JDSU Acquires Metconnex IP

JDSU announced Monday it is acquiring the technology and patent portfolio of Metconnex Canada Inc., a developer of wavelength selective switch (WSS) modules, for $2.5 million. JDSU, a provider of communications test and measurement technology, said it did not acquire any of Metconnex's business operations.

As part of the agreement, all lawsuits between the companies were dropped, including one brought by JDSU against Metconnex and some of its officers and employees for alleged violation of JDSU patent and intellectual property rights. Metconnex went out of business in September.

"We will continue to use our extensive portfolio of patents and proprietary technology to enable broadband and optical innovation in all parts of the world," said Matthew Fawcett, general counsel for JDSU.

WSS technology is central to JDSU's portfolio of reconfigurable add/drop multiplexers, or ROADMs, which are increasingly used by carriers to enable the rapid, cost-effective rollout of triple-play services. The addition of the Metconnex IP further strengthens JDSU's ROADM leadership, expanding the most comprehensive portfolio of IP-protected ROADM solutions for long-haul and metro architectures.

JDSU offers ROADM products based on three underlying technologies: liquid-crystal based blockers, planar lightwave circuit (PLC) and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based WSS. ROADMs are an integral part of its agile optical networks, the company said.

Mike Ricci, senior vice president of JDSU's optical communications group, said, "By the end of fiscal year 2006, JDSU had shipped more than 9000 ROADMs carrying traffic in both long-haul and metro networks. Optical networks are evolving from two-directional ring architectures to freeform mesh architecture of interconnecting optical circuits dependent on ROADM- based switching." For more information, visit: www.jdsu.com