3Com Corporation
3com logo.svg
Former type
Public
Traded as NASDAQ: COMS (1984–2010) [1]
Industry Computer network products
Fate Acquired by Hewlett-Packard
Successor Hewlett-Packard
Founded 1979; 39 years ago
Founder Robert Metcalfe and others
Defunct April 12, 2010
Website www.3com.com
3Com Corporation was a digital electronics manufacturer best known for its computer network products. The company was founded in 1979 by Robert Metcalfe, Howard Charney, Bruce Borden, and Greg Shaw and recruited Bill Krause from Hewlett-Packard to be its president in February 1981 when it raised its first round of venture capital. Metcalfe explained the name 3Com was a contraction of "Computer Communication Compatibility",[2] with its focus on Ethernet technology that he had co-invented, which enabled the networking of computers.
3Com provided network interface controller and switches, routers, wireless access points and controllers, IP voice systems, and intrusion prevention systems. The company was based in Santa Clara, California. From its 2007 acquisition of 100 percent ownership of H3C Technologies Co., Limited (H3C) —initially a joint venture with China-based Huawei Technologies—3Com achieved a market presence in China, and a significant networking market share in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.[citation needed] 3Com products were sold under the brands 3Com, H3C, and TippingPoint.
On April 12, 2010, Hewlett-Packard completed the acquisition of 3Com, and it no longer exists as a separate entity