Celeb
bration of Finisar’s
F
2
25th
Annivversary: Prromotion of
o “Broadb
band Chin
na”
with Opening of
o New Wu
uxi Factorry
http://www.c114.net (12:44 October 16, 2013)
C1144 News Noon, October 16 (By
( Jiang Junm
mu) In 1988, Finisar
F
took its first step in Silicon
S
Valleyy of
San Francisco, California, the United States. 25 yeaars later, it hass become the largest
l
and moost technologically
ptical devices in
i the world annd also a place where its moore than 10,0000 employees
advanced supplier of op
throughouut the world make their dreams come true together.
The opening cerem
mony of Finisaar’s New Wuxxi Factory andd the celebratioons for the 25tth anniversaryy of
C
and Co- Founder of
o
the group were held graandly on Octobber 16 in Wuxxi, Jiangsu. Thhe Executive Chairman
R
and otheer senior officcials of the com
mpany attendeed this event. More
M
than a
Finisar Grroup Jerry S. Rawls
hundred people includin
ng local goverrnment officialls, Finisar’s suuppliers and thhe representatiives of professsional
a news mediia representatiives gathered to
t witness thiss important mooment.
agencies and
The total investmeent in the new factory exceeeds US$220 million
m
with ann expected annnual output vallue of
o
this will exert monnumental influuence on Finissar
more than US$500 milliion after consttruction and operation,
o the optical communicatioon industry as a whole.
and even on
Finisar’ss New Wuxi Factory
F
coverrs an area of about 50,000 square meters. The first building
b
has been
b
c
completed.
Focusing on research and development for 25 years
Founded in 1988 and headquartered in Silicon Valley of San Francisco Bay, California, US, Finisar has
established many subsidiaries and development centers in many countries such as the US, China, Malaysia,
Singapore, Australia, Israel and Sweden.
Over the past 25 years, Finisar has realized important breakthroughs in the sphere of optical technology.
Finisar took the lead in introducing many innovative technologies in the sector. It has been revealed that the
funds spent on research and development by Finisar each year amount to as high as US$140 million. So far, it
owns more than 1,200 American and European patents and more than 50 Chinese patents. In addition, it has
more than 300 patent claims in the application process.
Finisar has always been dedicated to creating more advanced and better quality products for the world,
including radio passive devices, active devices, wavelength selective switches, line cards, optical amplifiers,
RF optical fibers, varied optical modules and optical instruments. The products are widely applied in highspeed voice, video and data communication in sectors including interconnection, storage, and wireless & cable
television.
Relying on its 25-year concentration and input in the development and the increasing innovation and
breakthrough in the sphere of optical technology, so far Finisar has established a stable partnership with some
international brands including CISCO, IBM, Huawei, Alcatel-Lucent and Hewlett-Packard with an annual
output of nearly US$1 billion. Throughout the world, more than 150 million pieces of Finisar’s optical
communications devices are continuously running. The 25th anniversary has also become a new starting point
for it to move on and maintain and enhance its internationally leading position.
Opening of New Wuxi Factory
Now, Finisar has its own production base, which is rare in the industry. This no doubt helps its rapid shift
to mass production for new products and capacity adjustment for the production lines anytime as per
requirements. New Wuxi Factory has become one of Finisar’s production bases throughout the world. The
other production bases are located in Ipoh (Malaysia), Shanghai (China), Fremont (California), Allen (Texas)
and Jarfalla (Sweden).
New Wuxi Factory covers an area of 50,000 square meters. The first building has been completed. The
construction of the second building will be started in late 2013. This production base has been established for
the production of mostly adjustable parallel transceivers, passive devices, WSSmodules, ROADM line cards
and high-end optical components applied in VCSEL and detectors.
Finisar says that the new factory integrates functions including design, production, need-based
customization, inspection, testing, storage, transportation and delivery and is characterized with advanced
technology, first-grade equipment, a high level of automation and scientific management. With operation of
the production lines, the new factory will be committed to becoming Finisar’s largest and most advanced
production and manufacturing center in the world with an expected annual sales income of over US$500
million.
With the growth of the demand in the market, Finisar will keep making investment in its production
facilities. New Wuxi Factory will greatly strengthen the capacity of the China region. Rawls says that they
hope to expand the new factory to 5,000 employees in the next few years with 40-50% of the output of the
whole company and to establish a research and development center in Wuxi.
The new factory will help Finisar with continuously increasing its capacity and reducing production
costs. The vice executive president for global operation Joe Young says that the product quality and
performance of the new factory will maintain a high standard like Finisar’s other production bases in the world
so as to meet the customers’ needs.
Promotion of “Broadband China”
The consumers’ thirst for broadband has achieved today’s world-sweeping pattern of “replacing copper
with optical fiber”. The increasingly emerging new businesses such as cloud computation, Internet of things,
HD video, social networks and on-line game has further sped up this progress. Globally, the development of
broadband is promoting a new wave of information technology. Many countries and regions are considering
the development of the broadband industry as a strategic priority and an important measure for grabbing the
high ground in international economy, science and technology and industrial competition in the new era.
In China, the relationship between broadband and economic development and social progress is getting
increasingly closer. The State Council has issued a series of supporting policies and measures. Moreover, with
the issuing this year of the “Broadband China” strategy and implementing scheme in August this year, the
broadband strategy has been upgraded from a single department action to a national strategy. In the meantime,
with the start-up of the large-scale construction of the 4G wireless broadband network, the need for optical
communication devices has also been gradually released.
Rawls told C114 that the implementation of the “Broadband China” strategy requires the support of
several sectors including optical communications, high-speed wireless network and the data center. Finisar has
made great input in these sectors, like the opening of New Wuxi Factory as one of the measures of Finisar for
supporting the construction of the Chinese broadband network.
He also gave his interpretation of the reasons for Finisar’s commercial success: Finisar tries to be a very
respectful and a very good listener to its customers, conducting very careful research of its customers’ needs to
link it to every aspect of development and production; in the meantime, Finisar puts emphasis on being number
one in the market, development and production.
Start-up ceremony for the opening of Finisar’s New Wuxi Factory
Executive chairman of Finisar board of directors Jerry S. Rawls (left) and Executive Vice President of
Global Operations Joseph Young (right)
Author: Jiang Junmu Source: C114 www.cn-comm.com