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17 Jun 2002
US optical-network component manufacturers make headway despite the economy downturn.
Amid the industry's plummeting profits, plant closures and job cuts, some photonics companies are still coming up trumps. California-based optical networking components manufacturer, Iolon, has just unveiled its new optical assembly and test facility. The new facility doubles Iolon's existing headquarters and, according to the company's vice-president Tim Harris, the expansion will also double its already 108-strong workforce.
Hoping that the firm will capture a major part of the tunable laser market, Harris believes the present economic slump is actually a "mixed blessing". Iolon expects its products to receive Telcordia qualification by quarter one of next year. Harris says that the present downturn gives them time to work toward this, "and when we receive [qualification], we expect that the market will have picked up."
Iolon's recent expansion comes after receiving USD 53 million in its second round of funding. "We have the financing, engineering talent and now the infrastructure to fulfill the potential we see in our company," added Iolon's chief executive John Clark.
LightPointe, US, has just received USD 33 million in second-round funding from the US communications giants Cisco and Corning Innovative Ventures, the venture capitalist arm of Corning, and first round investors. Based in San Diego, the optical-transmission-equipment manufacturer focuses on free-space optics technology.
"With this new round of funding, LightPointe is well positioned to expand its global operations and strengthen our research and development," said LightPointe's chief executive John Griffin. "We believe that our technology and products will pay a significant role in delivering the optical bandwidth to address the growing connectivity bottleneck in optical networks."
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