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{{Short description|Former company}}
{{Prose|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Aricent/Altran Americas
| logo = Aricent Logo (1).jpg
| type = Defunct Company (acquired by Altran)
| key_people =
| products = Product and service engineering (largely digital and software products and services)
| num_employees = 10,000<ref>{{cite web
| title=About Us
| publisher=Aricent
| url=http://www.aricent.com/about
| access-date=2016-05-28
| archive-date=2016-03-07
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307014502/https://www.aricent.com/about
| url-status=dead
}}</ref>
| homepage =
| foundation = 1985 (founding of Future Software Communications); 1991 (founding of Hughes Software Systems); merged after acquisition in 2004.
| defunct = 2019
| location = [[Santa Clara, California]] and later [[New York, New York]] (USA)<br />
[[Gurgaon, Haryana]] (India)
| industry = [[Research and Development|R&D Services]]
}}
'''Aricent''' was a global design and engineering services company. It was acquired by French-based company [[Altran]] in 2018 and renamed Altran North America in April 2019<ref name=au>{{cite web|title=About Us|url=https://www.aricent.com/about/overview|publisher=Aricent|access-date=May 28, 2016|date=27 February 2016|archive-date=28 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190128012313/https://www.aricent.com/about/overview|url-status=dead}}</ref> and Altran Americas in early 2020. With Altran's acquisition by [[Capgemini]], the successors of Aricent are incorporated into [[Capgemini Engineering]] and to a lesser extent, Capgemini Invent.
Aricent was best known for developing telecom software which is used by telecom giants such as [[Cisco Systems]], [[Juniper Networks]], [[Nokia Networks]], [[Oracle Corporation|Oracle]], [[Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise]], and [[Nortel]].
==History==
Aricent is the successor to '''Hughes Software Systems''', which was established in 1991, as a subsidiary of [[Hughes Electronics]],<ref>{{cite web |title=KKR Current Investments |publisher=KKR |url=http://www.kkr.com/investments/current-invest.html |access-date=2006-10-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060825033305/http://www.kkr.com/investments/current-invest.html |archive-date=2006-08-25 |url-status=dead }}</ref> with funding from [[Sequoia Capital]].<ref name="auto">{{cite web |title=Aricent - Sequoia Capital | publisher=Sequoia Capital | url=http://www.sequoiacap.com/company/aricent/ | access-date=2006-10-26| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061110065836/http://www.sequoiacap.com/company/aricent/| archive-date= 10 November 2006 | url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Aricent Debuts As Communications Software Pure Play |publisher=KKR |url=http://www.kkr.com/news/press_releases/2006/10-26-06.html |access-date=2006-10-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061031224639/http://www.kkr.com/news/press_releases/2006/10-26-06.html |archive-date=2006-10-31 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* 1985: Future Software Communications founded by KV Ramani, a TCP/IP stack developer from India which will eventually merge with Hughes Software Systems.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.dqindia.com/kv-ramani/ | title=KV Ramani }}</ref>
* 1991: Hughes Software Systems (HSS) founded by KV Ramani in [[Nehru Place]], [[New Delhi]] to develop software solutions in the areas of VSAT-based networks for voice and data, cellular wireless telephony, packet switching, and multi-protocol routing. Pioneered the development of Protocol Stacks.<ref>{{cite news|title=Flextronics takes over FutureSoft |url=http://www.thehindu.com/2004/08/27/stories/2004082703941500.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150118023538/http://www.thehindu.com/2004/08/27/stories/2004082703941500.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 January 2015 |work=[[The Hindu]] |date=27 August 2004}}</ref>
* 2004: Flextronics bought HSS to form Flextronics Software Systems and merged with Future Software headquartered.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.greatlakes.edu.in/blog/kv-ramani-founder-future-software-pvt-ltd-and-ex-chairman-nasscom-on-entrepreneurship-and-successful-business-models|title=KV Ramani, Founder, Future Software Pvt Ltd and Ex Chairman, NASSCOM on 'Entrepreneurship and successful business models' |date=24 June 2010 |publisher=Great Lakes Institute of Management}}</ref> Acquired [[Frog Design]] for approximately $25 million.<ref>{{cite news|title=One Great Leap for Frog Design|work=BusinessWeek|url=http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/apr2006/id20060419_040862.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060421132853/http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/apr2006/id20060419_040862.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 21, 2006|access-date=2010-03-04}}</ref>
* 2005: Expanded development operations in [[Kyiv]], [[Kherson]] and [[Vinnytsia]] in [[Ukraine]]; [[Randburg]], [[South Africa]]; and [[Beijing]], [[China]]. Was delisted from India's stock market in preparation for sale.
* 2006: Was acquired by [[Kohlberg Kravis Roberts]] and Sequoia Capital as part of a $900 million sales of software companies.<ref name="auto"/> The transaction represented the largest private equity buy-out in Indian history.<ref>{{cite news | title=Buyout deal by KKR is India's largest ever | work=International Herald Tribune  | url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/04/17/business/kkr.php | access-date=2006-10-31| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061024042626/http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/04/17/business/kkr.php| archive-date= 24 October 2006 | url-status= live}}</ref>
* 2007: Acquired Datalinx; launched service provider offerings.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/business-news/aricent-buys-us-firm-in-global-market-quest/article1-247777.aspx |title=Aricent buys US firm in global market quest |date=13 September 2007 |work=Hindustan Times}} {{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
* 2008: The Family Office, a multi-[[family office]] company with headquarters in Bahrain also joined in funding Aricent.<ref>{{cite web | title=Aricent Announces New Funding from KKR and The Family Office | publisher=Aricent | url=http://www.aricent.com/en/releases/content.press_release/kkr_tfo_investment_2008-09-23.html | access-date=2008-09-23 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081009094733/http://www.aricent.com/en/releases/content.press_release/kkr_tfo_investment_2008-09-23.html | archive-date=9 October 2008 | url-status=dead }}</ref>
* 2011: Rebranded to Aricent Group.<ref>{{cite web | title=Rebranded to Aricent Group | publisher=Aricent | url=http://www.convergedigest.com/2011/05/aricent-undertakes-rebranding.html | access-date=2011-05-21}}</ref>
* 2011: Opened engineering and development center for testing and wireless technologies in Vietnam<ref>{{cite news|url=http://english.thesaigontimes.vn/Home/business/other/15411/|title=Aricent opens software center in town - Aricent opens software center in town|work=Saigon Times|access-date=2015-05-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304083833/http://english.thesaigontimes.vn/Home/business/other/15411/|archive-date=2016-03-04|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* 2013: Rebranded to Aricent.
* 2015: Acquired SmartPlay Technologies, a semiconductor service based firm for $180 million.  As part of the deal, SmartPlay's 1,200-plus staff joined Aricent's staff.
* 2018: [[Altran]] acquired Aricent,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.altran.com/us/en/news_press_release/completion-aricent-acquisition-altran-assumes-global-leadership-engineering-rd-services/|title = With completion of Aricent acquisition, Altran assumes global leadership in Engineering and R&D Services}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=PM |first=Indulal |title=KKR seeks to log out from Aricent, its oldest investment in India |work=The Economic Times |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/banking/finance/kkr-seeks-to-log-out-from-aricent-its-oldest-investment-in-india/articleshow/61650420.cms |access-date=2022-03-16}}</ref> with Aricent operating as ''Altran North America'' in the Americas;
* 2019: [[Capgemini]] announced plans to acquire Altran Group <ref>{{Cite news|url=https://in.reuters.com/article/altran-ma-capgemini/capgemini-plans-to-acquire-altran-for-3-6-billion-euros-idINASP0013G3|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128233131/https://in.reuters.com/article/altran-ma-capgemini/capgemini-plans-to-acquire-altran-for-3-6-billion-euros-idINASP0013G3|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 28, 2020|title=Capgemini plans to acquire Altran for 3.6 billion euros|newspaper=Reuters|date=24 June 2019}}</ref>
* 2020: Capgemini acquired Altran Group in April, with the majority of Altran staff (including most former Aricent employees) incorporated into Capgemini Engineering. Frog incorporated into Capgemini Invent.
== See also ==
* [[Fortune India 500]]
* [[List of companies of India]]
* [[Tanla Platforms]]
* [[Route Mobile]]
==References==
{{reflist|30em}}
{{Telecommunications}}
{{Kohlberg Kravis Roberts}}
[[Category:Privately held companies based in New Jersey]]
[[Category:Defunct software companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Companies based in Palo Alto, California]]
[[Category:Software companies established in 1991]]
[[Category:Software companies of Ukraine]]
[[Category:Kohlberg Kravis Roberts companies]]
[[Category:1991 establishments in California]]
[[Category:2020 disestablishments in California]]
[[Category:Software companies disestablished in 2020]]
[[Category:2020 mergers and acquisitions]]