Marconi Communications, the former telecommunications arm of the General Electric Company plc (GEC); was founded in August 1998 through the amalgamation of 'GEC Plessey Telecommunications' ( 'GPT') with other GEC subsidiaries namely - 'Marconi SpA', 'GEC Hong Kong' and 'ATC South Africa'. Later in December 1999, it became the principal subsidiary of Marconi plc - which was formed by the renaming of the entity left out of 'GEC'; when GEC's defence arm, 'Marconi Electronic Systems' ('MES') was merged with 'British Aerospace' to form 'BAE Systems'.[1][2] Marconi plc was restructured to Marconi Corporation plc in May 2003. During the mid-1990s, its prominent predecessor company - GPT gradually disappeared. Through a series of mergers, divisions and restructuring in 1997/1998; GPT was amalgamated in two major companies: one being - Marconi Communications, and other Siemens Communications (later in 2008, Siemens Enterprise Communications). 23/1/2006, Ericsson acquired a majority of Marconi Communications' parent company - Marconi Corporation plc. The remainder of Marconi Corporation plc was renamed telent plc.