INDUSTRY NEWS
* Endwave Corp. acquired M/A-COM's Broadband Wireless Business Unit (BBU), initiating a strategic relationship with Tyco Electronics and making Endwave the most complete RF subsystem supplier for millimeter-wave radio OEMs.
* Aeroflex Inc. has acquired TriLink Communications Corp. for approximately 1.2 million shares of Aeroflex common stock. This acquisition adds key optical components to Aeroflex's growing portfolio of proprietary fiber optic modules.
* Plexus Corp. has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Qtron Inc. The acquisition will expand Plexus' presence, establishing a manufacturing base in Southern California's fast-growing market.
* Alamosa Holdings Inc. has completed its merger with Southwest PCS Holdings Inc. The acquisition increases Alamosa's licensed population by 2.8 million. Concurrent with the acquisition of Southwest, Alamosa has also gained the right to service additional territory from Sprint PCS totaling approximately 115,000 residents.
* TRW has formed Velocium, a new company that will provide very high speed InP and GaAs components and other products for fiber optic and wireless telecommunications systems.
* Advanced Hardware Architectures (AHA) opened a new design center in Portland, OR. The new center will develop broadband wireless products based on the company's patented Turbo Product Code (TPC) technology.
* Corning Cable Systems opened a new production facility dedicated to optical manufacturing services. The facility, approximately 20,000 square feet, is located in Hickory, NC.
* First Source Inc. has opened a new Southern California sales office to provide additional local sales support for the San Diego and Los Angeles areas.
* RIFOCS Corp. has relocated its Harsh Environments Division, formerly known as Mil/Aero, into a new 8000 square-foot facility. The move to a larger manufacturing space provides plenty of room for the division to expand.
* As part of a high volume production agreement, Raytheon's RF Components division will supply the Hyundai Corp. with the RMPA 1951 GaAs HBT power amplifier for the handset manufacturer's TX-20B PCS platform. Hyundai has earmarked the dualband tri-mode TX-20B for the US CDMA market.
* StratEdge has contracted to assemble and test TriQuint Semiconductor's OC-192 broadband amplifiers using patented, high performance StratEdge packages.
* Tektronix Inc. has partnered with Telogy Inc. to provide a unique instrumentation trade-in program allowing Tektronix customers to trade-in used test instrumentation when purchasing new products from Tektronix. In related news, RSoft Inc. has entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with Sony/Tektronix for sales and services of its software products in Japan. Sony/Tektronix will handle RSoft's full line of software products for CAD and simulation of both photonic devices and optical communication systems.
* GSI Lumonics and Melles Griot have agreed to work together to mutually enhance their ability to supply manufacturing solutions to fiber optic telecommunication component manufacturers.
* University College London (UCL) and Agilent Technologies marked their partnership with the opening of the Agilent Broadband Communications Laboratory. The new lab will also play an integral part in UCL's Master's program.
* Zentrix Technologies and the electrical and computer engineering department of the University of Florida have announced a collaborative partnership on circuit packages. With this partnership, the University of Florida will use Zentrix Technologies low ground inductance, high performance CuPack® Circuit Packages to develop RF and microwave circuits.
* Sprague-Goodman Electronics Inc. added Mouser Electronics, Mansfield, TX, to its franchised dealer network. Sprague-Goodman's products are included in Mouser's on-line and nationally distributed print catalogs.
* Ansoft Corp. and Agilent Technologies Inc. have signed an agreement in which Agilent has agreed to license its high frequency structure simulator (HFSS) software product line to Ansoft. Under the agreement, Agilent may also purchase up to 60 licenses of Ansoft HFSS.
* Taiyo Yuden Co. Ltd. announced that its Bluetooth™ Module is the first full module in the world to earn certification for compliance with the requirements of Bluetooth Specification Version 1.1. The company has certified two variations of its Class 2 module, one with a USB interface and one with a UART interface.
* Merrimac Industries Inc. announced that its subsidiary, Filtran Microcircuits Inc., has been awarded the ISO 9002 certification from Factory Mutual Research. The certification completes the company's fourth and final phase of its ISO certification initiative, with all of the company's facilities certified.
* dBm LLC has successfully completed its first year of operations. During that year, the New Jersey-based test equipment manufacturer purchased the Satellite Link Emulator product line, and is now delivering an enhanced version of the product as well as supporting existing customers. The company also recently announced a Carrier to Noise Generator product line.
* Labtech, a member of the Intelek group of companies, has won the Queen's Award for Enterprise, the highest honor which can be bestowed upon a UK company.
FINANCIAL NEWS
* Motorola Inc. reports sales of $7.8 B for the first quarter of 2001, compared to $8.8 B for the same period last year. Net loss was $206 M (9¢/share) compared to a net income of $481 M (21¢/share) for the first quarter of 2000.
* Andrew Corp. reports sales of $251.5 M for the second quarter ended March 31, compared to $220.0 M for the same period last year. Net income was $8.2 M (10¢/share) compared to $17.3 M (21¢/share) for the second quarter of 2000.
* Powerwave Technologies Inc. reports sales of $73.0 M for the first quarter ended April 1, compared to $103.9 M for the same period last year. Net loss was $9.5 M (15¢/share) compared to a net income of $10.3 M (16¢/share) for the first quarter of 2000.
* TESSCO Technologies Inc. reports sales of $60.0 M for the fourth quarter ended April 1, compared to $56.3 M for the same period last year. Net income was $220 K (5¢/share) compared to $1.4 M (31¢/share) for the fourth quarter of 2000.
* Cree Inc. reports sales of $53.37 M for the third quarter ended March 25, compared to $29.53 for the same period last year. Net income was $13.72 M (18¢/diluted share) compared to $8.96 M (12¢/diluted share) for the third quarter of 2000.
* Advanced Power Technology reports sales of $13.2 M for the first quarter ended March 31, compared to $9.6 M for the same period last year. Net income was $1.8 M (19¢/diluted share) compared to $244 K (4¢/diluted share) for the first quarter of 2000.
* Superconductor Technologies Inc. reports sales of $2.5 M for the first quarter ended March 31, compared to $1.0 M for the same period last year. Net loss was $4.6 M (26¢/common share) compared to $5.3 M (47¢/common share) for the first quarter of 2000.
* Raytheon Co.'s Secure Mobile Anti-jam Reliable Tactical Terminal (SMART-T) satellite communications (SATCOM) program has received a three-year $49 M award to develop, test and validate an advanced extremely high frequency retrofit kit for installation on approximately 330 SATCOM ground terminals.
* Zeevo Inc. has closed a third round of funding with $25.5 M in equity financing. The round is led by Dell Ventures. Zeevo expects to use the money to expand sales, marketing and operations talent for ramping its product line, a Bluetooth SoC solution to production.
* Antenova has secured £3.4 M of venture capital to fund its smart directional antenna technology for mobile communications, from a consortium led by Cambridge Gateway Fund. The funding round will allow Antenova to develop prototypes of its product ideas.
CONTRACTS
* LCC International Inc. has won a contract from Click Vodafone to perform deployment and overall project management services for phase three of the nationwide Egyptian network. The $16 M, one-year contract extension is in addition to the Operations and Maintenance contract awarded to LCC in October of 2000.
* M/A-COM SIGINT Products received the highest single order for its Model 388 IF-to-Tape/Baseband converter from Raytheon Systems Co. The models are expected to be delivered later this year.
* Microwave Data Systems (MDS) Inc. received a follow-on purchase order to supply additional LEDR point-to-point radios for installation in the network of the Brazilian telephone company, Telemar. This order is in addition to the $7 M order received by MDS in February for LEDR radios.
PERSONNEL
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* Palomar Technologies Inc. promoted Kevin Conlon to chief operating officer. Conlon joined the company in 1997 as VP, sales and marketing. * Advanced Hardware Architectures (AHA) appointed Eric Kinneberg chief financial officer. Kinneberg comes to AHA from Southern Era Resources, where he served as VP of finance and chief financial officer. * The Board of Directors at Mimix Broadband has elected Charles Lee as chairman of the board. The election represents a new position created by the Board. Lee founded Charles Lee Enterprise in 1990 to facilitate strategic alliances between America and Asia. * Denis P. Ritchie has joined Microwave Device Technology Corp. as president. Most recently, Ritchie served as director of marketing and sales for Analogic Corp. * Aptix Corp. appointed Fuad Musa president; Amr Mohsen continues as the company's CEO and chairman. Most recently, Musa was president and CEO at Moscape, a Magma company. * Everett Charles Technologies (ECT) promoted Patrick T. Flynn to president of the recently realigned ECT equipment and services group. Flynn joined ECT last year as group VP. In related news, the company appointed Joseph Baalman regional sales manager for the northwest region. Baalman will be responsible for ECT Test Fixture Group sales including TTI product and In-Circuit Pogos. Ryan McClusky also joined the company, and will be responsible for in-circuit and functional fixture sales in the north central region. Before joining ECT, McClusky worked for Mahar Tool Co. as an account manager for Daimler Chrysler.
* TDK Semiconductor Corp. promoted Barry Thompson from a director of engineering to VP of engineering. Thompson will be responsiable for leading the company's engineering teams in new product development and product enhancements. * Comtech Telecommunications Corp.'s New York subsidiary, Comtech PST Corp., named Larry Konopelko to the position of executive VP and general manager. Most recently, Konopelko was VP and general manager of MPD Technologies Inc. * GHz Technology Inc. appointed Michael Yam VP of engineering. In this position, Yam will be focusing on application support activities. Most recently, Yam has held management posts at Globalstar LP, a consortium of international telecommunication companies. * Wolfgang Schmittseifer will become Rohde & Schwarz's managing director for marketing and sales in North America, as of July 1. Schmittseifer will be responsible for all corporate sales activities in the US and Canada and for the cooperation with sales partners.
* Andy Janes has been named the sales manager of the Tensolite Precision Coaxial and Multi-conductor Harnesses and Assemblies group in Vancouver, Washington. Janes has been at the Vancouver facility for over 10 years supporting product sales and application engineering.
* First Source Inc. has named Debi Luce Southwest regional sales manager. Luce comes to the company from Arrow/RF Vision.
* Sea-Port Technical Sales added Steve Pennock to its Northwest sales representation team. Formerly, Pennock was VP of sales for Analysis Plus and prior to that sold software for Ansoft Corp. and performed research for 12 years at Lawrence Livermore National Lab.
* Excellon Automation Co. promoted Bob Bell to general manager mechanical business unit. Most recently, Bell served as Excellon's general manager of customer engineering. The company promoted George Schmeltzer to general manager customer engineering business unit to replace Bell. Previously, Schmeltzer was director of information technology for the company.
* BTC Electronic Components appointed Scott Korenstein account executive in its Raleigh, NC office. Korenstein will manage strategic commercial accounts with an emphasis on currently acquired product lines. * Gregory G. Finn has joined Antenna Specialists, an Allen Telecom company, as a senior RF/antenna design engineer. Finn will be responsible for the design and development of antennas and antenna interface electronics including prototyping, testing, documentation and coordination of release to production. |
WEB SITES
* Version 2 of www.testdesignonline.com has just been launched. Users can now configure a complete test station by selection from hundreds of products from leading manufacturers, and obtain an Excel spreadsheet complete with prices, product descriptions, rack heights, links to the data sheets of products selected and more. The site is an ideal starting point for costing and configuring a test system, and also provides technical notes that provide information on products, applications and test ideas.
* Jensen Tools has recently made a number of improvements to its Web site, www.jensentools.com. The site now offers secure online ordering, an improved search function, instant order processing, online order processing for international customers, a stock status feature, detailed order acknowledgements, express order shipping options, online technical documents and free technical support. Registered customers will also be able to save shipping addresses and order history under a password-protected login name for added convenience.
* Comsearch officially launched Datazone,™ a repository of standardized reports, studies and data products for the telecommunications industry. Marketing, business development, engineering or sales professionals can order market intelligence reports, spectrum usage studies, and technical and GIS data directly from the company's Web site, www.comsearch.com, to help them make informed business decisions.
REP APPOINTMENTS
* CMC Wireless Components, Phoenix, AZ, has made a series of rep appointments. Stewart Technology, Danville, CA, will handle Southern California and Innovative Marketing and Sales, Coppell, TX, will cover Texas, while Micrel Associates, Rock Tavern, NY, will be responsible for New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania and O & S Associates, New Bedford, MA, will handle New England. BWS Microwave Marketing Inc. will cover Atlanta, Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, and Tennessee.
* Tyco Electronics' M/A-COM has named First Source Inc. as its national distributor for the full line of M/A-COM components, including those manufactured by its recent acquisition, the former Stellex Electronics.
* Sprague-Goodman Electronics Inc. appointed two new sales representatives. Tekmar Sales, Rye Brook, NY, will represent southern New York and northern New Jersey, while Feller Associates, Highland Park, IL, will be responsible for sales in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin.