Product category:
Opto and Fibre Test Equipment
News Release from: JDSU
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 08 January 2008
Acquisition creates fibre test giant
The addition of Westover Scientific's products to JDSU's Communications Test and Measurement business creates the largest provider of fibre-optic test solutions in the world.
JDSU has acquired the fibre division of Westover Scientific, a leading provider of fibre optic inspection and cleaning solutions Westover Scientific's products complement JDSU's existing fibre field and lab and production test portfolio and will be integrated with JDSU's Communications Test and Measurement business, now the largest provider of fibre-optic test solutions in the world for service providers, labs and manufacturers
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 24 Oct 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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Westover Scientific, based near Seattle, Washington, designs and manufactures specialised field and lab microscopes necessary to detect dirt and other contaminants that are considered the leading cause of costly faults in fibre optic networks.
According to the agreement, which has been completed, JDSU acquired the fibre division of Westover Scientific for US $50 million in cash, subject to terms and conditions.
JDSU also intends to acquire Westover Scientific's affiliated manufacturing company in Fuzhou, China, which remains subject to certain regulatory approvals.
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JDSU expects to complete this second acquisition in the second half of the 2008 fiscal year.
Communications service providers worldwide are rolling out active fibre inspection programmes to support the deployment of large-scale FTTx initiatives and to ensure reliable, high-quality delivery of IP-based triple play services.
Service providers have identified contaminated fibres as the key cause of costly network troubleshooting and permanent equipment damage.
Westover Scientific offers easy-to-use fibre inspection products that, among other applications, allow field technicians to determine the cleanliness of fibre connection when they install the network.
Westover Scientific is a leading provider of fibre inspection microscopes and automated fibre analysis software necessary for these programmes.
Fibre inspection and cleaning are critical components in a comprehensive fibre deployment and operation strategy.
Westover Scientific provides a full suite of optical inspection and cleaning solutions that address the needs of fibre component and system manufacturers, communication service providers, and various other vertical markets such as premise networks, military and aerospace.
"The investment in FTTx initiatives and the importance of service quality in today's competitive environment mean telecommunications and cable service providers need dependable fibre-optic test solutions that allow them to proactively prevent fibre contamination that may cause network faults before they affect end users", says Bill Mortimer, Vice President and General Manager of JDSU's Lab, Production and Fibre Optic test businesses.
"With the addition of Westover Scientific's product portfolio, JDSU has an unmatched set of fibre test solutions to support the cost-effective deployment and management of fibre networks".
JDSU currently integrates high-performance Westover Scientific products in many of its advanced test platforms, including fibre characterisation solutions in the MTS/T-BERD 8000 and MTS/T-BERD 6000 product lines.
"Fibre networks are both increasingly complex and necessary due to the continued demand for high-bandwidth broadband services, and solutions are needed to help deploy the networks quickly without sacrificing performance", says Steve Lytle, President of Westover Scientific.
"Providing the market with reliable cleaning and inspection products that help meet the challenges of deploying high-performance fibre has been the differentiator for Westover Scientific products for over ten years, and we will build on this commitment as part of JDSU".
Westover Scientific's fibre test business includes approximately 80 employees with calendar 2007 revenues of more than US $15 million, representing growth of approximately 30% compared with calendar 2006.
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