The professional electronics businesses of Thomson-Brandt (previously CFTH) merge with Compagnie Générale de Télégraphie Sans Fil (CSF) to form Thomson-CSF. Compagnie Française Thomson-Houston (CFTH) was formed in 1893 to operate the patents of the US Thomson-Houston Electric Corp. in the emerging market for power generation and transmission. CSF was founded in 1918 and became a pioneer in broadcasting. With its subsidiary Société Française Radioélectrique (SFR), acquired in 1957, CSF was a key player in the 1930s development of broadcasting, short wave, electro-acoustics and early radar and television systems.
In December 2000 it was renamed Thales Group. As one of the world’s leading producers of electron tubes, Thales is committed to offering the widest, most competitive solution for every professional application. Since 1993, Thales/Thomson-CSF has reinforced its market positions by acquiring the electron tube operations of ABB, Siemens and AEG. The international presence of Thales was further extended with the formation of new companies in Europe and China. Thales’s unique technological and industrial resources result from the dozens of years of experience gained in all applications. Thales plays a leading role in major technological innovations for healthcare, telecommunications, energy, and even basic physics. The performance, reliability and quality of Thales products and services have been demonstrated over the decades. Thales’s R&D and industrial plants are ISO 9001 certified.