Plantronics
Plantronics, Inc. is an American electronics company — branded Poly to reflect its dual Plantronics and Polycom heritage — producing audio communications equipment for business and consumers. Its products support unified communications, mobile use, gaming and music. Plantronics is headquartered in Santa Cruz, California, and most of its products are produced in China and Mexico.[2]
Company type
Consumer electronics
1961
Santa Cruz, California, U.S.
Dave Shull (President and CEO)
Enterprise and consumer audio products, software and services
US$1.68 billion (2022)
US$−32 million (2022)
US$17.9 million (2022)
US$2.23 billion (2022)
US$20.2 million (2022)
c. 6,500 (April 2022)
On March 18, 2019, Plantronics announced that it would change its name to Poly following its acquisition of Polycom,[3] although it continues to trade on the New York Stock Exchange as Plantronics, Inc. (POLY; listed as PLT until May 24, 2021[4]).
On March 28, 2022, HP Inc. announced its intent to acquire Poly for $1.7 billion in cash as it looks to bolster its hybrid work offerings, such as headsets and videoconferencing hardware.[5] Including debt, the deal valued at $3.3 billion and closed in August 2022.[6][5]
Computer and gaming headsets[edit]
Plantronics manufactured headsets for PC audio and online and console gaming via its GameCom and .Audio and RIG Gaming labels. Plantronics entered the multimedia headset market in 1999 with the release of the HS1 and the DSP-500 headsets, the latter featuring a built-in digital signal processing card. In 2002, Plantronics and Microsoft created the headset for the Xbox Communicator, the first headset to enable voice communication with Xbox Live.[13] The company created a special headset for the Xbox as a tie-in with the videogame Halo 2 in 2004. Plantronics exited the gaming and consumer markets in 2019, focusing on enterprise collaboration with its Poly brand.
NASA Astronaut Neil Armstrong wearing "Snoopy cap" with Plantronics (SPENCOM) headset prior to his Apollo 11 lunar landing in 1969
NASA Astronaut Tom Stafford wearing "Snoopy" cap with Plantronics (SPENCOM) headset in 1975 (Apollo-Soyuz Mission)
