The company was founded in 1981 by Gene W. Ray, who previously worked for 11 years as an executive for the
Science Applications International Corporation. Originally known as Titan Systems, Inc, the company took on its final name in May 1985 upon merging with Electronic Memories & Magnetics for $26 million in stock. It went public in 1987. Titan specialized in providing information and communications products, solutions, and services for intelligence agencies and the federal government, including the
Department of Homeland Security. In 1997, Titan had a revenue of $171 million. In 1998, Titan announced that it would buy two companies, Visicom Inc. and Delfin Systems Inc., "for about $47.5 million in stock to expand its computer business." Like other defense companies, Titan diversified through a series of acquisitions over its lifetime, starting in 1988, and engaged in 10 from 2000 until its acquisition a few years later. The acquisitions began after defense spending increases were reduced, and the company sought commercial opportunities for technologies it developed. The firm got into the linguistic business in the wake of
9/11 by acquiring Fairfax, Virginia–based BTG Inc., which had a $10 million military contract dating back to 1999. When the demand for linguists grew after the United States launched the
war on terror, so did the size of Titan's contracts. After the sale of Titan Corporation to L-3 Communications, several Titan executives went on to head
Kratos Defense and Security Solutions (formerly WFI), which has also similarly been diversifying through a series of acquisitions. Titan also diversified into medical product sterilization in 1992 and electronic pasteurization and irradiation systems for ground beef in 1999. == Contracts received ==