The networking equipment provider will spin off into four separate companies
Publicly traded Cabletron Systems — a provider of networking equipment — will segment itself into four separate companies that could spin out into publicly traded firms, company officials announced Thursday.
The four new companies will operate with a "start-up mentality," said Cabletron president and chief executive officer Piyush Patel, saying the news companies will operate quickly and nimbly, with each focusing on unique, high-growth areas.
Patel said Cabletron was making the move so the new units can better serve customers and dominate the four markets while enabling the company to streamline operations.
The new companies include:
* Riverstone Networks, which will focus on the service provider market, including content hosting, application service providers, competitive local exchange carriers and Internet service providers.
* Enterasys Networks, which will focus on enterprise customers.
* Global Network Technology Services, which will specialize in network consulting, focusing on professional services such as the design, management and security of complex networks for large enterprise and service-provider customers.
* Aprisma Management Technologies, which will focus on delivering infrastructure management software for service-provider and enterprise markets.