Boca Research
Boca Research made PC expansion cards and was a top modem maker.
Boca Research, Inc., later known as Inprimis, Inc., was an American computer company headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, operating from 1985 to 2002. The firm produced a range of expansion cards for IBM PC and compatible systems, such as memory, networking, sound, and graphics cards. In 1996, it was the fourth-largest manufacturer of modems. However, after losing market share, Boca Research exited the PC hardware business entirely and spent its final years manufacturing set-top boxes.
The company was founded in 1985 by Tim Farris, who incorporated it in Boca Raton, Florida. Farris had previously co-founded Quadram Corporation, an early maker of IBM PC expansion cards, in 1981 with Leland Strange. After selling Quadram in 1984 and resigning, Farris took a sabbatical and moved to Boca Raton in 1984. He soon founded Boca Research, frustrated that expansion card prices had not dropped significantly despite the commodification of PC architecture. He incorporated the company four blocks from IBM's manufacturing complex, where the IBM PC was developed, benefiting from the local pool of engineers and talent from IBM.
Boca's first products were low-cost memory expansion cards for the IBM PC. The company initially developed products slowly, introducing only 10 between 1985 and 1989. Farris’s strategy was to wait for initial interest in new technologies to fade, allowing the company to buy components in bulk at lower cost. In 1989, Boca expanded its product line significantly, launching its first graphics cards and Micro Channel memory cards. Employment grew to 50 workers by year-end, and the company increased its headquarters square footage by 50 percent. By the early 1990s, it had opened a factory in nearby Delray Beach, Florida. In 1991, Boca entered the networking market by manufacturing modems for personal computers.
Boca Research filed for an initial public offering in February 1992. Its stock price rose from $8 to $14 per share between February and March 1993, following strong quarterly sales. In 1993, the company reported gross sales of $44.5 million. However, shrinking profit margins in 1994, due to increased competition in the fax modem market, caused the stock to decline in June 1994. To counter falling profits, Boca opened two additional production lines at its Delray Beach plant and planned to hire 50 to 60 workers to improve efficiency.
Quick Facts
- Former Name
- Boca Research, Inc. (1985–2001)
- Industry
- Computer
- Products
- Peripherals
- Founder
- Tim Farris
- Founded
- in Boca Raton, Florida
- Defunct
- 2002 · 01
- Fate
- Acquired by Ener1
- Num Employees
- 330 (1996, peak)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Boca Research was founded by Tim Farris in 1985, four blocks from IBM's manufacturing complex in Boca Raton, Florida. Farris had previously co-founded Quadram Corporation, an early expansion card maker. Boca's first products were low-cost memory cards; the company introduced only 10 products between 1985 and 1989, following Farris's philosophy of waiting for component prices to drop. In 1989, Boca expanded into graphics cards and Micro Channel memory cards, growing employment to 50 workers. The company entered the networking market in 1991 with modems.
Boca Research went public in February 1992. In May 1993, it acquired The Complete PC, Inc. In June 1995, it introduced the SoundExpression, a multifunction card combining sound, modem, fax, and voicemail. That same month, Boca began talks to acquire Hayes Microcomputer Products for $75 million, but the deal collapsed two months later, with each side blaming the other. Boca later acquired Global Village Communication in June 1998 for $10 million, selling that division to Zoom Telephonics in 2000.
By mid-1996, Boca was the fourth-largest modem manufacturer, but rapid adoption of 56 kbit/s modems hurt its business. Its first 56 kbit/s modem shipped in March 1997, too late to compete. Annual profits fell from $153 million in fiscal 1996 to $70 million in fiscal 1997 and 1998. The company pivoted to software and set-top boxes. In October 2000, it changed its name to Inprimis, Inc., and was acquired by Ener1 in January 2002.
Reader's Guide
Boca Research's significance lies in its role as a major player in the PC expansion card and modem markets during the 1980s and 1990s. The company's early focus on low-cost memory cards and later expansion into graphics, networking, and sound cards reflected the commoditization of PC hardware. Its peak as the fourth-largest modem manufacturer in 1996 highlights its market presence, but the rapid shift to 56 kbit/s technology and competition from system builders led to a sharp decline. The failed acquisition of Hayes Microcomputer Products and the later pivot to set-top boxes under the name Inprimis illustrate the company's struggle to adapt. Its legacy is that of a once-prominent hardware maker that could not sustain its position amid fast technological change and market consolidation.
Did You Know?
- Boca Research was founded by Tim Farris, who previously co-founded Quadram Corporation, one of the first companies to make expansion cards for the IBM PC.
- In June 1995, Boca Research introduced the SoundExpression, a multifunction card that combined sound, modem, fax, and voicemail.
- Boca Research changed its name to Inprimis, Inc., in October 2000 and was acquired by Ener1 in January 2002.
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