Crinis to provide indoor free-space optics
Crinis Networks (Richardson, TX) has announced an agreement with Sanyo Electric (Tokyo, Japan) to manufacture a "laser-wire" transceiver that provides quickly deployable, reusable Fast Ethernet connections. The device is the first of a planned suite of products from Crinis that will exploit what the company describes as the indoor Free Space Optics (iFSO) market. iFSO products utilize low-power, infrared laser beams to provide a secure high-speed, point-to-point LAN connection that provides cable-less fast Ethernet connections for building interiors.
Farfield Photonics receives grant
Farfield Photonics, based at the University of Durham, England, has received a grant from the County of Durham Development Company to expand its activities. Farfield Photonics holds the patents to a new design of a wavelength locker, an important component required to stabilize telecommunication laser sources. "This award is a positive endorsement of the innovation associated with our patent and the commercial attractiveness underlying it," says the company founder, Graham Cross from the university's Department of Physics. "It will allow us to progress the technology demonstrator out of the laboratory and take this concept a step closer to the market".
Tropic Networks reaps $20 million in financing
Tropic Networks (Ottawa, Canada) has announced the completion of financing totaling US$20 million. This financing round follows Tropic's decision to streamline its business strategy around the metro-DWDM market. Having successfully completed a number of customer lab and field trials, the company has now moved into the full deployment phase. Tropic will use this round of funding to manage demand for its products and solutions, secure strategic alliances, and gain deeper market penetration.
Inno Micro to market for IP Infusion in Japan
Inno Micro (Tokyo, Japan) and IP Infusion (San Jose, CA) have announced that Inno Micro will market IP Infusion's Advanced Routing Suite to communications systems developers in Japan. Inno Micro will focus on marketing IP Infusion's products to communications companies and will leverage its relationships with key semiconductor manufacturers to offer complete protocol solutions for a broad range of communications products.
Northlight acquires Ericsson optoelectronics
Northlight Optronics (Kista, Sweden) has acquired the optoelectronic component business unit of Ericsson (Stockholm, Sweden). This unit has more than 20 years experience in the design development and manufacture of telecommunication fiberoptic components. Northlight plans to build on Ericsson's track record of proven manufacturing and design capability of long wavelength optical transmitters and receivers. The initial product range includes DFB-EA and DFB laser transmitters, and high-speed receivers up to 10 Gbit/s.
Growth in sight for telecom lasers and transponders
The telecom laser and transponder market stands to grow more than 30% in 2003, largely due to the continued installation of line cards into existing systems, drawing down inventories. However, with dozens of suppliers competing for a share of the pie, prices and margins will remain squeezed for industry participants, according to a new report by market research firm Strategies Unlimited (Mountain View, CA). The report, Telecom Lasers, Transceivers, & Transponders: Market Review and Forecast–2003, analyzes the market for telecom laser products for every major telecom network application, and compares installation and shipments for the overall market.
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Also in the news . . .
Alcatel Optronics (Paris, France) reported fourth-quarter sales down sequentially by 18.5% to _10.6 million (US$11.36 million). Loss from operations was _32.4 million ($34.72 million) with a net loss of _115.5 million (US$123.77 million). Sales for full year 2002 totaled _84.1 million (US$91.12 million) compared to _470.4 million (US$504.10 million) in 2001. The net loss amounted to _418.8 million (US$448.66 million). . . . Transmode Systems (Stockholm, Sweden), a Swedish supplier of fiberoptic transmission equipment, and Walker and Associates (Welcome, NC) have entered into an agreement under which Walker and Associates will market, resell and support CWDM optical systems from Transmode Systems throughout the United States. . . . Opto Speed (Rüschlikon, Switzerland), has signed a distribution agreement with Mitsui & Co. to sell and support Opto Speed's suite of state-of-the-art high-value-added products in the Japanese market. . . . Sagitta (Hauppauge, NY) has announced that U-Tech of Taiwan will become its exclusive representative in Taiwan for its leading-edge fiberoptic process equipment.