Black Box Corporation

Black Box Corporation

Black Box Headquarters located in Plano, Texas
Company type	Privately held
Traded as	Nasdaq: BBOX
Industry	Technology
Founded	June 25, 1976 (1976-06-25), in Lawrence, Pennsylvania
Headquarters	Plano, Texas
Area served	Global
Key people	Sanjeev Verma (CEO)
Services	IT Services 5G Data Centers Cyber Security Unified communications KVM Digital Signage Network Management Network Security WAN Optimization
Number of employees	3800
Parent	Essar Group
Website	www.blackbox.com

Black Box Corporation is a technology firm based in Texas, United States. It provides IT support and advisory services across various industries such as retail, transportation, government, education, and public safety. With operations spanning 75 offices in 35 countries, the company employed more than 3,800 personnel worldwide as of 2022.

History

Established in 1976 under the name Expandor Inc. by founders Eugene Yost and Richard Raub in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, the company rapidly gained traction within the IT services sector. In 1982, it adopted the name Black Box Corporation and introduced its well-known Black Box Catalog.

Following a decline during the 1987 stock market crash, Odyssey Partners acquired Black Box through a leveraged buyout in 1988. The following year, the company sold its “Interlan” division to Racal to concentrate on its primary technology service offerings.

1990s

In response to financial strain caused by debt obligations, Black Box Corporation reorganized in 1990 by establishing a telecommunications subsidiary named Micom Communications Corporation. Operating under MB Communications, Micom went public on NASDAQ in December 1992. Later, Northern Telecom (Nortel) purchased Micom in June 1996 after it was spun off. Despite financial difficulties, Micom executed a share repurchase in 1988 while Black Box maintained ownership.

In May 1997, the board of directors approved a stock repurchase initiative contingent on market conditions. By 1998, the firm broadened its service portfolio to include on-site data and infrastructure support within the United Kingdom, subsequently extending this model throughout Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

The profitable catalog division was renamed Black Box Incorporated to emphasize strategic concentration on core products and services.

2000s

Between 2000 and 2010, Black Box Corporation expanded its footprint across the US by partnering with leading IT providers such as Cisco, Avaya, NEC, and Unify, completing approximately 120 mergers and acquisitions.

AGC Networks

Originating in Mumbai in 1986 as Tata Telecom Ltd., a subsidiary of Tata Industries Ltd., AGC Networks initially specialized in manufacturing electronic private automated branch exchanges (EPABX) alongside software integration, installation, and maintenance services.

During the early 1990s, Tata Industries collaborated with Japanese companies OKI Electric Industry and Japan Radio Co. Ltd. (JRC) via technical assistance and licensing agreements to enhance its technology capabilities. By 1990, Tata Telecom had expanded service centers to major Indian cities including Guwahati, Nagpur, Pune, Jammu, and Baroda.

In 1994, Tata Telecom formed a joint venture with AT&T Network Systems International Inc. USA to develop OPTIMUX and network access solutions. After AT&T's withdrawal from the partnership, Tata entered into a joint venture with Avaya Systems in 1996. By the year 2000, Tata Telecom launched call center products acquired from Avaya Communications (previously Lucent Technologies). Following Tata Group’s sale of its 25.1% stake to Avaya Inc., this joint venture transitioned into Avaya Global Connect.

AGC Networks Limited was established in 2010 when Essar Group acquired Avaya Global Connect from Avaya Inc., signaling a significant corporate restructuring. The company expanded internationally by acquiring US-based Transcend United Technologies in 2011 to strengthen its presence in North America.

Continuing its growth trajectory, AGC Networks further enhanced its healthcare sector footprint through the acquisition of Ensource Business in 2015.

Rebranding

In 2019, AGC Networks completed the acquisition of Black Box Corporation. Later, in 2021, AGC Networks adopted the Black Box name as part of its corporate rebranding.

Services and operations

The organization functions through three primary business units:

• Black Box Global Solutions Integration (GSI) focuses on delivering services related to Connected Buildings, Digital Workplaces, Customer Experience, Data Centers, and Enterprise Networking.
• Black Box Technology Product Solutions (TPS) provides a range of professional products including Audio Video, Networking, Cabling, KVM, and IoT solutions.
• Black Box Xcelerate Services offers expertise in Consulting & Design, Project Management, Field Services, along with Customer Success and Support.

Acquisitions

Name	Acquisition date	Activities	Country of HQ	Description
Norstan	December 2004	Provider of voice services	Minnetonka, Minnesota	Delivered communication technology solutions.
Universal Solutions of North America, LLC	August 2005	Voice and data network systems provider	Charleston, Mississippi	Supplied data, voice, and hotline products and services.
NextiraOne, LLC	April 2006	Telecommunications services specialist	Houston, USA	Focused on voice technology offerings.
CBS Technologies Corp. (CBS)	October 2009	Telecommunications services provider	Islandia, New York	Provided telecommunication service solutions.
Avaya Global Connect	May 2010	Unified Communications provider	India	IT division acquired by Essar Group and rebranded as AGC Networks.
Logos Communications	October 2010	Unified communications and networking solutions	Westlake, Ohio	Delivered unified communications, wireless LAN, routing & switching, and security services.
InnerWireless, Inc.	January 2012	In-building wireless systems (DAS) specialist	Richardson, Texas	Provided wireless communication solutions.
Transcend United	March 2013	Global IT systems integrator	Wayne, New Jersey	Offered Unified Communications, Data Center Infrastructure, and Managed Services.
Ensource Inc.	June 2015	ICT solutions integrator focusing on healthcare sector	Jacksonville, Florida	Specialized in healthcare vertical market services.
Cloudium Systems Limited (IPR)	April 2016	KVM product provider	Limerick, Ireland	Delivered IT services with a focus on KVM-over-IP technology.
Black Box	January 2019	Core solution integration and technology product provider	Lawrence, Massachusetts	Main business areas at acquisition included Solution Integration and Technology Product Solutions.
Fujisoft	June 2020	Cloud computing solutions provider	Middle East	Specialized in Cloud Computing & Virtualization services within the MEA region.
Pyrios	August 2020	Cloud services provider	Australia
Mobiquest	October 2020	Mobile app design and development	Singapore	Concentrated on mobile applications and smart sensor technologies.

Name	Acquisition date	Activities	Country of HQ	Description
Z Services	March 2021	Cybersecurity and cloud solutions provider	UAE	Delivered cybersecurity cloud services within UAE.
Dragon Fly	March 2021	Cybersecurity and automation solutions provider	Australia	Offered cybersecurity, enterprise networking, and automation services in Australia.

Awards

• TVB Europe Best of Show Award at IBC 2022
• Disability Equality Index recognition as a Top Employer for Disability Inclusion in 2022
• Multiple Stevie Awards received during the years 2013 through 2019 and in 2021
• 2020 NAB Show Product of the Year, New York
• Special Merit honor from Digital Media World Awards, 2019
• TMC Cyber Defense Awards recipient in 2014
• CRN Five-Star Awards earned in 2013

Locations

Black Box maintains a worldwide presence across major regions:

Asia Pacific

Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan

Americas

Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Puerto Rico, USA

Europe

Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Oceania

Australia, New Zealand

Middle East

Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates

Africa

Kenya