Santec Corp. has launched a rebranding of JGR Optics Inc. and OptoTest Corp., the two test equipment companies it purchased in November 2021 (see “Santec buys JGR Optics, OptoTest for cable assembly, component testing expertise”). JGR Optics has become santec Canada Corp. and OptoTest is now santec California Corp.
“By rebranding as santec Canada & santec California and integrating with santec headquarters, we have become a complete cable assembly & fiber optics component test and measurement solution company. This integration enables us to provide the market with the best available products & solutions,” wrote Peter Chan, chief integration officer at Santec, in an email sent to customers and partners January 10, 2023.
According to Mark Berezny, general manager of santec Canada, the rebranding comes after approximately a year of integration within Santec’s Instrumentation group, a process that included rationalization of product overlap between JGR Optics and OptoTest. The new product lineup, as well as those of the rest of the group (including instruments from Sumix that Santec distributes) can be found on the Instrumentation section of Santec’s website. Products that did not make the cut will continue to be supported, and in some cases sold, for the immediate future, Berezny said.
The integration effort also has encompassed research and development (R&D); while both the Canada and California operations will retain development engineers, they will now work as a team alongside their counterparts in Japan, leveraging each group’s strengths. New product development has continued throughout the integration phase, with a new power meter expected to be on display at Photonics West and OFC this year. The introduction of an optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR) unit and other new instruments are on the horizon as well. Sales of such products will now be the responsibility of the Santec global sales team, Berezny points out.
That international sales team should expand the markets for both legacy and new products, Berezny believes. Meanwhile, the integrated group also will provide improved customer support, Berezny added.
The Instrumentation group also has “ambitious” growth plans “that are coming along well,” according to Berezny.
[Note: This article has been amended to correct an error regarding the relationship between Santec and Sumix.]
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Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave
Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.
Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.
He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.
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