Editing 3Com (section)

==Products==
{{Main|List of 3Com products}}
[[File:3Com 3c905-tx NIC.jpg|300px|thumb|right|3Com 3c905-TX 10/100 [[Peripheral Component Interconnect|PCI]] network interface controller]]
* Fixed configuration Ethernet switches including [[stackable switch]]es: 3Com brand Gigabit switches Switch 5500G, 4800G, 4500G, 4200G, Baseline, OfficeConnect; 3Com brand Fast Ethernet switches Switch 5500, 4500, 4210, Baseline, OfficeConnect; H3C brand switches S5600, S5500, S5100, S3600, S3610, S3100.
* Modular Chassis switches: 3Com brand 8800, 7900E, 7500. H3C brand S9500, S7500, S7500E.
* [[Wide area network]] routers
* [[Wireless access point]]s, [[adapter]]s, and connectivity products
* [[Internet access]] gateways and firewalls, both wired and wireless
* [[Network management]] applications
* [[Computer security|Network security]] platforms including the TippingPoint Intrusion Prevention System.
* [[IP Telephony]] applications including [[Private branch exchange|PBX]] and [[Computer Telephony Integration]]. [[Telecommunications]] products utilized [[Voice over Internet Protocol]] and [[Session Initiation Protocol]] (SIP). Voice platforms included VCX and NBX.
* [[Local area network]] interface cards
* IP Video Surveillance and Network Storage (marketed in China, South Africa, South America and other key markets)
* Consumer USB webcams and associated software (3Com HomeConnect)
* The 3Com Laser Library which, at the time, was a revolutionary CD based documentation and tech support tool (brain child of Dirk Martin)

===Acquisitions===
3Com came close to merging with computer maker [[Convergent Technologies (Unisys)|Convergent Technologies]], abandoning the pact just two days before a vote was scheduled in March 1986.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Pollack |first1=Andrew |title=CONVERGENT, 3COM FAIL IN MERGER PLAN |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/03/27/business/convergent-3com-fail-in-merger-plan.html |access-date=17 May 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=27 March 1986 |archive-date=7 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241007083554/https://www.nytimes.com/1986/03/27/business/convergent-3com-fail-in-merger-plan.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Later, 3Com went on to acquire the following:<ref>{{foldoc|3Com}}</ref>
* [[Bridge Communications]] in 1987
* [[BICC Data Networks]] in 1992
* [[Star-Tek]] in 1993
* [[Synernetics]] in 1993
* [[Centrum Communications|Centrum]] in 1994
* [[NiceCom]] in 1994
* [[AccessWorks]], [[Sonix Communications]], [[Primary Access]], and [[Chipcom]] in 1995
* Axon Networks and OnStream Networks in 1996
* [[USRobotics]] merger/acquisition in 1997 (included product lines: Sportster, Courier, Palm, [[Megahertz Corporation|Megahertz]], Conferencelink, Audrey, and more)
* NBX in 1999
* [[Kerbango]] in 2000
* [[TippingPoint]] in 2005
* Huawei-3Com (H3C) in 2007 (Bought out [[Huawei]]'s 49% stake for US$882 million from a 2003 joint venture)

===Former subsidiaries===
CommWorks Corporation was a subsidiary of 3Com Corporation, based in [[Rolling Meadows, Illinois]]. It was sold to [[UTStarcom]] of [[Alameda, California]] in 2003.

CommWorks was formerly the Carrier Network Business unit of 3Com, comprising several acquired companies: U.S. Robotics (Rolling Meadows, Illinois),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.cnet.com/2100-1001-274312.html|title=3Com acquires U.S. Robotics|website=news.cnet.com}}</ref> Call Technologies ([[Reston, Virginia]]),<ref>[http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-60306978.html 3Com Corporation Acquires Leading Unified Messaging Vendor, Call Technologies; Company Accelerates Delivery of Carrier-Class, CommWorks Architecture. - Business Wire ]  {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110516233255/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-60306978.html |date=May 16, 2011 }}</ref> and LANsource ([[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], [[Canada]]).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0WUB/is_1999_Dec_27/ai_58393095 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120629185814/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0WUB/is_1999_Dec_27/ai_58393095 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-06-29 |title=3Com Completes Acquisition of LANSource Technologies, Inc&nbsp;— Company Business and Marketing |year=1999 |work=Edge: Work-Group Computing Report }}</ref> CommWorks was able to use technology from each company to create IP softswitch and IP communications software. U.S. Robotics provided media gateways (the Total Control 1000 product line, formerly used for dial-modem termination) and softswitch technology. Call Technologies provided Unified Messaging software. LANsource provided fax-over-IP software that was integrated with the Unified Messaging platform.

The Carrier Network Business unit of 3Com developed an [[Inter-working function]] technology that became the first and dominant 2G CDMA wireless data gateway product. In partnership with Unwired Planet (now Openwave) and Qualcomm Quicknet connect allowed for 6&nbsp;second connect times versus modems connecting the call in approximately 30 seconds.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.qualcomm.com/news/releases/1997/09/11/3com-corporation-qualcomm-and-unwired-planet-announce-quick-networkconnect |title=Qualcomm Press Center- 3COM Corporation, Qualcomm and Unwired Planet Announce Quick Network Connect Technology: Internet Access For CDMA Networks |access-date=2016-12-10 |archive-date=2024-10-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241007083609/https://www.qualcomm.com/news/releases/1997/09/3com-corporation-qualcomm-and-unwired-planet-announce-quick-networkconnect |url-status=live }}</ref> This product  was deployed in the United States, [[Japan]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mobiletechnews.com/info/1999/11/29/000002.html|title= Motorola Provides 64Kbps WAP Access On cdmaOne Networks|publisher=MobileTechNews }}</ref> and Korea covering the 2G CDMA market sample carriers included Sprint.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BFP/is_1999_August_30/ai_55603455 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120629185830/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BFP/is_1999_August_30/ai_55603455 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-06-29 |title=3Com Supplies Critical Wireless Technology for New Sprint Wireless Web Service&nbsp;— Sprint's PCS Wireless Web service&nbsp;— Company Business and Marketing |year=1999 |work=Cambridge Telcom Report }}</ref> It led to follow on products that became core to CommWorks now UTStarcom offerings including the 2.5 and 3G packet data gateway products known as [[Packet Data Serving Node|PDSN]] and Home Agents.

CommWorks/3Com co-developed an H.323-based softswitch with AT&T in 1998 for use in a "transparent trunking" application for AT&T's residential long-distance customers.<ref>[http://www.ilocus.com/ui_dataFiles/news28april06.htm] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061216011708/http://www.ilocus.com/ui_dataFiles/news28april06.htm|date=December 16, 2006}}</ref> Long distance telephone calls were redirected from the LEC's ingress CLASS 5 switch to the Total Control 1000 media gateway, where it was converted from TDM to IP and transported across AT&T's WorldNet IP backbone. When it reached the destination, it was passed to the egress LEC's CLASS 5 switch as an untariffed data call.<!-- jargon alert -->

CommWorks modified the gateway and softswitch software to support SIP for MCI/WorldCom's hosted business offering in 2000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/01-30-2001/0001415835&EDATE=|title=WorldCom Presents Plans for Commercial IP Communications Services|last=WorldCom}}</ref>

Although 3Com sold CommWorks to UTStarcom,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=29237|title=UTStarcom Cops CommWorks - Light Reading}}</ref> they retained intellectual property rights to the softswitch technology. After modifying the software to enable enterprise PBX features, 3Com released this technology as VCX, the industry's first pure SIP PBX, in 2003.<ref>[http://www.miercom.com/dl.html?fid=bcr-0601&type=print] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716221654/http://www.miercom.com/dl.html?fid=bcr-0601&type=print|date=July 16, 2011}}</ref>