Business briefs

07 Feb 2003

Including news from DALSA, NEC, FLIR Systems, Alcatel Optronics and more.

•  DALSA, the Canadian imaging giant, has succeeded in doubling its revenue in 2002. Total revenues for 2002 came in at USD 112.6 million compared with USD 56.4 million the previous year. Fourth quarter sales also rose to USD 34.2 million compared with USD 12.5 million reported for the same quarter in 2001.

The company has also just received a USD 2.2 million order for its high-performance digital cameras from the semiconductor industry. DALSA expects to deliver the order over the next 15 months.

•  NEC, Japan, is establishing a liquid-crystal display company called NEC LCD Technologies. The new company, which is being formed as part of NEC's reorganization plans, will make color LCDs for the industrial displays market.

•  Bookham Technologies, UK, has announced fourth quarter revenues of EURO 21.6 million, up 88% sequentially on the third quarter's EURO 11.5 million and up 580% on the EURO 3.1 million posted for the same quarter last year. The fourth quarter 2002 figure includes seven weeks of revenues from Nortel's optical components business, which Bookham acquired in November last year. Net loss for Q4 increased to EURO 69.7 million from EURO 20.3 million in the previous quarter.

•  Alcatel Optronics has posted annual sales for 2002 of EURO 84.1 million, compared with EURO 470.4 million in 2001. Fourth quarter sales in 2002 dropped 18.5 % sequentially to EURO 10.6 million. Net loss for the year amounted to EURO 418.8 million.

•  FLIR Systems, the US maker of infrared cameras, has announced record annual earnings for 2002 of USD 41.6 million. This figure is up 60% on USD 25.9 million reported in 2001. Annual revenues also increased 22% to USD 261.1 million year-on-year.

•  Lambda Physik of Germany has received USD 4.4 million compensation from a lithography customer for cancelled orders. The company says the payment relates to previously pushed-out orders for a product line that was cancelled due to technological progress.

•  SAGEM has acquired Leica Vectronix and Leica Technologies from the Swiss Leica Geosystems group. Leica Vectronix specializes in nightvision, portable reconnaissance and target designation equipment while Leica Technologies is its US-based sales company. Sagem says these acquisitions enable it to be well positioned to outfit any rapid deployment force.