Virata Corporation is an inactive acquired company that was a major contributor to the "Cambridge Phenomenon" or

Silicon Fen Silicon Fen (also known as the Cambridge Cluster) is the name given to the region around Cambridge, England, which is home to a large business cluster, cluster of high-tech businesses focusing on software, electronics and biotechnology, s ...

high-tech cluster in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. Case studies and research papers have been created to illustrate the role of social networking in the creation of Virata's success. There is also research available on the role the company played in

Silicon Valley Silicon Valley is a region in Northern California that serves as a global center for high technology and innovation. Located in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area, it corresponds roughly to the geographical areas San Mateo County ...

venture networks. In February 1998, the company changed its name to Virata Limited, from Advanced Telecommunication Modules Ltd. The choice of name derived from a product family name used by ATML, but it was also derived from an Italian verb meaning "to change course" as used in the nautical context of "tacking" - making progress against a prevailing headwind. A typical product is the Helium 210-80 launched in August 2001. On May 25, 2001, the company opened a new European headquarters on the

Cambridge Science Park The Cambridge Science Park, founded by Trinity College in 1970, is the oldest science park in the United Kingdom. It is a concentration of science and technology related businesses, and has strong links with the nearby University of Cambridge. ...

. A new building of 2,884 sq. metres (31,000sq ft) provided accommodation for over 90 staff, 3 lab areas (Chip Lab, Hardware Lab and Systems Test Lab) and a customer training suite. It also had a boardroom with a now-infamous table in the shape of a "V" and a presenter's podium in the shape of the "dot" over the "i" in the Virata logo. GlobespanVirata continued to be the market leader in the DSL semiconductor market in 2002 with revenues of $226 million and 28% revenue market share. In an effort to reduce operating costs GlobespanVirata embarked on a series of site closures and employee headcount reduction. In August 2002, it closed the Raleigh and Maynard offices, for example, and there were lay-offs at most sites.

References

{{Reflist Companies based in Cambridge Companies established in 1993 Companies formerly listed on the Nasdaq Fabless semiconductor companies Semiconductor companies of the United Kingdom