Discover Our History

Tyco Electronics is a US$13.5 billion global provider of engineered electronic components for thousands of consumer and industrial products; network solutions and systems for telecommunications and energy markets; and wireless systems for critical communications, radar and defense applications. We manufacture approximately 500,000 precision-engineered products – all backed by nearly 100,000 committed employees with a singular commitment to bringing a performance advantage to every technology, product and service we provide.

Tyco Electronics’ rich history is based on two great companies, each with impressive engineering prowess and heritage. AMP Incorporated, founded in 1941, developed a solderless method of attaching electrical terminals to wire which improved connection consistency and manufacturing efficiency. For over 60 years, AMP led the fast-paced connector industry and was the leading maker of terminals, connectors and related products – components found in virtually any finished electronic device from toasters to supercomputers. The company was quick to adopt a global strategy, first establishing operations in France in 1952 and Japan in 1956. By the late 1990’s, AMP’s global footprint extended to over 50 countries and annual sales exceeded US$5 billion.

Raychem Corporation, established in 1957, had as its basis the then-new field of radiation chemistry technology (hence Raychem), which company founders combined with expertise in materials science to develop products such as aircraft wire and heat-shrinkable tubing. Raychem later applied these core technologies to introduce more products, including innovative circuit protection products that could automatically reset after circuit faults were cleared.

In 1999, AMP merged with Tyco International Ltd. Later that same year, Raychem was acquired. These two electronics industry leaders combined to form the basis of Tyco Electronics. Over the next two years, more strategic acquisitions broadened the company’s product portfolio to encompass electronics and electrical components and systems spanning over 20 distinct product categories. Today, the portfolio includes not only connectors, but also relays, fiber optics, wireless components, and touchscreens; encompassing approximately half a million different part numbers. No other supplier matches the array of products and services that Tyco Electronics offers.

Keeping focused on the customer, Tyco Electronics now operates in more than 45 countries, with manufacturing facilities in over 25 countries strategically located close to customers’ facilities. While there has been a shift of manufacturing operations to emerging regions such as China and Eastern Europe, the company’s strategy maintains a well-balanced operating presence in all three major regions of the world.

Notable historical fast facts:

The Crompton Instrument line of power measurement instrumentation has roots back to 1881, when Crompton & Co. was founded in Chelmsford, Essex, UK.
Potter & Brumfield relays were created in 1934, when founders Elbert Potter and Richard Brumfield could not purchase a sufficiently reliable product for their needs.
The famous Slinky® spring toy, introduced in 1945, was enhanced by adding an AMP electrical splice to mechanically secure the free ends of the coil spring.
In 1950, Richard Walker and three other engineers founded Microwave Associates -- later to become M/A-COM -- in a small rented space in Boston, Massachusetts to serve the emerging microwave market. One of the company’s first products was a magnetron, a key component for microwave radar.
Introduction of electrical terminals in continuous strip form in 1954, paired with automatic crimping machines such as the AMP-O-MATER, allowed users to increase production rates and produce thousands of quality inspected wire terminations per hour.
1964 -- Craftsmen practice the age-old art of glass blowing in the production of KILOVAC hermetically sealed high voltage relays for use in defibrillators, space stations, and other high-reliability applications.
Producing some of the first touchscreen devices in the mid 1970’s, the Elographics company (now Tyco Electronics’ Elo TouchSystems brand) developed and patented a resistive touch technology in 1977, versions of which remain popular today.
In the early 1980’s, TDI Batteries provided nickel-cadmium batteries for the new cellular phone industry, and later was one of the first providers of lithium-ion battery packs for cell phones.
In 1995, M/A-COM launched a proprietary voice and data network that was first adopted by Federal Express. Combining its expertise in RF and microwave technology, communication systems, network protocols, and software, this radio network technology has since grown into an exciting Wireless Network Solutions business that has found great success in the public safety arena.
Tyco Electronics was the first company to bring a radar sensor to the automotive market. The M/A-COM sensor was introduced in 1999 on the Mercedes S Class sedan in Europe. This sensor enabled an entirely new driver convenience -- the Intelligent Cruise Control.
Tyco Electronics introduced its new MultiGig RT high density, high-speed connector in 2002 for use in computer, networking, and communications equipment. This innovative approach utilized robust printed circuit board “wafers” to replace conventional pin and socket electrical contacts that could bend during installation. The design also enabled customization of the wafers’ circuit paths to meet customer-specific performance requirements.
In 2003, Tyco Electronics was the first company to develop a fiber-optic connector with 72 fibers in a single compact housing. This marvel of engineering was not much larger than AMP’s original single-fiber connector, which was introduced in 1975. Ten years before its development, industry engineers deemed it “impossible”.
In 2006, Elo TouchSystems introduced breakthrough Acoustic Pulse Recognition (APR) touch-screen technology. APR can determine finger or stylus location on a touch screen by recognizing the sound created when glass is touched at a given position.
In 2007, Tyco Electronics became an independent, publicly traded company whose common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the ticker symbol “TEL.”

Continued Investment in Technology

As technology rapidly and relentlessly advances, Tyco Electronics continues to invest heavily in Research, Development and Engineering (RD&E) to ensure a robust stream of new products for next-generation electronic equipment and devices. In 2005, the company invested approximately US$600 million in RD&E. Over the years, our investment in technology has yielded over 20,000 patents and patent applications, and a continuing stream of new products including:

High-speed interconnects and micro-miniature components aimed at satisfying computer and communications equipment customers’ needs to package more performance and functionality in smaller products.
New automotive components such as battery disconnect switches, sensors, antennas, fuse-relay boxes and inductive systems for ABS.
Complete electrical distribution panels for military and commercial aircraft that integrate contactors, power controllers and relays.
Critical communication radio systems -- Using Internet Protocol (IP) based technology, Tyco Electronics’ wireless business has developed OpenSky and NetworkFirst technologically-advanced communications systems that enable emergency first-responders to communicate with each other, linking formerly disparate communication systems together.

Tyco Electronics is uniquely positioned to succeed by innovating, providing outstanding customer service, improving productivity, and by having the best and most talented employees who adhere to the highest standards of ethics and integrity.

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