23 Facts About Harris Corporation

Harris Corporation was an American technology company, defense contractor, and information technology services provider that produced wireless equipment, tactical radios, electronic systems, night vision equipment and both terrestrial and spaceborne antennas for use in the government, defense and commercial sectors.

In 2016, Harris Corporation was named one of the top hundred federal contractors by Defense News.

In January 2015, Wired Magazine ranked Harris Corporation—tied with US Marshals Service—as the number two threat to privacy and communications on the Internet.

Harris Corporation spent the next 60 years developing lithographic processes and printing presses before acquiring typesetting company Intertype Corporation.

In 1957, Harris Corporation acquired Gates Radio, a producer of broadcast transmitters and associated electronics gear, but kept the Gates brand name alive by putting the Gates sticker on the back of numerous transmitters that were labeled Harris Corporation on the front panels.

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Harris Corporation headquarters was moved from Cleveland to Melbourne in 1978.

In 1969, Harris Corporation acquired RF Communications and Farinon Electric Corporation, furthering its microwave assets.

In 1974, Harris acquired Datacraft Corporation, which led to the formation of the Harris Computer Systems Division.

In 1988, Harris Corporation acquired GE's semiconductor business, which at this time, incorporated the Intersil and RCA semiconductor businesses.

In 1996, Harris Corporation formed a joint venture with Shenzhen Telecom Company to produce and sell Harris' digital microwave radios and integrate them with other systems.

Harris Corporation retained production of the Radiation Hardened versions of these products.

In 1999, Harris Corporation spun off their remaining semiconductor business as an independent company, under the Intersil name.

Harris Corporation developed a Hand Held Computer for use during the address canvassing portion of the 2010 United States Census.

In January 2011, Harris Corporation re-opened its Calgary, Alberta avionics operation, Harris Corporation Canada Inc.

In December 2012, Harris Corporation sold its broadcast equipment operations to the Gores Group which operated as Harris Broadcast and is GatesAir.

Harris Corporation received $225M for the transaction, exactly half of what it paid seven years earlier for Leitch Technology, its final acquisition for the Broadcast division.

In July 2015, Harris Corporation sold its healthcare division, Harris Healthcare Solutions, to NantHealth.

In January 2017, Harris Corporation sold off its government IT services division to Veritas Capital for $690 million.

In October 2018 Harris Corporation announced an all-stock "merger of equals" with New York-based L3 Technologies, to be closed in mid-2019.

Federal regulations had required that Harris Corporation divest its night vision business as L3 already had its own night vision business and merger between the two companies would effectively eliminate competition in the industry.

Harris Corporation produced multiple cell-site simulator products, such as the StingRay and Hailstorm phone trackers ; These masquerade as legitimate cellphone towers duping mobile devices to connect to them instead of real cellular networks, so all wireless voice and data traffic originating in a given area are intercepted by the systems, enabling Stingray operators to conduct mass surveillance and triangulate the position of mobile devices.

Harris Corporation have been criticized by civil rights advocates for requiring local municipalities, police and state governments to enter into non-disclosure agreements and to conceal usage of these platforms from citizens and the courts.

ACLU then sent a letter to FCC stating, in their view, Harris Corporation misled FCC Office of Engineering and Technology staff during the regulatory review process by falsely claiming the systems were only used in emergency situations and not criminal investigations.