Westell
Encyclopedia
Westell Technologies, Inc. is an Aurora, Illinois
company whose primary business is producing DSL modems for the home and small office. Westell is the last company to manufacture DSL modems in the United States
; however, on May 21, 2007, Westell announced plans to outsource manufacturing.
, and initially produced electronic equipment used for signaling and transmission on telephone lines leased
to private customers. Beginning in 1992, Westell began developing ADSL products. By the time of its IPO in 1995, Westell was a prominent DSLAM manufacturer. The company moved out of this business in the wake of the stock market downturn of 2002
, and now focuses primarily on manufacturing DSL modems.
and wireless access point
. Rather than selling through retail channels, Westell typically sells its products to telephone companies
, who in turn supply modems to new subscribers.
Westell's other businesses include Network Service Access (NSA) products and conferencing services through a subsidiary, ConferencePlus.
Aurora, Illinois
Aurora is the second most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and the 112th largest city in the United States. A suburb of Chicago, located west of the Loop, its population in 2010 was 197,899. Originally founded within Kane County, Aurora's city limits have expanded greatly over the past...
company whose primary business is producing DSL modems for the home and small office. Westell is the last company to manufacture DSL modems in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
; however, on May 21, 2007, Westell announced plans to outsource manufacturing.
History
Westell was founded in October 1980 in Willowbrook, IllinoisWillowbrook, Illinois
Willowbook is the name of some places in the U.S. state of Illinois:*Willowbrook, DuPage County, Illinois*Willowbrook, Will County, Illinois...
, and initially produced electronic equipment used for signaling and transmission on telephone lines leased
Leased line
A leased line is a service contract between a provider and a customer, whereby the provider agrees to deliver a symmetric telecommunications line connecting two or more locations in exchange for a monthly rent . It is sometimes known as a 'Private Circuit' or 'Data Line' in the UK or as CDN in Italy...
to private customers. Beginning in 1992, Westell began developing ADSL products. By the time of its IPO in 1995, Westell was a prominent DSLAM manufacturer. The company moved out of this business in the wake of the stock market downturn of 2002
Stock market downturn of 2002
The stock market downturn of 2002 is the sharp drop in stock prices during 2002 in stock exchanges across the United States, Canada, Asia, and Europe...
, and now focuses primarily on manufacturing DSL modems.
Products
Westell's primary business is the production and sale of DSL modems for the home and small office. More advanced models offer additional features and can act as an Ethernet switchNetwork switch
A network switch or switching hub is a computer networking device that connects network segments.The term commonly refers to a multi-port network bridge that processes and routes data at the data link layer of the OSI model...
and wireless access point
Wireless access point
In computer networking, a wireless access point is a device that allows wireless devices to connect to a wired network using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or related standards...
. Rather than selling through retail channels, Westell typically sells its products to telephone companies
Telephone company
A telephone company is a service provider of telecommunications services such as telephony and data communications access. Many were at one time nationalized or state-regulated monopolies...
, who in turn supply modems to new subscribers.
Westell's other businesses include Network Service Access (NSA) products and conferencing services through a subsidiary, ConferencePlus.