3Com is a fairly well known name in the networking world, so it was interesting to read about their acquisition this morning. It seems they have been struggling lately, particularly against Cisco, and have opted to join up with two other companies. They announced today that they will be acquired for about $2.2 Billion by a private company called Bain and a former partner:
A minority interest in 3Com would be sold to affiliates of Huawei. 3Com previously operated a joint venture with Huawei in China called Huawei-3Com Ltd., but 3Com bought out its partner earlier this year. The venture was started in 2003.
It's unlikely 3Com will shut down, but obviously their market tactics will have to change if they are going to continue to compete with companies like Cisco.