te on ▁was ▁acquired ▁ ▁by ▁N ort el ▁Network s ▁on ▁October ▁ 4 , ▁ 2 0 0 0 . ▁On ▁February ▁ 2 2 , ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁N ort el ▁Network s ▁sold ▁the ▁Al te on ▁application ▁switching ▁line ▁to ▁Rad ware . ▁ ▁History ▁Al te on ▁Network s ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁by ▁Mark ▁Bry ers , ▁John ▁Hay es , ▁Ted ▁Sch ro eder ▁and ▁Wayne ▁H ath away . ▁ ▁Initial ▁vent ure ▁capital ▁invest ors ▁were ▁Matrix ▁Part ners ▁and ▁S utter ▁Hill ▁Vent ures . ▁Domin ic ▁Or r ▁became ▁chief ▁executive ▁in ▁October ▁ 1 9 9 6 . ▁ ▁Al te on ▁introduced ▁innov ative ▁products ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁A CE switch ▁ 1 8 0 , ▁which ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁network ▁switch ▁to ▁deliver ▁E ther net ▁with ▁select able ▁speed , ▁ 1 0 / 1 0 0 ▁or ▁ 1 0 0 0 ▁M bit / s , ▁on ▁every ▁port ▁via ▁aut on eg ot iation . ▁ ▁Their ▁AC Ed irect or ▁L ayer ▁ 4 - 7 ▁switch ▁was ▁designed ▁as ▁an ▁integrated ▁services ▁front - end ▁and ▁server ▁load ▁bal ancer . ▁ ▁They ▁also ▁introduced ▁J um bo ▁Fr ames ▁( up ▁to ▁ 9 , 0 0 0 ▁bytes ) ▁with ▁their ▁AC En ic ▁ad ap ters , ▁and ▁supported ▁by ▁their ▁switch es . ▁ ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁server ▁switch es , ▁Al