INDUSTRY NEWS
The Connecticut Microwave Corp. acquired the combiner, duplexer and filter product lines of Davicom Technologies Inc. The acquisition included all engineering, tooling, manufacturing process data and work in progress. These products are primarily used in dedicated systems including business, safety and municipal.
Littelfuse Inc. has purchased Semitron . The all cash FAB and product purchase completes Littelfuse's current product line of varistors, low power silicon diodes, polymer-based, high speed ESD suppressors and a range of resettable and single-use fusing approaches.
Laird Technologies has acquired Boldt Metronics International (BMI) for $28.7 M in cash and the assumption of $1 M of long term capital equipment leases. The companies will combine their technical, geographic and human resources to become the premier supplier to the electronics industry globally.
EMS Technologies Inc. has formed a new division, EMS Satellite Networks . The new division includes all of the satellite broadband products formerly managed under the company's Space & Technology Group/Montreal, including all DVB-RCS systems, hubs and terminal products.
The Tru-Connector Corp. has changed its official name to TRU Corp. The new name is intended to reflect the broader nature of the business while maintaining the company's basic identity.
TriPoint Global Communications announced that the microwave antenna products formerly produced by the company's Mark Antenna business will be manufactured under the Prodelin brand. The company will discontinue the use of the Mark Antenna name and brand.
Vitelec Electronics is re-branding as part of the Emerson Network Power-Connectivity Division . An important element of Emerson's corporate brand strategy, the name change marks a new phase in the development of Vitelec and lays the foundations for the introduction of a new range of advanced products and enhanced levels of customer service for the European marketplace.
Sirenza Microdevices has established a new customer support office in Shenzhen, China. This office will provide critical real-time applications engineering support to key OEM accounts throughout China. Sirenza's new office is located at the Pavilion Hotel Business Building, Room 2308, 4002 Huaqiang Road North, Fu Tian District, Shenzhen, China +86 755 82074046 or e-mail: China-apps@sirenza.com.
Rohde & Schwarz Inc. (R&S) has opened an expanded test and measurement systems center located in the metro Dallas, TX, area. The facility will support all test and measurement systems, as well as EMI receiver sales. In related news, the company has announced that all EMI test receivers and software packages formerly offered by Tektronix are now available directly through R&S. For all other Rohde & Schwarz general purpose test and measurement equipment, Tektronix remains the exclusive distributor in North America.
Agilent Technologies has recently inaugurated the new Agilent Technologies Millimetre-wave Laboratory at the University of Manchester (UK) Institute of Science and Technology. The new laboratory has facilities for measurements up to 140 GHz, includes a 110 GHz single sweep vector network analyzer, a 8510C vector network analyzer, a 50 GHz portable spectrum analyzer and a modular DC source, semiconductor parametric analyzer.
Ansoft Corp. has refocused operations on its core software business and will discontinue its efforts to apply its IP technology core to hardware design through Altra Broadband 's Irvine Technology Center. The center closed operations in September.
SV Microwave Inc. has entered into a manufacturing agreement with Andrew Corp. under which Andrew is licensed to manufacture certain SV connector products including the Blind Mate and Base Transceiver Station connector product lines. The new agreement gives SV immediate capacity in China where the designated connector products will be manufactured at Andrew's Suzhou location.
Teravicta Technologies Inc. and Read-Rite Corp. have entered into an agreement to utilize Read Rite's manufacturing capabilities for the high volume production of Teravicta's line of low loss, high linearity RF MEMS switches. Teravicta currently produces its RF MEMS switches on its own low volume pilot production line, but this alliance will transition it to high volume production at Read-Rite.
As part of a recently concluded high volume production agreement, the RF Components division of Raytheon Co. will supply Hyundai/Curitel Inc. with the model RMPA0951A-102 GaAs HBT power amplifier for the handset manufacturer's DD-500 PCS platform. Hyundai/Curitel has earmarked the DD-500 for the Korean market.
Spirent plc and UbiNetics have entered into a strategic partnership to expand their test solutions for the 3G market. Under the terms of the agreement, Spirent has acquired UbiNetics' CS100 product line and rights to associated intellectual property for £6.5 M cash. In addition, under the agreement Spirent and UbiNetics will partner for the further development of the CS100 product line and future test platforms.
Avnet RF & Microwave has signed a distribution agreement with Directed Energy Inc. (DEI) . With this agreement, Avnet will now distribute DEI's Fast Power MOSFET transistors, a class of RF transistors designed for high power RF applications.
Anritsu Corp. has entered a strategic partnership with Flextronics Test whereby the two companies will co-develop integrated test solutions utilizing Anritsu's leading-edge test instrumentation and Flextronic's test software and application programs. The agreement enables Anritsu to provide global customers with complete ATE solutions for R&D, manufacturing and maintenance applications.
RF Micro Devices Inc. and Jazz Semiconductor have agreed to enter into a strategic relationship for silicon manufacturing and development. Under the agreement, RF Micro Devices will obtain a guaranteed lower cost source of supply for wafers fabricated utilizing Jazz's manufacturing processes, including SiGe, BiCMOS and RF CMOS. In addition, the companies will collaborate on the development of wireless technology roadmaps.
Applied Wave Research Inc. (AWR) has agreed to provide process design kit library support for the GaAs foundry process at OMMIC , formerly Philips Microwave Limeil . MMIC designers will use the libraries, within Microwave Officeª 2002, to speed the design of high end wireless and fiber optic infrastructures while helping to ensure electrical specifications are met.
United Monolithic Semiconductors (UMS) and IMST have agreed on a closer cooperation. Under this cooperation, IMST will act as a UMS certified design house, having a preferred access to UMS process information, models and design tools. IMST will design and develop products for its own or common customers, based on the UMS processes.
Phihong has selected Allied Electronics as a new catalog distributor for its standard model power supplies and adapters. Allied brings additional customer support for power source design-ins as well as additional distribution support in Canada.
E2V Technologies became one of the first companies in the UK to achieve certification to the new ISO 9001:2000 international quality standard.
FINANCIAL NEWS
REMEC Inc. reports sales of $53.5 M for the second quarter ended August 3, 2002, compared to $60.4 M for the same period in 2001. Net loss was $16 M (35¢/diluted share), compared to a net loss of $15.4 M (34¢/diluted share) for the second quarter of last year.
SEMX Corp. reports sales of $8.2 M for the second quarter ended June 30, 2002, compared to $11.2 M for the same period in 2001. Net loss was $1.5 M (77¢/common share), compared to $684 K (14¢/common share) for the second quarter of last year.
Ansoft Corp. reports sales of $9.3 M for the first quarter ended July 31, 2002, compared to $11.2 M for the same period in 2001. Net loss was $3.3 M (28¢/diluted share), compared to $498 K (4¢/diluted share) for the first quarter of last year. In related news, the company's board of directors voted to amend its existing common stock repurchase program to permit the company to acquire an additional million shares of its common stock. Under the original program approved in 1998, the company had purchased 937,000 of the one million shares authorized for repurchase.
CONTRACTS
PC Dynamics , a subsidiary of Integrated Performance Systems , has signed a $440 K contract with Lockheed Martin NE&SS-Surface Systems to supply microwave circuit components for its Aegis program. If all options are exercised and PC Dynamics meets all performance criteria, the contract's value would be approximately $3.1 M over the next five years.
Reynolds Industries has completed negotiations for another release of a continuing master agreement with Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Integrated Systems sector. The contract is for high voltage and fiber optic cable assemblies for RF countermeasures on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighter program.
Enon Microwave Inc. , a subsidiary of Micronetics Wireless Inc. , has won a three-year contract with a US government defense agency. The company will provide microwave switches for surveillance radar to be used around the world. The award is the company's second three-year contract for high powered microwave switches in less than a month.
Radio Waves , a Smiths Interconnect company, has received a substantial order from Aperto Networks for antenna solutions to be installed in its PacketWave Systems. The orders include integrated antennas for Aperto Networks' 5.8 GHz subscriber units, as well as base station antennas for Aperto Networks' 3.5 and 5.8 GHz systems. These orders will fulfill Aperto's forecasted antenna needs for the next 12 months.
PERSONNEL
MCE Technologies Inc. has appointed Craig Lindberg president of MCE/Inmet Corp. Inmet is located adjacent to MCE Technologies' headquarters in Ann Arbor, MI, and is one of seven MCE Technologies' business units located throughout North America, the UK and China. Prior to being named president, Lindberg was the VP of business development.
Peregrine Semiconductor has appointed Jim Cable to the role of president and CEO. He replaces Stavro E. Prodromou, who will continue to advise the company as director and chairman of the board. With over 20 years experience in semiconductor research, development and production, Cable is the former chief operating officer of Peregrine.
MEMGen Corp. is hoping to boost its RF expertise with the appointment of Elliott R. Brown to its advisory board. Brown is currently a professor of electrical engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and has over 25 years of experience in RF research and development, including RF micro-devices.
Elgar Electronics Corp. has appointed John P. Mei as vice president finance and CFO. Most recently, Mei was group controller for Acterna's multimedia group and previously was finance manager for GE's industrial systems group.
RF Micro Devices Inc. announced that Daniel A. DiLeo has been named a member of the board of directors. DiLeo was nominated and confirmed by the board as a new director at an August board meeting. He joins the board with experience in market development, engineering, manufacturing and sales and marketing for high growth, global semiconductor businesses.
CAP Wireless Inc. has named Mark E. Lampenfield executive VP. In this position, Lampenfield will oversee the operations sales and marketing functions of the company. He brings over 30 years of sales, marketing and operations experience to the company.
GIL Technologies Inc. has hired Douglas J. Sober as its new VP, quality assurance. Sober is expected to play an important role in furthering the company's reputation for high manufacturing standards. In related news, GIL has named Derrick Neo business director of Asia. Neo will manage the company's new Asian sales office in Shenzhen, China, and will direct all of the company's sales operations throughout the Asian rim.
Rogers Corp. has named Michael St. Lawrence to the newly created post of director of strategic marketing. St. Lawrence has been with the company for over 15 years and has held a variety of positions, most recently as research and development group manager for the high density products group. He will be responsible for helping chart Rogers' future course.
StratEdge has hired Casey Krawiec as a senior account manager. Krawiec spent seven years at Kyocera America where he held the positions of offshore sales manager and sales engineer. Prior to that he was a design engineer and engineering project manager for the Naval Surface Warfare Center.
Olympus Partner-ship Development Group (PDG) has selected Peter Wang to serve as optical product marketing manager. Wang has more than 12 years engineering experience in laser system design, fiber optical passive/active components, optical system design, and semiconductor related industries, and more than five years experience in project management.
Filtel Microwave Inc. has appointed Perry Pawliuk quality assurance manager. Pawliuk comes to the company with 27 years of experience having worked for companies such as Develcon Electronics, Advantech, Wavesat and Trackcom Systems. He will be responsible for establishing and maintaining the company's ISO 9001 quality management system.
Barry Industries has named Rob Sinclair sales and marketing manager. Sinclair will be responsible for launching the company's new LTCC product line and capabilities and will also manage the existing product lines in the New England region.
SyQor has added Charlie Landino as the process owner of technical services. Landino will be responsible for customer support for both pre-sales and post-sales activities at the company. Landino brings with him over 30 years of experience in the field of power electronics, having held senior hardware design engineering positions for a number of telecommunications firms.
REP APPOINTMENTS
AMCOM Communications Inc. has announced the appointment of Northwest Rep-Tek , with offices in Calgary and Alberta, Canada, to be the exclusive representatives for British Columbia, Alberta, Sasakatchewan and Manitoba, including Winnipeg.
Filtel Microwave Inc. has made a series of representative appointments. Jose Delgado of CP Technologies was named as the company's exclusive representative in Southern California and RF Electronic Sales has been appointed as the exclusive representative for New York state and northern New Jersey. Internationally, Lancer Communication has been appointed as the exclusive representative for Taiwan, EG Components for Scandinavia, and SM Engineering for Korea.
Matsushita Electric Works UK Ltd. has appointed Link Microtek as UK distributor for the company's range of microwave switching devices. Primarily designed for applications in measurement instruments, automatic test equipment, mobile phone base stations and broadcast equipment, the range of products includes a comprehensive lineup of 50 and 75 coaxial switches and PCB-mounting relays.
WEB SITE
OPHIR RF has launched its all new Web site at www.ophirrf.com. It now includes product search capability, a simple to use 'request for quotation' facility and a local company representative identifier. Designed for ease of use, the site allows visitors to request literature, ask for help from an applications engineer and receive new product alerts.