Automatic Electric

Automatic Electric Group
Automatic Electric
IndustryElectronic manufacturing
PredecessorStrowger Automatic Telephone Exchange Company (1891)
Founded1901; 123 years ago (1901), in Chicago, Illinois
FounderAlmon B. Strowger
Defunct1983; 41 years ago (1983)
FateMerged to GTE Network Systems in 1983
SuccessorNow part of Nokia
Headquarters
Chicago, Illinois
,
United States of America
Area served
US, Canada, Europe
ProductsAutomatic switching systems and telephones
ParentTheodore Gary & Company, later GTE

Automatic Electric Company (A.E. Co.) was an American telephone equipment supplier primarily for independent telephone companies in North America, but also had a worldwide presence. With its line of automatic telephone exchanges, it was also a long-term supplier of switching equipment to the Bell System, starting in 1919.[1] The company was the largest manufacturing unit of the Automatic Electric Group.[1] In 1955, the company was acquired by General Telephone and Electronics (GT&E). After numerous reorganization within GTE, the company's assets came under the umbrella of Lucent in the 1990s, and subsequently part of Nokia.

  1. ^ a b GTE Automatic Electric (1955) This is Automatic Electric--Pioneers in Communication Techniques