Harris Corporation

Harris Corporation
Company type	Public
Industry	Technology, Defense
Founded	1895
Founder	Alfred S. Harris
Fate	Merged with L3 Technologies in 2019 to form L3Harris Technologies
Headquarters	Melbourne, Florida, United States
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	William M. Brown (CEO)
Products	Wireless communications equipment, tactical radio systems, electronic devices, night vision technology, antennas for terrestrial and space applications, surveillance technologies, microwave weapon systems, electronic warfare capabilities
Number of employees	Approximately 6,000 (in Brevard County)
Parent	None (merged into L3Harris Technologies)

Harris Corporation was a U.S.-based technology and defense firm that specialized in wireless communications equipment, tactical radio systems, electronic devices, night vision technology, as well as antennas designed for terrestrial and space applications. Its clientele spanned government agencies, defense sectors, emergency responders, and commercial enterprises. The company's offerings included surveillance technologies, microwave weapon systems, and electronic warfare capabilities. In 2019, Harris combined with L3 Technologies to create L3Harris Technologies.

With its main office located in Melbourne, Florida, Harris reported annual revenues near $7 billion and stood as the largest private employer in Brevard County, Florida, employing roughly 6,000 individuals locally. Between 1988 and 1999, it served as the parent entity of Intersil under the name Harris Semiconductor.

In 2016, Harris ranked within the top 100 federal contractors as reported by Defense News. Earlier, in January 2015, Wired Magazine identified Harris Corporation—alongside the United States Marshals Service—as a prominent concern regarding privacy and internet communications security.

History

Established in 1895 by Alfred S. Harris in Niles, Ohio, the company originally operated as the "Harris Automatic Press Company," concentrating on lithography and printing press manufacturing before broadening its scope through various acquisitions.

In 1957, Harris acquired Gates Radio, a manufacturer of broadcast transmitters, continuing to market products under the Gates brand. That same year, it also purchased Intertype Corporation, a New York-based producer of typesetting machines. Two years later, in 1959, Harris ventured into microwave technology by acquiring PRD Electronics located in Brooklyn.

A pivotal merger took place in 1967 with Radiation Incorporated from Melbourne, Florida, a firm specializing in antenna systems and integrated circuits for space applications. This merger prompted the relocation of Harris's headquarters to Melbourne in 1978. Further enhancing its microwave technology portfolio, Harris acquired RF Communications and Farinon Electric Corporation in 1969. The company ceased its printing operations by 1983.

During the 1970s, Harris diversified by acquiring Datacraft Corporation in 1974 to establish the Harris Computer Systems Division, which focused on minicomputers designed for real-time applications; this division was spun off as an independent company in 1994. Additionally, Harris entered a semiconductor joint venture named Matra Harris Semiconductors (MHS) in 1979 but exited by 1989; MHS was subsequently acquired by Atmel.

In 1983, Harris expanded into dictation and word processing markets through acquiring Lanier Business Products, which by the early 1990s accounted for approximately one-third of company revenues. Lanier was spun off as a public entity in 1998 but carried significant debt. In 1988, Harris further broadened its semiconductor holdings by purchasing GE’s semiconductor operations including Intersil and RCA units.

In the late 1990s, Harris entered a joint venture with Shenzhen Telecom to promote digital microwave radios while divesting commercial semiconductor lines to Texas Instruments in 1998; however, it retained radiation-hardened semiconductor products. The remaining semiconductor business was spun off as Intersil in 1999.

By 2005, Harris had invested $870 million into research and development efforts, demonstrating a strong focus on innovation. Among its developments was a secure handheld computing device for the 2010 U.S. Census that incorporated fingerprint authentication and GPS for enhanced data security.

In January 2011, Harris expanded its presence in Canada securing a $273 million contract supporting CF-18 Avionics programs via its Calgary facility. In December 2012, it divested its broadcast equipment division to the Gores Group for $225 million.

A significant strategic acquisition occurred in May 2015 when Harris purchased rival Exelis Inc., effectively nearly doubling its size and market share. Shortly thereafter, it sold off its healthcare division to NantHealth and transferred its government IT services segment to Veritas Capital for $690 million; this unit was rebranded as Peraton.

In October 2018, Harris announced an all-stock merger with New York-based L3 Technologies, resulting in the creation of L3 Harris Technologies headquartered in Melbourne, Florida. Compliance with regulatory conditions required divesting its night vision product line to Elbit Systems of America for $350 million during 2019.

Notably, CEO William M. Brown conducted insider stock sales totaling close to $200 million in 2021, marking substantial executive-level transactions within the company’s leadership structure.

Communication Systems

The Communication Systems division of Harris specialized in tactical and airborne radio equipment, night vision devices, as well as networks for defense and public safety applications.

Electronic Systems

Harris's Electronic Systems division provided solutions in electronic warfare, air traffic control, avionics, wireless communications, C4I (command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence), undersea technology, and aerostructures. Among its offerings was the "ALQ-214" radio frequency jamming system utilized by the U.S. Navy's F/A-18 Hornet jets, originally created by Exelis ES before Harris acquired it in 2015. This division also supplied avionics parts and targeting technologies for the Navy's F/A-18 and EA-18 Growler aircraft.

Space and Intelligence Systems

Following the acquisition of Exelis, the Space and Intelligence Systems division was established to provide Earth observation capabilities, weather data collection, geospatial intelligence services, space situational awareness, including sensors, payloads, ground-based processing units, and analytical tools.

Cell-site Simulators

Harris manufactured cell-site simulator devices such as StingRay and Hailstorm phone trackers. These tools replicate legitimate cellular towers to capture wireless voice and data transmissions within a specified area, facilitating widespread surveillance and mobile device location tracking. Initially developed for the U.S. Navy and international counterterrorism missions, these technologies have been adopted by more than six federal agencies—such as the FBI, DEA, and ICE—and at least 53 law enforcement entities across 21 states.

These surveillance instruments have sparked controversy due to their broad interception of mobile communications, often affecting individuals not subject to investigation. Harris faced criticism for mandating nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) with local governments that limit transparency and may conflict with public records regulations. Civil liberties organizations including the ACLU, EPIC, and EFF have successfully contested these secrecy measures through legal action.

In 2014, court proceedings forced Harris to disclose documents detailing its communications with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The ACLU accused Harris of providing misleading information to the FCC by stating these devices were used exclusively during emergencies rather than in routine criminal probes.

Significantly, in 2006 Harris personnel operated StingRay equipment directly on behalf of the Palm Bay Police Department without judicial authorization during a bomb threat incident. In 2015, Santa Clara County ended contract discussions with Harris due to restrictive public records policies related to StingRay technology.

Harris Corporation Mobile Phone Surveillance Devices
Device	Launch Year	Price	Description
StingRay	2001	$68,479	IMSI catcher; gathers mobile phone location information and metadata
StingRay II	2007	$134,952	Advanced IMSI catcher; collects location data plus metadata
Kingfish	2003	$25,349	Surveillance transceiver designed for mobile phone tracking
Amberjack	2002	$35,015	Directional antenna supporting tracking; used alongside StingRay and Kingfish
Harpoon	2008	$16,000–19,000	Linear signal amplifier enhancing StingRay or Kingfish performance
Hailstorm	Unknown	$169,602	IMSI catcher; collects location data and metadata; capable of content interception
Gossamer	2001	$19,696	Compact IMSI catcher; can perform denial-of-service attacks on phones
Triggerfish	1997	$90,000–102,000	Real-time interception of mobile conversations; potentially outdated

List of Harris acquisitions

Farinon (1980)
Datacraft Corporation (1974)
T.W. & C.B. Sheridan Company (1964)
PRD Electronics (1959)
Gates Radio (1957)
Intertype Corporation (1957), leading to the rebranding as Harris-Intertype Corporation
Lanier Business Products, Inc. (1983)
Exelis Inc. (2015), a significant $4.7 billion acquisition in defense and aerospace
Carefx (2011)
Schlumberger Global Communications Services Division (2011)
CapRock Communications (2010)
SignaCert (2010)
SolaCom ATC Solutions (2009)
Tyco Electronics (MA-COM) Wireless Systems (2009)
Crucial Security, Inc. (2009)
Zandar Technologies Ltd. (2007)
Multimax (2007)
Aastra Digital Video (2006)
Optimal Solutions, Inc. (2006)
Leitch Technology (2005)
Orkand Corporation (2004 – currently known as Harris IT Services)
Encoda Systems (2004)
ImageLinks, Inc. (2004)
Hirschmann Multimedia Communications Network (2001)
Exigent International, Inc. (2001)
Wavtrace, Inc. (2000)
Lucent Technologies' Point-to-Point Microwave Business (2000)
Louth Automation (2000)
Audio Broadcast Group, Inc. (1999)
Pacific Research & Engineering Corporation (1999)
CHOICE Microsystems (1999)
Intraplex, Inc. (1999)
Agfa Copying Systems, Inc. (1998)
Trans-Comp, Inc. (1998 – divested with Lanier Worldwide)
Northeast Broadcast Lab (1997)
NovAtel Communications (1995)
Triplett Corporation's Cellular and Telecommunications Division (1995)

Notable people

Asher A. Friesem, former engineering professional
Howard Lance, ex-CEO known for strategic leadership contributions
Edythe Perlick, former athlete in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
Frank Pritt, previous sales executive and business influencer
Joan C. Sherman, pioneering female technical director

External links