SAGEM

SAGEM

Company logo
Former type	Public
Industry	Telecommunications
Successor	Safran
Founded	Paris, France (1924)
Defunct	2005
Headquarters	Paris, France
Products	Telecommunications service, electronics, communications systems
Website	www.sagem.com

SAGEM (Société d’Applications Générales de l’Électricité et de la Mécanique, translated as "Company of General Applications of Electricity and Mechanics") was a major French company involved in defense electronics, consumer electronics and communication systems.

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.

History

A Sagem MW3020

SAGEM was founded in 1925 in Paris by Marcel Môme. At the age of 25, he formed the Société d’Applications Générales de l’Électricité et de la Mécanique, a company specialized in mechanics. Early products included electrical components, power distribution equipment, cameras, projectors and military equipment.

In 1942, following a request from the French Ministry of Telecommunications, SAGEM developed a new communication system: the telex printer. This date marked the company's move towards telecommunications.

In 1961, SAGEM was selected to provide the Inertial Navigation Systems for France's first ballistic missiles, as well as the optical and navigation systems for the first ballistic missile submarines.

In the 1980s and 1990s, SAGEM expanded aggressively into the telecommunications and consumer electronics industries. The defence electronics branch of SAGEM was selected to upgrade the electronic systems of some France-built Mirage aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force, under the ROSE upgrade (Retrofit of Strike Element) program.

SAGEM grouped its business around two activities:

• A communication branch (SAGEM was ranked second within the French telecommunication equipment providers);
• A defense and security branch (Sagem Défense Sécurité), which covered three domains:
  • Optronics and defense (imagers, infrared and light-intensifying cameras, sights, periscopes, gyrostabilised pods, cryptology, UAV systems, etc.);
  • Avionics (inertial navigation, civilian and military avionics, guidance and pointing systems);
  • Electronics (electronics, software, circuit boards, control units).

In 2005, SAGEM and SNECMA merged to form SAFRAN.^[1] In 2007, SAGEM launched mobiles in India with a tradename "Bleu".^[2]

In 2008, the SAGEM group spun off its communications and mobile telephony businesses (known simply as Sagem Mobile) to focus on core company values. Sagem Sécurité merged with Ingenico.^[3] The broadband business became SAGEM Communication. The mobile phone business became Sagem Wireless. The identity, bio-metric and transaction business became Safran Morpho. The company's defence electronics business became Safran Sagem.

Products

• Dassault-Sagem SlowFast
• SAGEM Crecerelle
• CU161 Sperwer Tactical UAV system
• Inertial Unit Sigma 30
• SAGEM MyC4-2
• SAGEM Patroller
• SAGEM My-S7
• SAGEM My V-65

References

External links

• SAGEM official website
• SAGEM Défense Sécurité official website

Coordinates: 48°50′24″N 2°16′26″E / 48.84000°N 2.27389°E / 48.84000; 2.27389