Belden, Inc. (BDC), headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, designs, manufactures and markets high-speed electronic cables, connectivity products and related items for the specialty electronics and data networking markets. In the data networking area, products from the company include structured cabling systems comprised of metallic and fiber optic cable, connectivity components, and cable management solutions, to name a few. In the specialty electronics area, specifically video, sound and security, the company provides products for digital TV production, and specialized cable for video surveillance systems, airport baggage screen, building access control, public address systems, and fire alarm systems.

Earlier in the month, the company announced an agreement to acquire Trapeze Networks for $133M in cash. Trapeze Networks, a privately held company in Pleasanton, California, provides enterprise wireless LAN equipment and management software. The acquisition of Trapeze will make Belden the world’s largest unified wired and wireless solutions provider, while at the same time providing expanded market access for Trapeze Networks’ Smart Mobile™ solutions.

Trapeze Networks Smart Mobile wireless LAN solutions product portfolio is an end-to-end WLAN system built on a highly scalable and secure wireless operating system running on Trapeze Networks access points and controllers. More than 4,000 organizations around the world have deployed Trapeze wireless platforms. Belden’s chief executive officer, John Stroup, believes the acquisition of Trapeze will address the growing mobility needs of its customers, as the wireless LAN market is growing nearly 25 percent each year and wireless connectivity is no longer considered a luxury but a customer expectation.

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