JDSU buys tunable laser manufacturer Agility
JDS Uniphase (JDSU) is to acquire Agility Communications, a manufacturer of tunable lasers for optical networks.
Agility is a privately held firm headquartered in Santa Barbara, CA, with 90 employees. Customers for its tunable transmitter and transponder products include Siemens, Marconi, Mahi Networks, Tropic Networks, and ECI.
The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in the quarter ending December 2005. The terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
JDSU believes that the shift from fixed wavelength sources to tunable lasers is inevitable, and that the transition will be rapid.
According to the company, Agility's monolithic platform offers several potential benefits, including the only proven architecture capable of fully integrating a tunable laser with a modulator via a highly scalable semiconductor wafer process.
"Agility's single chip monolithic platform is capable of addressing the entire market and is not limited to a single form factor," explained Mike Ricci, vice president of JDSU's component and modules group.
"Agility's proven architecture, coupled with JDSU's scalable manufacturing capability, paves the way for high volume, tunable, pluggable solutions."
"I believe joining JDSU will help us maximize market penetration during the transition from fixed wavelength to tunable solutions," added Agility CEO Ron Nelson. "The acquisition gives us access to high-volume manufacturing capability and expanded sales channels."
