FEBRUARY 22, 2010 By Stephen Hardy -- Connector and cable assembly provider FCI has acquired the assets of MergeOptics. While the German firm originally made a name for itself in optical transceivers, MergeOptics’ recent success in developing active optical cables (AOCs) appears to provide the rationale for FCI’s purchase.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
MergeOptics used last year’s ECOC in Vienna to highlight its relatively recent development of AOCs. These included 120-Gbps cables using both CXP and QSFP transceivers. Then-CEO Dag Neumeuer said that MergeOptics had seen an increase in business of 30% to 40% from 2008, due primarily to the AOCs.
"MergeOptics' leading position in active optical cables extends FCI's existing high-speed I/O portfolio of passive and active copper solutions," said Pete Curwen, corporate vice president and general manager of FCI - Electronics Division. "With this complete portfolio of I/O product solutions, we will be able to provide our customers with more complete and innovative solutions to meet their needs today and in the future."
The sale of MergeOptics comes a little more than 18 months after the company set its sights on an IPO (see “MergeOptics raises €5.3 million to set up IPO”).