Viglen facts for kids
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| Ltd | |
| Industry | Computing |
| Founded | United Kingdom (1975) |
| Defunct | November 23, 2021 |
| Headquarters | Hertfordshire |
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Key people
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Claude Littner, Chairman Lord Sugar, Former Chairman and major shareholder Bordan Tkachuk, Former Chief Executive |
Viglen Ltd was a company that made and sold computer products. They offered things like storage systems, servers, and equipment for data and voice communication. Viglen also provided services related to these technologies.
Contents
History of Viglen
How Viglen Started
Viglen was started in 1975 by a person named Vigen Boyadjian. In the 1980s, the company focused on selling directly to customers. They often placed large advertisements in popular computer magazines. Viglen was especially popular with people who owned Acorn Computers.
Joining Amstrad and Lord Sugar
In June 1994, Alan Sugar's company, Amstrad, bought Viglen. Alan Sugar later became known as Lord Sugar. Viglen became a public company in 1997. This meant its shares could be bought and sold by anyone.
After Amstrad PLC was sold in July 2007, Viglen became Lord Sugar's main computer business.
Viglen's Leaders and Focus
For a time, Bordan Tkachuk was the CEO of Viglen. He was a long-time friend and business partner of Lord Sugar. You might have seen Bordan Tkachuk on the TV show The Apprentice.
From 1994 to 1998, Viglen sponsored the football team Charlton Athletic F.C.. This sponsorship ended when the team moved up to the FA Premier League.
In December 2005, Viglen moved its main office from Wembley in London to Colney Street near St Albans. Their manufacturing plant was also in this new building. Around 2007, Viglen mostly sold computers and servers to schools and government groups. They also worked in other computer areas, like managing computer systems and high-power computer clusters.
Viglen's Sale
In July 2009, Lord Sugar stepped down as the chairman of Viglen. He handed over the leadership to his long-time associate, Claude Littner. In January 2014, Lord Sugar sold his share in Viglen to the Westcoast Group. Westcoast Group then combined Viglen with another one of its companies, XMA.
Viglen and The Apprentice
Filming Location
When Lord Sugar owned Viglen, its headquarters was used as a filming location for the BBC TV show The Apprentice. Many scenes, including the famous "job interviews," were filmed there. The "walk of shame" scene, where a contestant leaves the building and gets into a taxi, was also filmed at Viglen's headquarters. However, the boardroom scenes were filmed in a TV studio.
A Memorable Moment
On December 15, 2010, during a mock interview on The Apprentice, Viglen CEO Bordan Tkachuk made a mistake. He said that "ISP" stood for "Internet Service Protocol." The correct meaning of ISP is "Internet Service Provider." This led to a lot of discussion and criticism.
Bordan Tkachuk said:
"I know what ISP is. It's an Internet Service Protocol. And that's what you're providing. It's not a telecoms operating licence. It's a protocol that allows telecoms over bandwidths.
"I've been running Alan Sugar's companies for the last 25 years, and that's why I know a little bit about technology."
—Bordan Tkachuk
Images for kids
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A Viglen IX9000 Modular Chassis
