EXFO and Sumitomo Sign a Partnership Agreement to Better Leverage Their Respective FTTH Test and Diagnosis Technologies
QUEBEC CITY, CANADA, January 17, 2013 — EXFO Inc. (NASDAQ: EXFO) (TSX: EXF) announced today that it has signed a partnership agreement with Sumitomo Electric Industries (SEI), whereby its recently launched FG-750 Node iOLM, an OTDR-based remote test unit for automated FTTH fault management, is now fully qualified with Sumitomo’s reflective termination filter technology. Through this partnership, both companies will leverage their respective FTTH test and diagnosis expertise in advanced optical-line testing and monitoring applications.
Launched in September 2012, EXFO’s FG-750 Node iOLM is a fixed remote test unit that performs in-service, end-to-end testing, monitoring and troubleshooting of PON topologies from the central office. The FG-750 can test point-to-multipoint fibers, or run downstream tests from the node or central office to any passive optical network line type, providing operators with an automated, operation-oriented way of assessing the health of their FTTH networks.
The agreement ensures that EXFO’s FG-750 Node iOLM will now be fully qualified with Sumitomo’s reflective termination filters, which rely on SEI’s world-proven FTTH component and subsystem technology. By virtue of this partnership, EXFO and SEI will work together to provide strategic tier-1 customers with the best of their respective core technologies and IP expertise, and further build their market leadership in FTTH-related optical-line testing and monitoring.
“We are delighted to be working with Sumitomo, a worldwide leader in fiber-optic components and subsystems. This partnership will benefit both companies, as EXFO and Sumitomo will leverage their respective technologies to provide their own customers with enhanced FTTH optical-line testing and monitoring expertise,” said Étienne Gagnon, Vice-President of EXFO’s Test and Measurement Division. “Sumitomo’s reflective termination filters have a very strong track record in testing, on-demand diagnosis and monitoring applications, and have already attained maturity in terms of manufacturing volume. They bring a key aspect of cost-efficiency to our FG-750 Node iOLM, in addition to ensuring that our solution is fully qualified for today’s FTTH requirements.”
Visit our website for more information on the FG-750 Node iOLM.
About EXFO
Listed on the NASDAQ and TSX stock exchanges, EXFO is among the leading providers of next-generation test and service assurance solutions for wireline and wireless network operators and equipment manufacturers in the global telecommunications industry. The company offers innovative solutions for the development, installation, management and maintenance of converged, IP fixed and mobile networks—from the core to the edge. Key technologies supported include 3G, 4G/LTE, IMS, Ethernet, OTN, FTTx, VDSL2, ADSL2+ and various optical technologies (accounting for an estimated 35% of the portable fiber-optic test market). EXFO has a staff of approximately 1700 people in 25 countries, supporting more than 2000 telecom customers worldwide. For more information, visit www.EXFO.com.