FORE is establishing a facility in Ottawa.
OTTAWA, Jan. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Premisys Communications (Nasdaq: PRMS) announced today that it is establishing a major research and development facility in Ottawa. Premisys also has chosen Ottawa as the headquarters for its Canadian operations.
Premisys is an acknowledged world leader in integrated access solutions used to boost the efficiency and capacity of telecommunications infrastructure. The new Ottawa R&D center will have a mandate to design systems for the company's major new Q-Broadband Series of products for the global marketplace. These are high-performance, leading-edge, software-rich products designed to meet the most demanding data and multi-media applications. The Q-Broadband Series integrates multiple communications technologies (TDM, ATM and SONET/SDH) to provide high-speed network access, and voice, data and video transport capabilities.
A Strong Commitment to Research and Development
The Ottawa R&D center plans to hire 25 to 30 staff by June and more thereafter. Most of the new jobs will be for senior software engineers. The Ottawa operation could eventually account for a significant share of Premisys' total worldwide R&D activities.
Premisys is committed to staying on the leading edge through research and development. In fiscal year 1996, the company spent about $US 7.4 million on R&D, representing about 10 percent of that year's revenues. In fiscal year 1997, with revenues reported at $US 78.3 million -- up six percent over 1996 -- R&D spending rose nearly 42 percent, to $US 10.5 million. The company expects to continue this strong R&D investment, with a further increase in its R&D budget for fiscal year 1998.
Why Ottawa
"We were looking for an area with a very high concentration of telecommunications expertise, and Ottawa is one of the best," said Andy Aczel, Premisys senior vice president of engineering. "The Ottawa area has that critical mass a company like ours needs. It is home to other global leaders in telecommunications, and the workforce has shown the world it is second to none in terms of experience, ingenuity and enthusiasm. We are so confident that Ottawa is the right place for us, we plan to make that facility a key part of our global R&D team. We are committed to investing substantially in our Ottawa operation to ensure a fast start and long-term success."
New Quality Jobs in Telecom Software
"We offer an opportunity for people to get in on the ground floor of something new where you can be part of a small group and really have an impact. We want team-oriented people who can think 'outside the box.' We value people who are revved up by assignments that call on their initiative, ingenuity and entrepreneurial smarts. The corporate culture here focuses on the individual. Every single member of our team makes a difference and is rewarded accordingly. People, not processes, drive this company," said Claude Dupuis, Premisys vice president of product development and head of the center.
Premisys joins a prestigious group of telecom companies doing world-class R&D in Ottawa. Other recent arrivals Cadence Design Systems, Cisco Systems and Fore Systems join long-time residents Nortel and Newbridge.
"Few other regions in the world can claim such substantive depth in telecommunications and software expertise," said Dr. Brian Barge, President of OCEDCO. "It's no longer about nurturing an advanced technology industry here. We are building strength and momentum and we are deepening the critical mass that attracts additional growth. We're well on the way to becoming a world high-technology 'superpower.'
"It augers well for our future that we can attract major players in global telecommunications here based on our fundamental technology strengths and infrastructure. They are setting up operations in the Ottawa area because there is a revolution under way in global telecommunications and the Ottawa region is at the heart of the action."
Ontario Premier Mike Harris, whose government is aggressively marketing the province to attract new business, said the arrival of Premisys in Ottawa is an exciting development for the province.
"Ontario is open for business. And when a company like Premisys chooses Ontario over other jurisdictions, it demonstrates how desirable Ontario has become as a place to invest. Ottawa has become a major center of telecommunications excellence, and the new jobs that Premisys will create are yet another boost to the Ottawa region's economy," he said.
Premisys Communications, Inc., based in Fremont, California, pioneered development of integrated access solutions for telecommunications service providers. Today, Premisys leads the industry worldwide with a growing family of access products, featuring its Integrated Multiple Access Communications Server (IMACS). Premisys' products allow service providers to quickly and cost effectively accommodate the growing demand from businesses for voice, data and video communications services.
More information about Premisys Communications and its products is available on its Worldwide Web site (www.premisys.com) and by contacting its Fremont headquarters (510-353-7600).
SOURCE Premisys Communications
-0- 01/12/98 /CONTACT: Scott E. Smith, Public Relations Manager of Premisys Communications, Inc., Fremont, California, 510-353-2326; or Claude Dupuis, VP Product Development, Premisys Communications (Canada) Inc., Ottawa, 613-722-4332; or Gary Phippard or John Struthers of ASH Technology Marketing, Ottawa, 613-591-3800/
/Web site: premisys.com (PRMS)
CO: Premisys Communications ST: California IN: CPR SU: PDT |
