JDSU

JDS Uniphase Corporation
JDSU
Public
Traded as NASDAQ: JDSU
S&P 500 component
Industry Optical products and broadband communications
Founded Merger of JDS Fitel and Uniphase Corporation in 1999
Headquarters Milpitas, California, USA[1]
Number of locations
80 offices, serving customers in more than 160 countries
Key people
Thomas H. Waechter[1]
(CEO, President and Director)
David W. Vellequette
(CFO)
Products
  • Communications test and measurement equipment; optical communications components, modules, and subsystems.
  • Lasers used for biotechnology, semiconductor manufacturing, and materials processing.
  • Thin film coatings, components, and assemblies used to manage light for displays, instrumentation, office automation, and aerospace/defense.
  • Optical solutions for brand protection and document authentication; and decorative coatings for brand enhancement and differentiation
Revenue Increase US$ 1.8 billion (2011)[2]
Increase US$ 65.4 million (2011)[2]
Increase US$ 71.6 million (2011)[2]
Total assets Increase US$ 1.95 billion (2011)[2]
Total equity Increase US$ 1.065 billion (2011)[2]
Number of employees
5,100 (2015)[1]
Website JDSU.com

JDS Uniphase Corporation was a company that designs and manufactures products for optical communications networks, communications test and measurement equipment, lasers, optical solutions for authentication and decorative applications, and other custom optics. It is headquartered in Milpitas, California in the United States. It was formerly known as JDS Uniphase, prior to a rebranding of its corporate image on September 14, 2005. The legal entity is now called JDS Uniphase Corporation, whereas elsewhere the company always refers to itself as JDSU. August 2015 JDSU splits into two different companies VIAVI and LUMENTUM.

History

Formation

JDSU was formed by the 1999 merger between two fiber-optic companies, JDS Fitel of Canada and Uniphase Corporation in the U.S., and became known as JDS Uniphase subsequent to the merger. In 1981, JDS Optics was founded by Jozef Straus, Philip Garel-Jones, Gary Duck, and Bill Sinclair. The "JDS" is short for Jones, Duck and Straus/Sinclair. The company became JDS Fitel when it formed a partnership with Fitel, a fiber optic and optical connector company. Three other major fiber companies merged with JDS Uniphase during the telecom boom: Optical Coating Laboratory Inc. (OCLI) based in Santa Rosa, California, E-TEK Dynamics and SDL bought for 45 B$, both based in San Jose, California. With the changes in executive membership that came as a result of these mergers, JDS Uniphase moved its headquarters first to San Jose, California, and then in 2006 to nearby Milpitas.

Mergers and acquisitions

A list of mergers and acquisitions since 2005 can be found on the JDSU public website.[3]

Stock

During the 1990s, JDS Uniphase stock was a high-flyer tech stock investor favorite. Its stock price doubled three times and three stock splits of 2:1 occurred roughly every 90 days during the last half of 1999 through early 2000, making millionaires of many employees who were stock option holders, and further enabling JDS Uniphase to go on an acquisition and merger binge. After the telecom downturn, JDS Uniphase announced in late July 2001 the largest (up to then) write-down of goodwill. Employment soon dropped as part of the Global Realignment Program from nearly 29,000 to approximately 5,300, many of its factories and facilities were closed around the world, and the stock price dropped from $153 per share to less than $2 per share.

On September 23, 2005, JDSU announced a reverse stock split one-to-eight to one-to-ten.[4] On December 2, 2005 JDSU stock holders authorized the reverse stock split after its 2005 annual meeting.[5]

As of November 2012, JDSU stock trades just over $11.

Shareholder litigation

After the 2001 crash of the telecommunications industry, the state of Connecticut filed a lawsuit against the company and four key executives, claiming that they had misled and hid from company shareholders, advance knowledge of the company's impending downturn. Unlike most similar lawsuits, which are dismissed or settled before trial, Connecticut's lawsuit went to trial in October, 2007. JDSU was acquitted of all charges in November, 2007.[6]

Branding

The logo of the former JDS Uniphase was an open multi-colored box, intended to evoke a feeling of thinking "outside the box" among employees. The logo of the new re-branded JDSU represents the cycle of innovation that begins and ends with the customer.

Split into Viavi and Lumentum

On August 1st, 2015 JDSU split into Viavi Solutions and Lumentum Holdings Inc.[7]

Restatement

On April 24, 2001, the company amended and restated 1996 Employee, Director andConsultant Stock Option Plan.[8]

Litigation references

1. Dan Levine. "JDS Uniphase Scores a Win in Securities Case," Law.com, November 28, 2007

2. Kevin M. Lacroix. “Defense Verdict in JDSU Securities Trial,” The D&O Diary, November 27, 2007

3. Stanford Law School Securities Class Action Clearinghouse, November 2007 http://securities.stanford.edu/1023/JDSU02-01/20061212_r14d_02CV014786.pdf

Competitors

  1. VeEX
  2. Keynote Sigos
  3. EXFO
  4. ODM
  5. Riverbed Technology
  6. Fluke Corporation
  7. Anritsu
  8. Kingfisher International Pty Ltd
  9. Finisar
  10. Spirent
  11. ALBEDO telecom

References

External links

Coordinates: 37°26′11″N 121°55′23″W / 37.4365°N 121.923°W / 37.4365; -121.923

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