Baltimore, Maryland - March 8, 2000 - JDS Uniphase Corporation (Nasdaq: JDSU and TSE: JDU) and Alcatel (NYSE: ALA) have agreed to participate in an agreement that defines a consistent standard for the form, footprint and electrical specifications of an internally wavelength-locked WDM source laser. The companies have invited other laser vendors to join in supporting this standard.
As the bandwidth required of WDM systems increases and these systems become more complex, system manufacturers are demanding more integration and more functionality from each component and module. Manufacturers of components and modules not only must seek ways to reduce the footprints of their devices, but provide increased functionality within a smaller volume as well.
To help meet these requirements within WDM applications, both Alcatel Optronics and JDS Uniphase are introducing laser products with integrated wavelength monitoring. Today, in order to produce high-channel systems, many system manufacturers have installed both a source laser and a separate wavelength monitoring device on each transmitter card to maintain the narrow channel spacing these systems require. This new integrated device is intended to enable system integrators to save space on each transmitter card, while maintaining individual channel integrity down to 50 GHz spacing between two adjacent channels.
To make it easier for system manufacturers to move to the new device, JDS Uniphase and Alcatel Optronics have defined a common footprint and compatible electrical interface. The package and pinout of the new products remain compatible with previous source laser modules from each company, which previously did not include integrated wavelength monitoring. This consistent design is expected to allow customers to increase the functionality of an existing board design without a complete redesign, thereby reducing cost and time-to-market.
"The pressures on our customers to increase bandwidth are so great that the ability to control the wavelength of the source laser is a key element to creating higher bandwidth systems. By joining together with Alcatel to define this standard, we believe that we will provide our customers with an important ability to add this monitoring functionality to a transmitter without having to redesign the board," said Fred Leonberger, Chief Technology Officer of JDS Uniphase.
"It is our hope that other laser manufacturers will join us and support this standard. By working together we believe we can give our customers the assurance that this is a design that they can rely on and plan for the future," said Gerhard Elze, Chief Technology Officer of Alcatrel Optronics.
Alcatel Optronics, the Alcatel unit providing optoelectronic components, markets a full range of optoelectronic devices and solutions for fiber optic communications. Operating state-of-the-art manufacturing plants in France, it is a leading supplier of high performance laser and photo detector modules, optical amplifiers and other integrated optoelectronic modules with particular emphasis on components for high bit-rate and DWDM systems. Additional information about Alcatel is available on the Internet at http://www.alcatel.com/.
JDS Uniphase is a high technology company that designs, develops, manufactures and distributes a comprehensive range of products for the growing fiberoptic communications market. These products are deployed by system manufacturers worldwide to develop advanced optical networks for the telecommunications and cable television industries. JDS Uniphase Corporation is traded on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol JDSU and the exchangeable shares of JDS Uniphase Canada Ltd. are traded on The Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol JDU. More information on JDS Uniphase is available at http://www.jdsunph.com/
The statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934. These statements may be identified by their use of forward-looking terminology such as "intends," "anticipates," "designed," "expects" and similar words. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, (a) any statement or implication that (i) the new standard will be successfully adopted in the industry or otherwise accepted by customers, or (ii) the products mentioned in this press release will be successfully introduced or marketed, will be qualified and purchased by our customers, or will perform to any particular specifications or performance or reliability standards, and (b) the statements regarding the intended performance of the new integrated device, the expected and believed benefits to customers of the common footprint and compatible electrical interface, and the hope that other laser manufacturers will support the standard. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, factors discussed from time to time in reports filed by JDS Uniphase Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and JDS Uniphase Corporation assumes any obligation to update the reasons why actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements.