By Ben Horvath, contributing reporter
In an industry best described as one of rapid change, wireless companies are scrambling to finding ways to adapt to ever-evolving industry technologies. These changes include a massive increase in data usage by mobile users, the expansion of Wifi networks and a higher prevalence of fiber optics. JDSU, a publicly traded company of over 5,000 employees, aids business in adapting to these changes. Founded in 1999 with the merger between two fiber-optic companies, JDS Fitel and Uniphase Corporation, JDSU has specialized in optical products and broadband communications for over 15 years. JDSU’s services cover a broad range of markets, including the mobile industry, anti-counterfeiting, aerospace and defense, gesture recognition and even commercial lasers.
Paul Gowans, who has five years of experience at JDSU, currently serving as its Global Marketing Manager, described JDSU’s role within the mobile industry. “We work primarily with enabling networks, so not just getting them turned on, but making sure they’re customer ready and taking care of any troubleshooting issues, so we’re really focused on managing and optimizing networks for our clients,” Gowans said. With over 20 years of experience in the mobile industry, Gowans has seen a number of changes within the industry. He said, however, that recently he has seen a quickening of the rate of change in his five years at JDSU.
Among these changes include the manner in which mobile users interact with their devices and the quickness at which data is delivered to personal devices. “People are much less tolerant these days of not being able to access their main applications,” Gowans said. “We’re in much more of a mobile data world than a voice world, and that has obviously changed the networks that are needed to support that.” In order to adapt to these changes, as well as more effectively manage the gamut of services offered by its company, JDSU will split into two separate, publicly traded companies on August 1. The company will split into the soon-to-be-established entities: Lumentum and Viavi Solutions. Lumentum will focus on JDSU’s CCOP business, which includes optical and photonic products, commercial lasers, and three-dimensional sensing.
Viavi, on the other hand, will focus primarily on JDSU’s network services, which deals much more directly with the mobile industry. Tom Waechter, president and CEO of JDSU, as well as designated CEO for the newly formed Viavi Solutions, emphasized the increased flexibility as a result of the split. “By operating as two independent companies, we believe Lumentum and Viavi Solutions will be able to leverage a strong history while being more flexible and better positioned to capitalize on new opportunities in their respective markets,” Waechter said.
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