te on ▁produced ▁the ▁first ▁ ▁network ▁interface ▁controller ▁( N IC ) ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁that ▁used ▁G ig ab it ▁E ther net ▁( dem on str ated ▁at ▁the ▁Net world ▁+ ▁Inter op ▁trade ▁show ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 9 9 6 ). ▁Al te on ' s ▁third ▁generation ▁G ig ab it ▁E ther net ▁N IC ▁( code ▁named ▁" T ig on ") ▁became ▁the ▁basis ▁for ▁Broad com ' s ▁family ▁of ▁eth ern et ▁controllers ▁( series ▁BC M 5 7 0 x ) ▁ ▁and ▁has ▁sh ipped ▁over ▁ 6 0 ▁million ▁copies . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁used ▁in ▁low - cost ▁ad ap ters ▁from ▁vend ors ▁such ▁as ▁ 3 Com . ▁ ▁In ▁July ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁N ort el ▁Network s ▁announced ▁it ▁was ▁bu ying ▁Al te on ▁for ▁US $ 6 ▁billion ▁in ▁stock . ▁The ▁deal ▁had ▁originally ▁been ▁announced ▁with ▁a ▁value ▁of ▁$ 7 . 8 ▁billion , ▁but ▁the ▁stock ▁market ▁pl um met ed ▁before ▁the ▁deal ▁closed ▁in ▁October . ▁N ort el ▁rolled ▁the ▁AC ED irect or ▁and ▁AC ES w itch ▁products ▁into ▁its ▁Personal ▁Internet ▁product ▁line , ▁but ▁one ▁year ▁later ▁sales ▁had ▁slow ed ▁down . ▁On ▁February ▁ 2 2 , ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁N ort el ▁Network s ▁announced ▁they ▁would ▁sell ▁the ▁Al te on ▁application ▁switching ▁line ▁to ▁Rad ware ,