IPTV market soars
According to a report by Infonetics Research (Campbell, CA), Internet-protocol television (IPTV) is more than just hype. The report notes that equipment sales, service revenue, subscribers, and service-provider capital-equipment expenditures all increased dramatically from 2004 to 2005, and are expected to explode by 2009.
With worldwide IPTV subscribers swelling to 53 million by 2009, service providers are investing in IPTV content and transport equipment. In 2009, $26 billion of worldwide service-provider capital expenditures will be earmarked for IPTV infrastructure. Meanwhile, worldwide IPTV equipment revenue will surge to $6 billion, and service revenue will jump to $38 billion.
Optocap allies with Palomar Technologies
Optocap (Livingston, Scotland) has formed a strategic alliance with Palomar Technologies (Erlangen, Germany) to enhance its development of optoelectronics packaging solutions for customers in the communications, medical, and automotive markets.
Optocap, a wholly owned subsidiary of Scottish Enterprise, is a leading design center for the optoelectronics industry. Palomar has had an extensive process-development and prototyping laboratory at its headquarters in Carlsbad, CA, since 2002. Palomar manufactures equipment for assembling all types of advanced optoelectronic and high-frequency wireless packages.
Avensys and ITF move forward
The acquisition of most of the assets of ITF Optical Technologies by Avensys (both in Montreal, QC, Canada) will provide Avensys’ fiber component production division, Avensys Technologies, with access to ITF’s 10,000 sq ft clean room, providing economies of scale and facilities for future growth. ITF Optical Technologies is a designer and manufacturer of photonic solutions based on proprietary all-fiber technology.
In a separate transaction, ITF’s R&D unit, including all of its intellectual-property assets, will be merged with that of Avensys’ partner, Avensys Laboratories, and will be renamed ITF Laboratories. ITF Laboratories will develop ultrareliable fiberoptic systems, optical sensors and instrumentation, and fiber laser components.
Networking company joins JDSU family
JDS Uniphase (JDSU; Milpitas, CA) announced an agreement to acquire Test-Um (Camarillo, CA), a provider of home-networking test instruments for the FTTx and digital cable markets. The acquisition creates new sales channels for Test-Um’s home networking product portfolio and JDSU’s existing set of field test instruments for broadband access networks.
“With our acquisition of Test-Um, JDSU will add an important set of test instruments to help our customers quickly, efficiently and reliably deliver the IP-based triple play services consumers are demanding,” said John Peeler, executive vice president of JDSU’s Communications Test and Measurement (T&M) Group. Test-Um will be integrated into JDSU’s Communications Test and Measurement Product Group.
Ireland invests in new Photonics Centre
A new Photonics Systems Research and Development Centre at the Tyndall National Institute in University College Cork (UCC; Cork, Ireland) has opened. Reportedly costing $11 million, the new center was completed by Tyndall and UCC with substantial support from the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI).
The Tyndall National Institute was established in 2004. David Cotter heads Tyndall’s Photonics Systems Group (PSG); he was previously head of Optical Systems Research at Corning Research Centre, U.K. (2000-2003). The PSG has R&D links with several companies, including Ericsson, Siemens, Alcatel, BT, France Telecom, Lucent, Intel, Xilinx, Corning, and Sumitomo.
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Also in the news . . .
Olympus (Tokyo, Japan) and Movaz Networks (San Jose, CA) have created a joint venture company named Olympus Microsystems America to provide microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based technologies and products for optical equipment suppliers. . . . M2 Optics (Holly Springs, NC) launched a new Web site (www.m2optics.com) featuring a line of field simulation and test instruments for optical fiber communications companies. . . . Laserscope (San Jose, CA) acquired InnovaQuartz (hoenix, AZ), a privately held company founded in 1991 that develops and manufactures fiberoptics, sterile fiberoptic delivery devices, and optical components, and subassemblies, for $7.5 million in cash. . . . Infinera (Sunnyvale, CA) joined the Ethernet Alliance to further the development and acceptance of Ethernet transport technologies for carriers and service providers. . . . LxSix Photonics (Montreal, QC, Canada) completed a $4.0 million investment in the corporation by the Quorum Group of Companies (Toronto, ON, Canada) to accelerate the development, marketing, and sales of LxSix’s fiberoptic sensing solutions for the oil and gas industry.