Virata Corporation
Virata Corporation is an inactive acquired company that was a major contributor to the "Cambridge Phenomenon" or Silicon Fen high-tech cluster in the United Kingdom. Case studies and research papers have been created to illustrate the role of social networking in the creation of Virata's success. There is also research available on the role the company played in Silicon Valley venture networks. The company was originally founded by Andy Hopper and Hermann Hauser in 1993 as Advanced Telecommunication Modules Ltd, and in February 1998 the company changed its name to Virata Limited. The choice of name derived from a product family name used by ATML, but it was also derived from an Italian verb meaning "to change course" as used in the nautical context of "tacking" - making progress against a prevailing headwind. A typical product is the Helium 210-80 launched in August 2001. On May 25, 2001, the company opened a new European headquarters on the Cambridge Science Park. A new building of 2,884 sq. metres (31,000sq ft) provided accommodation for over 90 staff, 3 lab areas (Chip Lab, Hardware Lab and Systems Test Lab) and a customer training suite. It also had a boardroom with a now-infamous table