Calient to Acquire Kionix, Leader in MEMS and Optical Switch Manufacturing Processes.
Advanced Micro-Device R&D Will Boost Company's Photonics Expertise And Production Capacity
SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 10 /PRNewswire/ --
Calient Networks, a leading developer of carrier-class photonic switching systems, announced it is acquiring Kionix, Inc., a renowned MEMS (microelectro-mechanical systems) company based in Ithaca, NY. The acquisition gives Calient a market-leading position in MEMS devices, and assured access to Kionix' advanced manufacturing processes for key photonic switch componentry. Kionix owns or has exclusive rights to nearly 80 patents and patent applications in advanced production processes and MEMS devices, and is the largest and highest quality independent source of such technology in the market.
"We're pleased at the accelerating interest in photonics as a key to building all future networks, and believe it fully validates the importance of single-crystal silicon MEMS as a fundamental technology. At the same time, the growing community of optical systems players challenges us to be creative in staying ahead of the pack," stated Calient CEO and founder Charles Corbalis. "By adding Kionix' technical leadership, we gain a quantum leap in systems scalability and a leverage point in the micro-optical components realm. We now control our destiny and supply in this critical strategic domain."
"Kionix, with our MEMS design and manufacturing expertise, and Calient, with their photonics and system expertise, have melded into a great team over the past several months," stated Kionix CEO and founder Greg Galvin. "There is tremendous excitement here about Calient's impressive service provider engagement since launch, and we look forward to accelerating our joint impact on the market by working together as one company to leverage our MEMS advances."
"To meet our customers' need for scalable systems we have demanding design and performance parameters for the DiamondWave(TM) architecture," said Calient chief technology officer John Bowers. "Kionix is the only MEMS foundry capable of meeting these stringent expectations." Kionix' CTO Tim Davis further emphasized, "Our teams have committed months of joint effort to tune the precise manufacturing processes essential for high-quality MEMS production and reliable, long-term field operation."
"While there are many approaches to all-optical switching," stated Lawrence Gasman, president of Communications Industry Researchers, a leading optical networking industry analyst firm, "our view is that MEMS is quickly solidifying its position as the early lead technology. Calient's acquisition of this strategic component manufacturer strengthens the company's market position, and assures production supply for its photonic subsystems. This is an important step for any serious contender in the all-optical switching market, where we project demand will accelerate considerably over the coming years."
About Kionix
Kionix was founded in 1993, based on novel MEMS technology developed at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. The company has built a strong position in innovative MEMS product design and high volume, high quality manufacturing. Through its leadership in inertial sensors, micro-fluidics and silicon MEMS actuators, Kionix has an established supplier role in industry sectors as diverse as automotive, consumer products, data storage, scientific instruments and communications. Post-acquisition, Kionix will be a fully owned subsidiary of Calient Networks, known as Calient Optical Components. The company is staffed by 37 engineers and production personnel, and will continue operations in its 28,000 square foot advanced manufacturing facility in Ithaca.
About Calient Networks
Calient Networks is a new developer of intelligent, all-photonic switching systems and software that help service providers scale their networks for explosive bandwidth demands and deliver a new generation of wavelength services. Calient's architecture and DiamondWave(TM) switching system will provide a seamless, 'opto-electronic-to-photonic' migration path that is non-disruptive to legacy operations, and near-term opportunity for carriers to offer revenue-generating optical services from their photonic infrastructure. Founded in March 1999, the company is headquartered in San Jose, California. For additional information about Calient, visit www.calient.net . |
