Roll call for tech firms in a turbulent year

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You would have to be living in a completely unwired world not to have known that 2001 was a tough year for technology companies. Beyond laying off employees, many filed for bankruptcy or closed their doors. Others were acquired by companies that usually had more resources or were looking to pick up assets.

The following, a list compiled by The Times' technology staff, are companies in the Puget Sound region that closed or were acquired during the year.

BANKRUPTCIES & CLOSINGS

360 Powered: Seattle global Internet/intranet infrastructure company. Closed in March.Acadio: Seattle online training company. Closed in March.

Advanced Radio Telecommunications: Bellevue developer of fixed wireless networks. Bankruptcy in March.

Alternate Access: Seattle Internet service provider. Closed in September.

Bazillion: Seattle provider of DSL services and Internet telephony. Closed in January.

CyberSafe: Issaquah developer of computer-network security systems. Closed in December (assets reportedly purchased by a London company).

edge2net: Kirkland provider of Internet-based telecommunications services. Bankruptcy in October.

Encompass Globalization: Kirkland provider of services to convert software and Web sites into Asian languages. Closed in January.

Etera: Mount Vernon online gardening center that had 23 acres of greenhouses; URL now leads to PlantAmerica, Arlington, Va. Bankruptcy in August.

FizzyLab: Seattle provider of subscriber-based services to newspapers. Closed in February.

GoNextDoor.com: Seattle provider of online direct-marketing services. Closed in October.

GreaterGood.com: Seattle online shopping mall that donated a portion of each sale to charity; also operated the popular Hunger Site. Closed in July but reopened after CharityUSA acquired GreaterGood’s assets in August. Charity subsequently moved to Seattle.

HitHive: Seattle developer of software to download music to mobile phones. Closed in October.

Hyperglyphics: Seattle developer of Internet-based wireless software. Closed in June.

Inflightonline.com: Seattle and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., developer of Internet connections in airplanes. Closed in August.

iPolitics.com: Seattle provider of online voting and political information. Bankruptcy in October.

iStart Ventures: Seattle incubator that provided services and office space to start-ups in exchange for equity. Closed in January (as part of its shutdown, Beckon Technologies, eBallot.net, Enfolio and Invenna also closed). iTango: Seattle developer of human resources software. Closed in June.

Kozmo.com: New York online delivery service, with a large presence in Seattle. Closed in April.

MarketOrder.com (formerly known as MarketWare): Seattle provider of services that allowed retailers to place orders with suppliers on hand-held device. Closed in June.

Mediapassage: Seattle developer of software to help advertisers make more efficient plans and media buys. Closed in September.

Mercata: Bellevue e-commerce site that pioneered group buying. Closed in January.

PlyMedia: Seattle provider of digital backdrop images to retailers for use in catalogs. Closed in May.

Point.com: Bothell retailer of wireless telecommunications products and services, as well as wireless services information. Closed in June (some assets purchased by InPhonic, Washington, D.C.).

Qbeo: North Bend developer interactive television developer. Closed in November.

Rival Networks: Seattle operator of an online network of team-specific sports site. Closed in April.

ReFlex Communications: Seattle provider of high-speed Internet service to condos and apartments. Known for pricey furniture. Bankruptcy in April.

ServiceStop.com: Seattle online provider of errand services. Closed in July.

Telicor: Seattle provider of telecommunications services to carriers such as Qwest and Sprint. Closed in May.

Vitessa: Seattle provider of e-commerce services for other companies. Closed in April.

Webvan: Foster City, Calif., online grocer that acquired Kirkland-based HomeGrocer.com in the summer 2000 as the market was turning. Bankruptcy in July.

WorldStream: Bellevue developer of video-conferencing software. Closed in August.

Zama Networks: Seattle provider of Internet infrastructure and services. Bankruptcy in November.

ACQUISITIONS

Activate.net: Seattle provider of Webcasting services. Acquired by Loudeye Technologies, Seattle, in September.

Active Voice: Seattle developer of unified messaging software for telecommunications systems. Acquired by Cisco Systems, San Jose, in February. Later acquired by NEC America in September.

ContractorHub.com: Kent business exchange for contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers to buy and sell online. Acquired by Cost Core Technologies, Kent, in May.

Courtlink: Bellevue provider of services to file legal documents electronically. Acquired by LexisNexis, Dayton, Ohio, in October (pending).

DataDimensions: Bellevue software tester that once specialized in Year 2000 consulting. Acquired by Lionbridge, Waltham, Mass., in March.

DocuTouch: Seattle developer of software to manage documents and digital signatures. Acquired by NetUpdate, Redmond, in August.

theDial: Seattle provider of online radio programming. Acquired by Loudeye Technologies in July.

Illuminet: Olympia developer of telecommunications software and services. Acquired by Verisign, Mountain View, Calif., in September.

Viathan: Seattle developer of data-storage software. Acquired by Dantz Development, Orinda, Calif., in October.

— Compiled by Sharon Pian Chan, Monica Soto, Tricia Duryee, Mark Watanabe and James Blethen

Information in this article, originally published December 30, 2001, was corrected January 3, 2002. GreaterGood.com, which donates a portion of online sales to charity, is in operation under different ownership. The site closed in July but reopened after CharityUSA acquired GreaterGoods assets in August. Charity subsequently moved to Seattle. An earlier version of this article gave an incorrect status of the company.