2Wire

About 2Wire

2Wire, Inc. operated as a computer hardware and software manufacturer from its founding in 1998 until its acquisition in 2010. The company was established in San Jose, California, by a team that included Brian Hinman, Pasquale Romano, Brad Kayton, Timothy Peers, and Tom Spalding. Hinman had prior entrepreneurial success, having also founded PictureTel and Polycom, while Romano co-founded Fluent, Inc. before it was sold to Novell. Their collective vision for 2Wire was to enable telecom companies to offer an integrated package of broadband, voice, and entertainment services.

The company's business model centered on providing telecommunications companies with a comprehensive suite of home networking hardware, software, service platforms, and remote Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) management systems. This strategy positioned 2Wire as a key supplier for major broadband service providers, including AT&T, Bell Canada, Telmex, and BT Group, who distributed 2Wire's products to their residential customers. By July 2010, the company had grown to approximately 1,600 employees worldwide.

2Wire's flagship product was the HomePortal residential gateway, first introduced in January 2000. This device integrated a DSL modem and router, offering DSL connectivity, firewall protection, and remote management capabilities. The product line evolved quickly, with a wireless version released in 2001, followed by the development of the CMS remote customer premises management platform in 2002. A significant contribution to the industry was the company's publication of the Open Gateway Management Protocol (OGMP), which later formed the basis for the TR-069 standard. Further expansion of their offerings included the MediaPortal, a multi-service platform that integrated services like television, DVR, and digital media sharing. By June 2008, 2Wire had shipped over 20 million residential gateways. In July 2010, the British set-top box vendor Pace plc announced its agreement to acquire 2Wire for $475 million, a deal that was finalized later that year. Following a series of subsequent acquisitions, the legacy of 2Wire now resides within CommScope.