JDS Uniphase Corporation (Nasdaq: JDSU and TSE: JDU) today announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire Cronos Integrated Microsystems, Inc. for $750 million payable in stock. Cronos, based in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, is a pioneer and leading provider of optical MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems) devices to the telecommunications industry.

MEMS technology is expected to play a key role in a wide variety of future generations of optical components. Such components include optical switches, attenuators, gain equalizers, dispersion compensators and programmable add/drop modules. MEMS devices enable the creation of arrays of very small, high capacity switches, and it is anticipated that they will play a critical role in the development of large-scale optical switches and crossconnects. These products are believed to be important to the future expansion of fiberoptic networks since they allow signals to remain in the optical realm, thereby avoiding the optical-electronic-optical conversion of traditional switches. Large optical switches, unlike electronic switches, would have the additional benefit of being wavelength and bit rate independent. JDS Uniphase currently produces both optomechanical and polymer-based switches, and the company expects to offer MEMS-based optical switches in the future.

http://www.memsrus.com/cronos/news2jdsu.html