 28, 2013 |archive-date= October 29, 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131029230331/http://www.edn.com/electronics-news/4336818/PMC-Sierra-Lays-Off-176 |url-status= live }}</ref> <ref name="edn-2">{{Cite news |title= PMC-Sierra Cuts 89 Jobs |date= June 24, 2005 |work= Electronics Design News |url= http://www.edn.com/electronics-news/4322559/PMC-Sierra-Cuts-89-Jobs |access-date= October 28, 2013 |archive-date= October 29, 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131029221959/http://www.edn.com/electronics-news/4322559/PMC-Sierra-Cuts-89-Jobs |url-status= live }}</ref> <ref name="marketwatch-2">{{cite news |title= PMC-Sierra to buy Passave for $300M |url= http://www.marketwatch.com/story/pmc-sierra-makes-300m-deal-for-passave |work= MarketWatch |date= April 4, 2006 |access-date= October 28, 2013 |archive-date= October 29, 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131029200735/http://www.marketwatch.com/story/pmc-sierra-makes-300m-deal-for-passave |url-status= live }}</ref> <ref name="edn-3">{{Cite news |title= More Layoffs at PMC-Sierra |date= August 31, 2006 |work= Electronics Design News |url= http://www.edn.com/electronics-news/4318497/More-Layoffs-at-PMC-Sierra |access-date= October 28, 2013 |archive-date= October 29, 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131029224759/http://www.edn.com/electronics-news/4318497/More-Layoffs-at-PMC-Sierra |url-status= live }}</ref> <ref name="edn-4">{{Cite news |title= PMC-Sierra closes R&D centers, cuts 175 jobs |author= Suzanne Deffree |date= March 30, 2007 |work= Electronics Design News |url= http://www.edn.com/electronics-news/4315142/PMC-Sierra-closes-R-D-centers-cuts-175-jobs |access-date= October 28, 2013 |archive-date= October 29, 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131029230200/http://www.edn.com/electronics-news/4315142/PMC-Sierra-closes-R-D-centers-cuts-175-jobs |url-status= live }}</ref> <ref name="SEC-3">10-K SEC Filing by PMC Sierra on 02/26/09. Retrieved on 2009-03-29</ref> <ref name="Globes">{{cite news|title=PMC-Sierra buys Wintegra: The acquisition of Wintegra expands PMC-Sierra's presence in Israel, where its FTTH business is based. |url=http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000596010 |newspaper=Globes: Israel's Business Arena |date=October 24, 2010 |access-date=October 28, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029201118/http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000596010 |archive-date=October 29, 2013 }}</ref> <ref name="directory">{{cite web|url=http://www.pmc-sierra.com/products/directory.html|title=Microsemi - Semiconductor & System Solutions - Power Matters|website=www.pmc-sierra.com|access-date=2010-08-31|archive-date=2010-02-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100209071225/http://www.pmc-sierra.com/products/directory.html|url-status=live}}</ref> <ref name="storage">[http://www.pmc-sierra.com/sas-expanders-loopswitch-chips/ ] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100912034109/http://www.pmc-sierra.com/sas-expanders-loopswitch-chips/ |date=September 12, 2010 }}</ref> <ref name="ethernet">[http://www.pmc-sierra.com/ethernet-sonet-sdh-mac-framer-controller-chips/ ] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100427200232/http://www.pmc-sierra.com/ethernet-sonet-sdh-mac-framer-controller-chips/ |date=April 27, 2010 }}</ref> <ref name="wireless">[http://www.pmc-sierra.com/wireless/ ] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100418064128/http://www.pmc-sierra.com/wireless/ |date=April 18, 2010 }}</ref> <ref name="sr-1">{{cite news |title= PMC-Sierra Announces Acquisition of IDT SSD Assets |url= http://www.storagereview.com/pmc_sierra_announces_acquisition_of_idt |work= StorageReview |date= May 31, 2013 |access-date= January 7, 2015 |archive-date= January 6, 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150106040843/http://www.storagereview.com/pmc_sierra_announces_acquisition_of_idt |url-status= live }}</ref> <!-- <ref name="marketwatch-3">{{cite news |title= PMC Licenses HP Smart Array Intellectual Property to Accelerate Growth in Server Storage Solutions |url= http://www.marketwatch.com/story/pmc-licenses-hp-smart-array-intellectual-property-to-accelerate-growth-in-server-storage-solutions-2014-09-04 |work= Marketwatch|date= September 4, 2014 |access-date= January 13, 2015 }}</ref> --> <ref name="Q2-2015">{{cite web|url=http://investor.pmcs.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=74533&p=irol-newsArticle_Print&ID=2070643|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160108043627/http://investor.pmcs.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=74533&p=irol-newsArticle_Print&ID=2070643|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 January 2016|title=PMC - News Release|access-date=18 November 2015}}</ref> <ref name="oc12-suni">{{cite news |title= OC12 ATM Takes Wing |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=7RcEAAAAMBAJ&q=PMC+OC-12+chips+1995&pg=PA5|work= Network World|date = 9 January 1995}}</ref> }} == External links == * {{official website|http://pmcs.com/}} * {{finance links|name=PMC-Sierra|symbol=PMCS|hoovers=PMC-Sierra_Inc.8dc88e3c821b1f71}} * [http://smithsonianchips.si.edu/ice/cd/PROF97/NORTHAM.pdf Profile of Sierra Semiconductor p307] {{Solid-state drive}} [[Category:Computer companies established in 1984]] [[Category:American companies established in 1984]] [[Category:Fabless semiconductor companies]] [[Category:Companies formerly listed on the Nasdaq]] [[Category:2016 mergers and acquisitions]] [[Category:Defunct semiconductor companies of the United States]] [[Category:Defunct computer companies of the United States]] [[Category:Defunct computer hardware companies]]
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