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Introduction

The Company went through many reorganisations in its long history - in fact reorganisation and expansion were its main and very successful policies, but towards the end the policy makers became somewhat ridiculous in their behaviour, finally resulting in the complete disappearance of the company and the relegation of the name to a brand within a foreign company.

Particularly major ones relating to all the companies involved are outlined here with links to more detailed information by date.

1897     Founding of The Wireless Telegraph and Signal Company Ltd in UK

1898     Opening of Hall Street factory

1899     Founding of The Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of America

1900     Name change to The Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company in UK

1900     Founding of The Marconi International Marine Company in UK

1901     Opening of  School of Wireless Communications in Frinton

1905     Opening of Dalston factory

1908     Closing of Dalston factory - reopening of Hall Street works

1912     Opening of New Street Works in Chelmsford

1912     Opening of Marconi House in London

1920     Opening of Marconi College

1939     Opening of Baddow Research Laboratories

1948      Takeover by English Electric - first Sutherland reorganisation

1964     The expansion by this date is shown here

1965     Second Sutherland reorganisation

1967     GEC acquired Associated Electrical Industries (AEI), which encompassed Metropolitan-Vickers,

1967     English Electric took over Elliott Automation 

1968     Merger of English Electric and GEC creating GEC-Marconi Electronics

1969     Formation of independent trading entities from the divisions [Editors note - The organisation on this diagram did not last for more than a few months - 

             for example ASCD and Leicester disappeared shortly afterwards and became part of MRSL]

1984     Marconi Space and Defence Systems replaced by Marconi Defence Systems Limited, Marconi Space Systems Limited,

             Marconi Secure Radio Systems Limited and Marconi Command and Control Systems Limited

1988     GEC merges with Plessey Co to form GEC Plessey Telecommunications, commonly known as GPT. 

1990     The Marconi Company Ltd changes to GEC-Marconi Ltd

1990     GEC acquires parts of Ferranti's defence business

1994     Opening of Eastwood House - MRSL moves from Writtle Road which closes

1998     GPT changes to Marconi Communications Ltd

1998     GEC-Marconi Ltd changes to Marconi Electronic Systems Ltd  (MES) 

1998     Marconi Electronic Systems  acquired Tracor, a major American defence contractor

1999     Marconi Electronic Systems demerged from GEC and acquired by British Aerospace (BAe) to form BAE Systems.              See brochure here

Editors note - 1999 proved to be a defining year for GEC. Having made the proposed reconstruction involving the separation of Marconi Electronic Systems (MES) GEC completed the purchase of RELTEC Corporation of Cleveland, Ohio. RELTEC was a leader in the design, manufacture and sale of telecommunications network products, including the high growth market for Access products in the USA. Access products offered broadband solutions to telecommunications companies faced with network capacity constraints resulting from the dramatic growth in data, video and voice traffic over the local loop - the `last mile' connection to residential and business subscribers. Also GEC agreed to acquire FORE Systems, Inc. of Pittsburgh, PA. FORE Systems, a leading global supplier of high performance Internet switching equipment based on a `best in class' portfolio of products featuring Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), Internet Protocol (IP), Gigabit Ethernet and Firewall switching technologies used in the backbone of some of the largest enterprise and Internet service provider networks in the world. GEC intended to move strongly towards becoming a leading player in the global communications equipment market, but proved incapable of exercising the necessary management.

1999       GEC renamed itself Marconi plc and continued to trade until it eventually collapsed. 

1999     Marconi Electronic Systems became BAE Systems Electronics, a subsidiary of BAE Systems (Editors note - MES-related businesses became BAE

             Systems Submarines, BAE Systems Naval Ships, BAE Systems Insyte. Also SELEX Sensors and Airborne Systems

            [now owned by Finmeccanica]

1999     The Marconi Research Laboratories changed to BAe Systems Advanced Technology Centre and later to BAE

             Systems Applied Intelligence Laboratories

1999      Marconi plc changes name to Marconi Corporation plc

2004     Marconi Selenia Communications Ltd changes to Selenia Communications Ltd

2006     The Marconi name and most of the assets of Marconi Corporation plc bought by the Swedish firm 

                 Ericsson on January 23, effective as per January 1. The Marconi name to still be used as a brand within Ericsson. 

 2006     The remainder of Marconi Corporation plc changes to Telent plc

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