In telecommunications, the term gateway has the following meanings:
A gateway may contain devices such as protocol translators, impedance matching devices, rate converters, fault isolators, or signal translators as necessary to provide system interoperability. It also requires that mutually acceptable administrative procedures be established between the two networks.
A protocol translation/mapping gateway interconnects networks with different network protocol technologies by performing the required protocol conversions.
- Loosely, a computer configured to perform the tasks of a gateway.
Source: from Federal Standard 1037C and from MIL-STD-188
Gateway is also a San Diego, California-based computer company founded in 1985 by Ted Waitt. Originally called Gateway 2000, it was one of the first widely successful direct order companies, utilizing a sales model similar to that of Dell, and playing up its South Dakota roots with folksy advertisements and shipping computers in cow-spotted boxes. It dropped the "2000" from its name in 1998.
Gateway struggled after the dot-com bust and tried several strategies to return to profitability, including withdrawal from European markets and opening a chain of retail stores called Gateway Country across the United States, then shuttering a number of them, and entering the consumer electronics business.
On January 30, 2004, Gateway purchased low-cost PC maker eMachines, in hopes that its manufacturing process would help them cut costs and that eMachines' profitable retail business would help its bottom line. Gateway announced its intention to keep the eMachines brand.
