Siemens Communications announced it is acquiring optic specialist Photonic Bridges, based in Shanghai, China. Details of the transaction, which is subject to customary approvals, were not disclosed. Photonic Bridges, which has more than 300 employees, develops optical transmission systems, with ranges up to 200 kilometers, for the synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH) market. Siemens said it will integrate its former OEM partner's product portfolio into its optical transmission system lines. Christian Unterberger, head of fixed network business at Siemens Communications, said, "Photonic Bridges is one of the leading companies in the SDH market. With our commitment to Photonic Bridges, we are expanding our development capacity in forward-looking areas and securing our access to those products that offer our customers significant added value." Next-generation SDH systems bring traditional optical SDH transmission and data technologies together, enabling network carriers to transmit connection-oriented services (e.g., voice services) and package-oriented data services via an existing SDH infrastructure, Siemens Communications said in a statement. "Whether a carrier wants to provide fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet or 2 or 34-Mbit/s leased lines, for example, the next-generation (NG) SDH multiplexer makes all of these services available simultaneously on one optical interface," it said. In 2004, Siemens acquired IP access specialist Dasan, a Korean maker of broadband access products such as DSL access multiplexers and Ethernet-based switches. Its regional center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, supports carriers and service providers throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Siemens is exhibiting its 'smart home' of the future and other products releated to carrier Ethernet and GPON (gigabit passive optical network) at the International Engineering Consortium's Broadband World Forum Asia 2006, being held this week in Hong Kong. Unterberger said Siemens' Surpass Home Entertainment module enables new forms of communication and interactive entertainment, including services such as health monitoring and remote care for the elderly and the chronically ill (Surpass Healthcare) and for home security and control (Surpass Home Control). For more information, visit: www.siemens.com/communications