Thursday, July 9, 2009

Finisar Sells Analyzer Biz To JDSU

Sunnyvale-based Finisar, a developer of fiber optic systems and test equipment, said today that it is in a definitive agreement to sell its Network Tools business, to JDSU. Finisar said the deal is worth $40.6M in cash, but excludes accounts receivables and payables related to the business. Finisar's Network Tools division is known for its network capture and analysis, used by engineering teams to design and test high speed networks. Finisar's Executive Chairman, Jerry Rawls, said it had "mixed emotions" about the sale, but said that the move would help it to focus on designing next generation products for optical communications, the firm's current focus. Finisar's network tools are used heavily in areas including storage area networking, with support for Fibre Channel, iSCSI, SAS/SATA, and FCoE; the firm helped develop the Fibre Channel standard back in 1994, and was a leader in equipment for that industry. Finisar reports that the Network Tools business generated approximately $44.2 million in Finisar's fiscal year ended April 30, 2009.