Alcatel Lucent

Alcatel-Lucent USA may be headquartered in New Jersey, but that doesn't mean it's not as technologically sophisticated as its Parisian parent. The US subsidiary of France-based Alcatel-Lucent designs, develops, and builds wireline, wireless, and converged communications networks. It supplies equipment, software applications, and related services to telecom carriers and network service providers such as 360networks, AT&T, and Verizon, as well as enterprise customers. Government customers are served through DC-based subsidiary LGS Innovations, which works with federal agencies, including the US Army, and major contractors such as Raytheon. Alcatel-Lucent USA accounts for almost 30% of its parent's overall revenues.

The US is actually Alcatel-Lucent's largest market; all of Europe accounts for 34% of sales. Sales in the US peaked after the 2006 merger of telecom rivals Alcatel and Lucent Technologies but subsequent years have not shown the same level of success. US sales dropped 10% in 2009 (in euros) due to reduced spending amid the global economic recession. However, the demand for W-CDMA (widespread code division multiple access) is growing from carriers' expansion into 3G network capabilities. In late 2010 Alcatel-Lucent USA won a four-year contract worth $4 billion from Verizon to continue with 3G expansion and build out its 4G/LTE network in the US.

Alcatel-Lucent USA operates from 15 offices in eight states. It maintains two production plants totaling 775,000 sq. ft. to manufacture radio frequency systems and wireline and wireless access products. The company is managed separately from fellow US-based Alcatel-Lucent subsidiaries Bell Labs and Genesys.

The last acquisition Alcatel-Lucent made in the US was in 2008, when it bought Motive for $68 million. A longtime partner of Alcatel-Lucent, Motive develops remote management software that service providers use to deploy and support home networking equipment.