Oclaro Accelerates 100 Gb/s
Coherent Product Development through Alliance with ClariPhy
Builds on 40 Gb/s
DQPSK Leadership in Regional / Metro Segment; Expands into
Long-Haul and
Ultra-Long-Haul Markets
San
Jose, Calif., – May 26, 2010 – Oclaro, Inc.
(NASDAQ: OCLR), a tier-one provider of innovative optical
communications
and laser solutions, today announced it has made a $7.5 million
strategic
investment in ClariPhy Communications, a
privately-held fabless semiconductor company
focused
on digital signal processing (DSP) and mixed-signal integrated circuits
(ICs)
for high-speed next-generation networks. In
addition,
ClariPhy and Oclaro
have
signed a Co-Marketing and Development Agreement leveraging ClariPhy’s
industry-leading 40nm, single-chip products with Oclaro’s
optical technology. The alliance with ClariPhy
is an important milestone in Oclaro’s
strategy to
build upon its leadership position in 40 Gigabits per second (“Gb/s”) regional and metro networks and expand into
the 100 Gb/s
Coherent long-haul and ultra-long-haul markets.
The surge in
new broadband services, such as social networking,
video sharing, voice over IP (VoIP) and cloud computing,
is creating significant demand for increased bandwidth and improved
network
performance, with global IP traffic expected to grow at a 40 percent
CAGR
between 2008 and 2013. This intensive growth is driving the rapid
transition
from 10 Gb/s
optical networks to 40 Gb/s and beyond.
These very
high bit rate communications require not only advanced optical solutions
but
also advanced DSP and mixed-signal integrated circuits, combined into
modules
for deployment by telecommunications systems providers. In particular,
the move
to 100 Gb/s
requires Coherent technology, which is fundamental to extending the
reach of high-speed
networks.
"We
expect an increasing percentage of the transceiver solutions for optical
networks to be comprised of DSP and mixed-signal electronics as they
evolve
towards 40 Gb/s and 100 Gb/s,"
stated
Alain Couder, President and CEO, Oclaro.
"Through our investment and alliance with ClariPhy,
Oclaro believes it will be able to offer its
customers best-in-class electronics and optical technology as a complete
solution from a single source, whether incorporated directly in our Oclaro solutions, or co-marketed as complementary
products."
Oclaro is a market
leader in
the 40 Gb/s
market, with a leading market-share position in regional and metro
networks. In
the Differential Quadrature Phase Shift
Keying
(DQPSK) and Differential Phase Shift Keying (DPSK) space for regional
and
first-generation long-haul markets respectfully, Oclaro
already offers Lithium Niobate (LiNbO3)
and Indium Phosphide (InP) component solutions. At the sub-system
level,
the Oclaro vertical-integration model has
resulted in
ground-breaking technology disruption, as demonstrated by Oclaro’s
fully-qualified 40 Gb/s DQPSK 300-pin transponder solution for regional
and metro
applications. From this base, Oclaro is now
looking
to broaden its high bit rate portfolio into next-generation long-haul
and
ultra-long haul with coherent detection methodology. With the
standardization
of 100 Gb/s
gaining momentum, Oclaro believes it will
continue to
deliver these core optical building blocks, alongside ClariPhy’s
world-class signal processing engines, and to provide best-in-class
module
solutions.
"By
leveraging the significant 40nm CMOS technology innovation from ClariPhy, Oclaro will
focus on
optimizing our future optical products to further increase bandwidth,
improve
network performance, and lower the total cost of ownership for
customers,"
added Couder.
Oclaro and ClariPhy
have
a history of collaboration and offer products that have been designed to
improve the performance and bandwidth of optical networks. With an
industry-leading low power dissipation, Oclaro's
TL9000M small form factor 300-pin transponder for 10 Gb/s
networks, announced in 2009 and containing ClariPhy’s
maximum likelihood sequence estimation (MLSE) IC, established a new
benchmark
in transmission performance for dispersion-tolerant modules. Oclaro’s 300-pin transponder portfolio continues
to ramp
and take market share in the 10 Gb/s space. Oclaro is
now taking
this to the next level by driving a product strategy to deliver
technology-disruptive transceivers such as Tunable XFP and XFP+, which
when
combined with ClariPhy’s IC, is believed to
deliver
the industry’s highest-density, lowest-power MLSE-based solution. Oclaro and ClariPhy
believe that
the ongoing combination of the companies’ advanced optics and signal
processing
delivers the performance and integration the market demands for these
next
generation 10 Gb/s modules.
"We
are delighted to enter into a strategic alliance with Oclaro,”
said Dr. Paul Voois, co-founder and CEO of ClariPhy. “This alliance brings together
industry-leading
mixed-signal CMOS technology from ClariPhy
with the
world-class optical technology from Oclaro.
By
working together to deliver innovative solutions to the market, Oclaro and ClariPhy
can help
customers accelerate deployment of the next generation of high-speed
networks."
About Oclaro
Oclaro, Inc.,(NASDAQ:OCLR) is a Tier 1 provider of optical communications and laser components, modules and subsystems for a broad range of diverse markets, including telecommunications, industrial, scientific, consumer electronics, and medical. Oclaro is a global leader, dedicated to photonics innovation with cutting-edge research and development (R&D) and chip fabrication facilities in the U.K., Switzerland and Italy, and in-house and contract manufacturing sites in the U.S., Thailand and China. To support its diverse and global customer base, Oclaro maintains design, sales and service organizations in each of the major regions around the world. For more information visit http://www.oclaro.com.
About ClariPhy
ClariPhy Communications, Inc. is a fabless semiconductor company developing mixed signal, advanced digital signal processing ICs targeting 10, 40, and 100 Gb/s networks in enterprise backbone, enterprise data center and telecom environments. ClariPhy’s ICs enable IT and network management to significantly improve network performance and lower cost. ClariPhy’s investors include Norwest Venture Partners (NVP), Onset Ventures, Allegis Capital and Pacific General Ventures. ClariPhy is headquartered in Irvine, California with offices in Los Altos, California and Cordoba, Argentina. For more information, please visit http://www.clariphy.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward looking statements include certain risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding (i) the delivery of products in the future, (ii) the delivery of products the market demands, (iii) market growth, and (iv) that may contain words such as “targets”, “believe”, “plan”, “expect”, “will” and “should”. The forward-looking statements included in this announcement represent Oclaro's view as of the date of this release. Oclaro specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this release.
Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Oclaro, the Oclaro logo, and certain other Oclaro trademarks and logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Oclaro, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the US and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Information in this release is subject to change without notice.
Tara Pratt Erika Powelson
Oclaro, Inc. Tanis Communications, Inc.
+1 (408) 705-3103 +1 (408) 332-5877
tara.pratt@oclaro.com erika.powelson@taniscomm.com