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8x8 Inc. (NASDAQ: EGHT) was originally founded in 1987 as Integrated Information Technology, Inc., better known as IIT. IIT was founded by Dr. Chi-Shin Wang and Dr. Y.W. Sing, both formerly of Weitek.^[2]

IIT began as a fabless vendor of semiconductor products for the math coprocessor and graphics chipset markets.^[3] The company produced x87 floating point coprocessor and graphics accelerator chips for the personal computer market during the late 1980s and early 1990s. The floating coprocessors were produced for the 286, 386 and 486 generations of microprocessors.

In 1992 the company began shipping a lossless data compression product called Xtradrive.

In the early 1990s IIT began producing chips, software and other technologies for the videoconferencing market. Frustrated by the high prices and low volumes of these videoconferencing systems, the company changed its name to 8x8 and began marketing its own set-top videoconferencing systems for consumers under the ViaTV brand. 8x8 went public on the Nasdaq market in 1997, trading under the ticker symbol EGHT.^[4]

Soon after this^[when?], 8x8 launched a family of Voice over IP (VoIP) chips and software that were sold to IP phone, IP/PSTN gateway and other manufacturers of VoIP equipment. The Company acquired two companies (Odisei^[5] and U|Force^[6]), to acquire network/server VoIP technologies, and began selling an end-to-end VoIP services technology solution to service providers in 1999.

In 2002, the company relaunched itself as a VoIP service provider under the Packet8 brand. In 2003, the Company launched its first consumer videophone services on the Packet8 network. In 2004, the company became the first VoIP service provider to offer replacement, E-911 services to its subscribers.^[7]. It also launched a suite of business services called Packet8 Virtual Office.

It also received Internet Telephony's Best of Show Award for 2007 for Best Consumer Offering. Shortly after receiving their award, 8x8 announced they were eager to see their number of subscribers surpass the IMTS user base.^[8]

In 2008, 8x8 is the second largest standalone U.S. VoIP service provider (behind Vonage) with more than 100,000 residential customers, and more than 10,000 businesses and enterprises who use the company's Virtual Office services for their business telecommunications needs.^{[citation needed]} The company continues to develop most of the software and technology used in its VoIP service offerings. For the quarter ending 31 December 2007, the company reported net income of $1.4M on $15.8M in sales, with gross margins of 65% and service margins of 70%.^{[citation needed]} The company reported $53M in sales for its last fiscal year.^{[citation needed]}.

8x8 has been awarded more than 70 U.S. Patents related to communications technologies.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] External links

• Coprocessor.info : IIT historical and x87 coprocessor development information

[edit] References