Aeroflex acquires TriLink Communications
Aeroflex Inc. (Plainview, NY), a designer, developer, and manufacturer of microelectronics and automated testing solutions for the broadband communications market, acquired privately held, California-based TriLink Communications Corp. for approximately 1.2 million shares of Aeroflex common stock. TriLink designs, develops, and manufactures lithium niobate optical components, currently offering a line of modulators for the 10-Gbit/s (OC-192) DWDM market. Lithium niobate technology adds key optical components into the Aeroflex array of fiberoptic modules. The acquisition complements Aeroflex's recent purchase of modulator-driver manufacturer Aeroflex Amplicomm.
CiDRA and Three Rivers Community College kick off training program
CiDRA Corp. (Wallingford, CT) partnered with Three Rivers Community College (Norwich, CT) to create a 12-week training program designed to qualify students for entry-level positions in fiberoptic manufacturing. Specifically targeted for underemployed and unemployed women, the program is funded by the Connecticut Department of Labor. Classes are held at Three Rivers and at the Meriden center of third partner Middlesex Community College (Middletown, CT), plus some laboratory activities held at CiDRA's headquarters. CiDRA Corp. designs, manufactures, and markets component, module, and subsystem products for dynamic routing, monitoring, and conditioning of optical signals.
Report predicts fiber deployment will keep growing
In its annual publication, 2001 Multimedia Telecommunications Market Review and Forecast, the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA; Arlington, VA) reported that growth in fiber miles deployed by carriers jumped up to an estimated 68.7% in 2000, after growing by 55.7% in 1999. Last year, growth in fiberoptic deployment was generated principally by incumbent local-exchange carriers (ILECs), up 97.7%. ILEC fiber deployment is expected to grow by a more modest 29.6% during 2001. The TIA estimates that fiber deployment during the years 2000 to 2004 among competitive local-exchange carriers will increase at a projected 17.1% compound annual rate, compared with 13.2% by interexchange carriers and 12.5% for ILECs.
Anadigics acquires Telcom Devices Corp.
Anadigics Inc. (Warren, NJ) acquired Telcom Devices Corp. (Camarillo, CA), a leader in manufacturing indium-phosphide-based photodiodes for the telecommunications markets. The transaction will be accounted as a purchase and is valued at $28 million, plus certain earn-out payments tied to future financial performance targets, for a potential total consideration of up to $45 million. The acquisition is a step in Anadigics' fiber strategy to provide high-performance chip-set solutions by adding long-wavelength PIN photodiodes and unique packaging capabilities to its fiber product line.
Vitesse Semiconductor acquires Exbit Technology
Vitesse Semiconductor Corp. (Camarillo, CA) acquired Exbit Technology A/S (Herlev, Denmark), a fabless semiconductor company that develops high-speed chip-sets for the communications and networking industry. The company is developing technology in Gigabit and 10-Gigabit Ethernet switching and routing. Vitesse designs and supplies semiconductors for the manufacturers of next-generation DWDM and optical-networking equipment.
Also in the news. . .
Optical telecommunications-systems provider ONI Systems (San Jose, CA) announced that Qwest Communications (Denver, CO) would continue to deploy its platforms in several additional US cities. . . . Agilent Technologies (Palo Alto, CA) and Mitel Corp. (Kanata, Ont., Canada) signed an agreement to set standards for next-generation, four-channel parallel fiberoptic modules. . . . Lynx Photonic Networks (Calabasas Hills, CA) moved its operations to a new 34,000-sq.-ft. facility just six months after the Israeli-based company began its US operations.
John Grady