HISTORY

 

 

 

 

The Beginning

In the late 1960s, two brothers, José and Julio Herrero Álvarez, began to develop the first radio-communications equipment in their recently founded company, in a garage of Gobernador Street in Madrid .

In 1971, Payma, S.L., a company established twenty years previously by brothers Eduardo and Salvador Martínez Cabrera, acquired most of the company founded by the Herrero brothers, renaming the company TELCOM, S.L., and expanding its technical and commercial activities.

Around that time TELCOM moved to newly-acquired offices in Donoso Square , in Madrid . In these early years, the company developed discrete analog technology radio-communications products (valves, transistors, etc.), which were to become known and to acquire prestige in a Spanish electronics and communications sector still in its infancy.

Consolidation

In 1976, Telcom S.L. became a public limited company with the aim of providing greater support to R&D and product sales activities.

In this first stage, TELCOM's activities were basically limited to manufacturing equipment for private mobile radio-communications (PMR) and antennae. Some of these devices are successfully operating today in the form of repeaters, taxi mobiles, etc.

. Fixed Equipment: Base/Repeater RTF25
. Mobile Equipment: RT25, known as the "green device" because of its colour.
. Portable equipment: EP700 (1977), EP200 (1982) and EP1W, Spain 's first 1W portable.

Telcom would soon launch the first synthesised frequency mobile radio manufactured in Spain , a landmark in the sector.

Clients were increasingly eager to place their trust in TELCOM's good workmanship and excellent design: The Ministry of Development, Municipal Councils, the Police Force, Provincial Diputations, etc.

In 1976, the Maritime Red Cross commissioned TELCOM to design and manufacture the first 27 MHz radio-communications equipment to survey the beaches of the Spanish coast from Zodiac vessels: the CRM/M-27.

In 1977, Cemesa, the company running Madrid's Municipal Vehicle Impounding Service, commissioned TELCOM with the first 5-tone selective call console and an electronic panel (map of Madrid) to locate tow-trucks and services, developed by means of more than 4000 integrated circuits, and creating one of the most complex products in the European market.

In 1982, Radio Popular commissioned the development of a portable device for broadcasting interviews made on the air between presenters and footballers from the pitches (MI-2020 model).

In 1983 an agreement was signed with TELETTRA for the joint manufacture of the EP2000 device, for a contract of 3000 portable units for the Spanish Army.

In 1985, the wireless car radios of the Health Centres of Castilla-La Mancha were connected to the public telephone system by switchboard (S-4031-BM mobile) for the first time, and an emergency call could therefore be received in the vehicle's radio device or a pager associated with the vehicle.

Other developments of that period include:

. Radio communications system for maintenance and surveillance services during the period of construction of the Trillo Nuclear Power Plant.
. System for the monitoring and surveillance of the sewage outlets of the Bay of Palma de Mallorca, for the Municipal Water Company of Palma de Mallorca.

Subsequently a new range of repeaters (RTF500) and base/mobile units (EB500) were designed and manufactured, proving to be extremely reliable and offering excellent protection from interference.

In partnership with SINTEL, the company supplied the Public Works Networks of the Confederación Hidrográfica of Guadiana , Cuenca and Toledo , the Tele-care control centre for all the provinces in Spain , while various telephone terminals were supplied for subscribers (35,000 VitalCall terminals).

Commercialisation vs Own Design

With growing competition from foreign multinationals, TELCOM decided not to focus exclusively on its own production, and also began to select leading products at global level for subsequent sale in Spain .

It thereby became the representative of MAXON ( South Korea ), then MIDLAND (US) and, lastly, of the global leader in telecommunications radio-communications: MOTOROLA (1993).

TELCOM was able to offer its first-rate network of professional distributors and the highest degree of technical and human expertise to sell the best products, while never withdrawing from its R&D activities and the development of special products to complement radio networks.

Increasing in Size

In 1997 TELCOM purchased the assets of CELL Comunicaciones, formerly CRAME Comunicaciones, with the aim of boosting its presence in the Spanish market and consolidating its leading position.

CRAME Comunicaciones, S.A. had been created in April 1994 by PAYMA Comunicaciones, on acquiring the land communications division of CRAME , S.A. (Compañía Radio Aérea Marítima Española), a member of the SAIT-Radio Holland group.

CRAME, established in 1931, had belonged to ITT, Alcatel and Radio Holland. In 1990 it had created a land communications division to complement its core activity in the maritime sector, and had consolidated its position as one of the leaders in Wireless Telephony and radio-communications, representing MOTOROLA products in both fields.

The Take-off

Between 1997 and 1999, TELCOM expanded its customer base, its marketing and training activities for its distribution network, and its prestige - not only from the technical standpoint, but also as a client-focused company.

As a result, Motorola decided to entrust TELCOM with a new product range: license free radio telephony, or PMR446. Telcom cooperated actively with the Government to establish this service in Spain , with acceptable conditions for the market (without fees or registration in Telecommunications, etc.)

This new line of business began its meteoric rise in the consumer markets, and in early 2004 TELCOM celebrated the sale of its 100,000th PMR 446 Motorola.

In 2002 the new "Diversification" sales division was established, comprising the new products and systems that TELCOM had begun to incorporate for complementing its traditional radio-communications product distribution business. It therefore represents leading manufacturers in:

. Tetra and UMTS Antennae: Sigma Wireless.
. WLAN, Wifi and WiMax: Alvarion.
. Radio links: Stratex Networks.
. Optical links: MRV Optical Access.
. M2M and vehicle control: OWASYS
. Trunking, voting and QS systems: Tait Electronics
. Industrial PDAs: Motorola.

The Future

In TELCOM we are confident that wireless communications offer a growing market, albeit an increasingly complex one, and we are ready and eager to respond successfully to the challenge. The technical and human capacity of our employees, together with more than 30 years expertise dedicated to the communications sector, provide us with a solid foundation.