Occam Networks Inc. (OTC: OCCM) employed about 102 people as of February 28, according to its most recent Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing, down from about 130 people in November 2002. Occam's new filing also says that, to date, the company's products are operating more than 20 customer networks and that the company is engaged in trials with four of the top 20 incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) in the U.S. However, the filing also notes that sales to its biggest customers -- DTC Communications, Inc., Armstrong Telephone Company, and Pan Dacom Networking AG -- accounted for about 38 percent, 25 percent, and 13 percent, respectively, of its revenues during 2002.

Not surprisingly, Catena Networks Inc. has officially appointed Jim Hjartarson as its permanent CEO (see Catena Names President/CEO). Hjartarson, who took the top job from Bob Machlin about a year ago, has kicked off his tenure as CEO by making some bold predictions. The company is in the process of raising another $15 million and plans to add another 1,000 employees to its payroll by 2008, according to an article in the Ottawa Business Journal. The article further states that Hjartarson revealed that Catena has shipped $5.5 million worth of its products to customers in Q1 2003 and that it expects to reach $70 million in sales next year.

Another startup with several 'product of the year' honors has apparently crawled under a rock and died. Aplion Networks Inc. has a dark Website, a non-working phone number, and it owes a company called LightGuide more than $600,000, according to a judgment in New Jersey Superior Court. According to its Hoover's profile, Aplion was founded by its chairman, B. Gopinath, in 1998. It was funded by Intel Corp. (Nasdaq: INTC), W.R. Hambrecht & Co., Ray Stata, founder of Analog Devices Inc. (NYSE: ADI), and others.

Force10 Networks Inc. VP of marketing Steve Mullaney has left that company for pastures unknown (greener ones, we hope). Calls to the company were bounced to the CEO, P.K. Dubey, who didn't respond in time for this article's publication. A PR firm called Acuitive used to help Force10 with such matters, but it is our perception that they've been dismissed.

Components maker Teradiant Networks Inc. laid off nine of its 55 staffers last week, according to company spokesman Gary Good. The company's VP of engineering, Jim Thomas, left the company about two weeks ago, an event that Good says is unrelated. "Our needs have changed," says Good. Teradiant raised $26 million in its first round of funding in February 2001. It's in the process of raising its second funding round and expects its investors – including Menlo Ventures and Diamond Head Partners – to chip in.

Promod Haque, managing partner at Norwest Venture Partners, has been appointed as chairman of the board at Veraz Networks, the company formed when ECI Telecom Ltd. (Nasdaq/NM: ECIL) combined its IP telephony company, NGTS, with NexVerse Networks (see Veraz Hires Haque as Chairman). Haque was one of the steady hands that helped the mostly failed startup ipVerse reemerge to form NexVerse Networks. Veraz closed a $30 million financing round from ECI Telecom, Argonaut Private Equity Management LLC, Norwest Venture Partners, Battery Ventures, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and Levensohn Capital Management LLC (see ECI, NexVerse Become Veraz). Veraz employs about 250 people and has announced two customers – vNet Source Inc. and Atlas Telecom Romania – since its formation late last year. ECI owns 36 percent of Veraz on a fully diluted basis.

Here's a summary of other industry appointments, disappointments, and other employment related news from the past several days:

As usual, if we missed anything, send a note to [email protected]. In return, we'll insist that everything is fine and that the infidels are being dealt with appropriately.

— Phil Harvey and Marguerite Reardon, Senior Editors, Light Reading