The Largest Tech Companies in Alabama

Key Points

• ADTRAN is a public tech company that provides network access solutions .
• Mark C. Smith and Lonnie McMillian are the founders of ADTRAN.
• Digium, Inc. is a private tech company that has its headquarters in Huntsville.

Alabama is home to gorgeous white beaches, beautiful countryside, and the largest space museum in the world. Located in the Southeastern region of the United States, it is bordered by Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Georgia to the east, Tennessee to the north, and Mississippi to the west. The biggest industries in the state are aerospace, technology, banking, and education. Alabama’s technology industry is thriving with a variety of businesses and startups.

The Largest Tech Companies by Revenue

The Largest Tech Companies by Employee Count

The Largest Publicly Traded Tech Companies

Which Tech Companies were Founded in Alabama?

ADTRAN

ADTRAN is a public tech company that provides network access solutions and telecommunications equipment. They design, manufacture, and feature marketing network access solutions across both wireline and wireless networks. Their carrier network division provides copper and fiber-based solutions to deliver data, video, and voice services directly from the equipment to each client’s premises. ADTRAN has development and research centers as well as support and sales offices throughout the world. 

ADTRAN is located in Cummings Research Park in Huntsville, Alabama. Some of the specific services they provide include IP television, high-speed internet access, RF video, VOIP, and data services. These services are mostly based on frame relay, TDM, Ethernet, and ATM networks. They connect the specified network with the components of the user. These include routers, IADs, PBXs, switches, and telephone key systems. 

ADTRAN provides over 1,700 network access systems and products that enable data transport, internet access, telephony, and data networks. They offer optical options as well as traditional copper. They sell routers, switches, and a variety of other carrier-grade equipment to both wireless and wireline service providers, including CenturyLink and AT&T. ADTRAN provides several types of networking products such as integrated access devices and access routers, radio equipment multiplexers, and modems. They sell through a network of different distributors as well as directly. 

History of ADTRAN

Mark C. Smith and Lonnie McMillian are the founders of ADTRAN. They started the tech company in 1986. ADTRAN started off supplying network equipment to the seven companies of Regional Bell Operating Companies as well as the independent and new telephone companies that are located in the United States.

ADTRAN managed to adapt to the new technology they used in different enterprises. ADTRAN has become the major supplier of access to local loop and other deployment products for DS3, fiber, wireless T1/E1, HDSL4, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), and digital subscriber lines, among other products.

According to Computer Business Review, ADTRAN increased its portfolio of most of the carrier Ethernet products with the introduction of three additional multi-service routers. In December 2011, ADTRAN made a public announcement of its new plans to purchase the broadband part directly from Nokia Siemens Networks. In 2012, the company finalized the acquisition of the broadband network from the Nokia Siemens Networks division.

Founding of ADTRAN

Lonnie McMilian and Mark C. Smith are the founders of ADTRAN Network Inc. which started its major operation in Alabama in 1986. The primary reason they launched the company was to offer network equipment to companies such as the Reginal Bell Operating Companies.

In 1989, ADTRAN introduced new devices to the ISDN and made their first attempt at another speed-multiplying protocol known as HDSL, mainly for Digital Subscriber Lines with high bit-rate. The newly introduced HDSL became a way of transferring a new data transmission service called T1, which was faster compared to the ISDN. ADTRAN gained the leading market share back in 1991 in most of its target markets for local loop telecommunications and central offices.

With ADTRAN slowly taking over the market, it disclosed a new product family in 1993 called the ISDN Service Unit. This was the first product of its kind, with many new and amazing features that enabled the telcos to start supporting ISDN calls without any need to upgrade to the new ISDN-capable switches in almost all their central offices.

ADTRAN has been developing new products and improving existing ones for many years, dating back to its inception. In Alabama, this tech company is taking over and even bought broadband ownership from Nokia Siemens Network. They finished the deal in 2012.

Digium

Digium, Inc. is a private tech company that has its headquarters in Huntsville. They offer both software services and products. They primarily deal with software and hardware products that allow customers to introduce turnkey voice-over-internet protocol systems as well as design their custom communication solutions. Since 2018, Digium has been a subsidiary of Sangoma Technologies.

Mark Spencer, the founder of Digium, created Asterisk in 1999. This was an open-source software project than turns a personal computer into a VoIP Phone or a communications server. Digium is still making Asterisk available to software developers globally for free. Digium’s primary business lines now include Switchvox, Digium IP phones, the Asterisk VoIP phone, and Asterisk telephony hardware and software products.

Digium sells its services and products directly to consumers and businesses. They also feature business-to-business products that include cloud services.

History of Digium

In 1999, Mark Spencer, a computer engineering student, started the Linux Support Services. The expensive cost of purchasing a business phone for his Linux Support Services forced Spencer to use his talents to come up with a solution to the problem.

After completing the wild symbol and the phone key, he called it Asterisk. This new system allowed phone calls through the internet, offering an alternative to most of the hardware-dependent PBX systems. Forbes Magazine characterized the Asterisk impact as “a havoc that is wreaking havoc on the phones of multi-billion-dollar equipment businesses.”

Most of the Asterisk business phone systems such as Digium Switchvox became the first generation with the VoIP communication solutions that later emerged to start competing with other companies such as Avaya and Cisco.

This reflected why the company shifted from Linux support to enhancement and applications for Asterisk and other new developments in communication solutions. In 2001, Linux Support Services rebranded to Digium.

Spencer released Asterisk as an open-source project, which is today known as the Asterisk Open-Source Software, the Asterisk forum and community, and the annual expo and conference, which are all maintained and sponsored by Digium. Most developers around the globe are still using Asterisk to make custom IP PBX systems, conference servers, VoIP developers, and other solutions for both large and small organizations.

The company has continued to enhance most of the features as well as add new ones. Asterisk is estimated to be used by most developers in 170 countries while it is running on almost one million servers. For Fortune 500 companies, Asterisk is the foundation of communication.

Founding of Digium

Digium is a communication technology firm that is located in Huntsville, Alabama. As of January 1, 2018, it became a subsidiary of Sangoma Technologies. Digium was founded in 1999 by Mark Spencer, who was the creator of Asterisk. This was a source of software that was an open project to be used in turning personal computers directly into voice over IP phone systems or communication servers.

The core business for Digium today includes Switchvox, direct to the Asterisk-based VoIP business phone system, Asterisk telephony hardware and software products, and Digium IP phones. This company continues to ensure the availability of Asterisk for global free development.

What are the Biggest Tech Companies Located in Alabama?

Avocent

Avocent Company is a business of Vertiv, which is a series of IT management software and devices that offer solutions in engineering lab environments, the enterprise, and the edge. Being among the largest tech companies in Alabama, Avocent’s estimated annual revenue is currently $116.33 million per year.

History of Avocent

The Avocent Corporation, located in Huntsville, Alabama, is one of the largest keyboard, video, and mouse switch manufacturers. The Avocent switches, both digital and analog, are mostly used to handle different computer servers.

A system administrator can also use the keyboard, video, and mouse switch to directly monitor a huge number of computers, remote and local, from just a single console. This saves time, space, and money while offering a better management system.

Most of these switches need wired connections. Avocent gives wireless products that offer A/V broadcasting and switching capabilities between keyboards, monitors, a mouse, and other audio devices up to a distance of 100 feet indoors.

The switches and services from Avocent are sold worldwide. Some of their major customers include Gateway, Dell, Microsoft, Intel, and Hewlett-Packard. Avocent Corporation is a public company that is among the NASDAQ trading companies.

Founding of Avocent

Avocent is an information technology product of the Vertiv business whose main headquarters are located in Huntsville, Alabama. In 2000, the Avocent Corporation was formed from the merger of two of the world’s largest manufacturers of the keyboard, video, and mouse equipment. These include Cybex Computer Products Corporation and Apex.

On October 6, 2009, Emerson Electric announced its interest in wanting to acquire Avocent for a total of $1.2 billion. On December 11, this deal was finalized, and Emerson Network Power acquired Avocent, a division of Emerson Electric.

On August 2, 2016, Emerson announced a new agreement of selling Network Power to Platinum Equity. On December 1, 2016, Emerson Power decided to rebrand the company under a new name, Vertiv, and decided to appoint a new CEO of the company, Rob Johnson.

What are the Largest Private Tech Companies in Alabama?

Dynetics

Dynetics offers high-quality tech services and products that are cost-effective, ethical, and responsible for the national security launch, cybersecurity, satellite, as well as critical infrastructure sectors. 

History of Dynetics

In 1974, Dr. Steve Gilbert and Herschel Matheny started the study of Dynetics. During the 1980s, the company was expanded to accommodate infrared and electro-optic sensors, design and missile system analysis, simulation and modeling, software developments, and the exploitation of foreign materials for missiles, radars, and missile seekers.

The company continued to grow in the 1990s with its core business. They expanded mostly in automotive supply as the main provider of most of the electrical test systems. Since the year 2000, this company has been selling cyber security and information technology services, with a signed contract to provide its services to NASA.

The Founding of Dynetics

Dynetics is a company that was founded in 1974 to deal with information technology and applied science. The company started to become a leading expert in the field of ballistic missile defense. While Dynetics started with a narrow focus, it has branched out into a variety of fields and has had several talented leaders.

The Dynetics Company’s main headquarters are in Huntsville and it is owned by Leidos. On March 29, 2022, Steve Cook was appointed to the position of Group President. This became effective on April 1^st. Paul Engola is to serve as Deputy Group President.

What are the Largest Publicly Traded Tech Companies in Alabama?

Apart from being the biggest tech company in Alabama, ADTRAN Company also remains the largest publicly traded tech company in Alabama. With its headquarters in Huntsville, Alabama, the public tech company is known for its variety of products and services. The company provides communication platforms, networking, and software. They offer these services and products in the United States as well as the United Kingdom, Mexico, and Germany.

What are the Forgotten Tech Companies in Alabama?

Intergraph

The Intergraph Corporation is a leading global provider of geospatial and engineering software that allows customers to visualize some of their complex data. Both businesses and government agencies in more than 60 countries depend on Intergraph software to organize vast amounts of data into actional intelligence

They feature services and software that empower their customers to build and operate more efficient ships and plants. Their products enable customers to create intelligent maps as well as provide security to critical infrastructure.

History of Intergraph

In 1969, Intergraph was founded as M&S Computing Inc. by Jim Meadlock, his wife Nancy, Keith Schonrock, Terry Schansman, and Peter Thurber to develop systems that would apply digital computing to missile guidance in real-time. Later, they renamed this company the Intergraph Corporation in 1980.

The company’s major hardware project was coming up with a workstation through the use of the clipper architecture that was created by Fairchild Semiconductor. This company was among the two companies that use chips mostly in a major product line. Intergraph made a different version of UNIX that was used for architecture and was called CLIX. In 1987, Intergraph decided to purchase Fairchild parts that mainly focused on the chip.

Intergraph decided to begin litigation against the computer hardware manufacturers, including Intel, based on the intellectual property that produced the clipper. They negotiated major settlements with Gateway, T1, Intel, and HP, where the Intergraph Company earned a total of $394 million.

Founding of Intergraph

In 1969, the company was started as M&S Computing Inc. by former IBM engineers. The name was later changed to Intergraph Corporation in 1980. In 2000, Intergraph decided to quit the hardware business and solely focus on the software business. Intergraph decided to sell its Intense 3D graphics accelerator to new owners, the 3Dlabs, and server division, and its workstation to Silicon Graphics.

On November 29, 2006, an investor group that was led by Texas Pacific Group, JMI Equity, and Hellman & Friedman LLC, acquired Intergraph. After the Hexagon acquisition, the company decided to move its management of ERDAS Inc. to Intergraph from Leica Geosystems.

In 2013, the geospatial technology portfolio was separated from Intergraph security, infrastructure, and government divisions to create the Hexagon Geospatial division. In 2015, the Intergraph Government, Security & Infrastructure division was rebranded and became Hexagon Safety & Infrastructure.

In 2017, the Intergraph Government Solution division changed to Hexagon US Federal. In June 2017, the Intergraph Power, Process & Marine division also changed to Hexagon.

Interested in learning more about the largest tech companies in the United States? Check out our full list HERE!

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