AEI: Telecommunications
Note: This is a sub-section of AEI
1959 AEI created several cross-company, product divisions. One was SES Telecommunications Division[1]
AEI was one of the 5 companies covered by the Post Office's bulk supply agreement for telephone exchange equipment.
1959 The Post Office had cut back its orders to the 5 contracting companies which led to losses in the Telecommunications division[2]
1960 AEI reorganised its 3 main subsidiaries into divisions[3], one of which specialized in telecommunications, which had suffered in 1959 from a cutback in orders for telephone exchanges by the Post Office.
1960 A consortium of AEI, Automatic Telephone and Electric Co, Ericsson TelephonesLtd, GEC, Marconi's Wireless Telegraph Co, Plessey Co and STC formed a holding company Combined Telephone Holdings only days after its members had failed in their bid to acquire Telephone Manufacturing Co. Combined Telephone Holdings purchased for cash more than half of the shares in Phoenix Telephone and Electric Works and offered to purchase the rest[4].
1966 Two new equipment factories were opened at Glenrothes and Kirkcaldy, making handsets and exchanges, which added to the production capability at Woolwich and West Hartlepool which had been enlarged. Preparations were being made for production of electronic exchanges, of which first deliveries were expected in 1968[5].
1966 3 major trunk exchanges ordered by the Post Office[6]
1967 Acquired by GEC which led to rationalisation of all parts of the business.
1968 The AEI (ex-Siemens) factory at Woolwich, which employed 5,500, was threatened with closure as the Post Office changed from the Strowger to electronic exchanges[7] but the other AEI telecoms factories were well equipped but needed to be more productive. The Reliance Telephone Co and the AEI Private Telephone were brought together. Submarine Cables and Telephone Cables were brought together in a new business unit in the telecoms business[8]