Florida-headquartered Harris Corporation, a major technology supplier to law enforcement, aerospace and government, announced the strategic sale of its government IT services division to an affiliate of Veritas Capital. Veritas will pay approximately $690 million, and about 250 of Harris’s 6,500 Florida employees will transition to Veritas. The others will remain with Harris, and the move will have no impact on the company’s other programs in the state of Florida.
Harris says the sale will help them focus on growing the company’s three core business segments, all with deep ties to Florida, and in which their proprietary technology is a key differentiator:
- Electronic Systems, which was recently awarded the MyFloridaNet-2 contract to design, build and support a secure digital communications network for Florida’s public safety, law enforcement, public schools and other state and local government agencies.
- Space and Intelligence Systems, which just announced the operational status of the Geospatial Operational Environmental Satellite-16 (GOES-16), a new weather surveillance satellite with high-definition cameras and sensor packages and high-bandwidth communications allowing scientists and meteorologists access to more near-real-time weather information in less time than ever before.
- Communication Systems, which houses Harris’s successful radio business that law enforcement agencies around the nation rely on for cutting-edge technology. Florida’s Statewide Law Enforcement Radio System (SLERS), was designed, built and will continue to receive support from Harris.
In the last two years, Harris has added more than 500 high-paying jobs in Florida. Harris retains a massive footprint in the state. In addition to their large and growing employee base, they have also contributed more than $13 million to community and academic organizations in Florida during past five years, with a special focus on STEM education.