Ralph Ungermann

Lore & Background

Ralph Ungermann began his career at Kodak in Rochester, New York, then joined Collins Radio in 1967, where he became fascinated with semiconductors and early local area network technology. He left Collins Radio in 1970, prior to its acquisition by Rockwell International, and joined Western Digital, where he created the first chip capable of UART communication. In 1971, he joined Intel under Federico Faggin, leading microprocessor development and producing the USART and I/O chips. During the 1973–1974 stock market crash, Ungermann and Faggin left Intel due to low wages and founded Zilog in 1974, the first company dedicated to microprocessor production for personal computers. With investment from Exxon, they developed the Z80 as a competitor to the Intel 8080, achieving enormous commercial success. At Zilog, Ungermann also developed I/O chips including the Z80-SIO, Z80-PIO, and Z80-CTC. After clashing with Exxon management over pressure, he was asked to leave at the end of 1978.

In 1979, Ungermann and former Zilog employee Charlie Bass founded Ungermann-Bass (U-B), one of the first companies specializing in networking. With $1.5 million in venture capital, the company expanded by acquiring Amdax in January 1983 and Linkware in February 1986. Following the 1987 stock market crash, Ungermann pursued talks with Tandem Computers, which acquired U-B in February 1988 for $260 million; he became a vice-president and board member of Tandem. Later, in 1993, he led the founding of First Virtual Communications, which developed online videoconference software and went public in 1998 as FVC.com. In 2003, he was among the founders of China Seed LLC, a Chinese investment company.

Reader's Guide

Ralph Ungermann's significance lies in his dual contributions to the microprocessor and data communications industries. At Zilog, he co-created the Z80, a microprocessor that became a cornerstone of early personal computing and embedded systems, competing directly with Intel's 8080. His development of I/O chips at both Intel and Zilog advanced the integration of peripheral functions in microcomputer systems. With Ungermann-Bass, he helped establish the commercial networking industry, creating one of the first companies dedicated to local area networking and data communications. The company's acquisition by Tandem Computers for $260 million underscored the value of networking technology in the late 1980s. His later work in online videoconferencing through First Virtual Communications anticipated the growth of real-time digital communication. Ungermann's career reflects the transition from discrete semiconductor components to integrated microprocessors and networked computing, marking him as a foundational figure in both fields.

Did You Know?

• Ralph Ungermann created the first chip capable of UART communication while at Western Digital.
• Ungermann-Bass, co-founded in 1979, was one of the first companies to specialize in networking.
• He was considered a founding father of the data communications industry due to his work at Ungermann-Bass.