 | |
| Company type | Public (Société Anonyme) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Telecommunications |
| Founded | Paris, France (1924) |
| Founder | Marcel Môme |
| Defunct | 2005 (first company) 2012 (second company) |
| Successor | Safran |
| Headquarters | Paris , France |
Key people | Marcel Môme, Robert Labarre, Pierre Faurre, Grégoire Olivier |
| Products | Telecommunications service, electronics, communications systems |
SAGEM (Société d’Applications Générales de l’Électricité et de la Mécanique, translated as "Company of General Applications of Electricity and Mechanics") was a French company involved in defense electronics, consumer electronics, and communication systems.
Founded in 1924, SAGEM initially specialised in mechanical engineering and tool manufacture. Early in its existence, it entered the defense sector. The company made a foray into telecommunications in 1942 with the first telex printer, although it was principally a defense-oriented company during the first few decades of the post-war era. This majority focus upon the military sector continued for several years after the departure of Marcel Môme, SAGEM's founder.
During the 1980s, SAGEM's distributed Japanese fax machines while developing its own technology. Over the traditional defense sector, such products accounted for a growing share of SAGEM's revenues. During the 1990s, the firm entered the automotive systems sector. Starting in 1997, the company produced GSM telephones for the French market, at one point holding roughly 50% of it.
By the turn of the century, SAGEM's net profits neared the FF 1 billion mark during 1999. In 2005, SAGEM and SNECMA merged to form Safran. Together, the companies focus mainly on aeronautics, defense, and security. The communications and mobile telephony businesses were spun off as two independent entities: Sagemcom and MobiWire.