Nokia Siemens to sell Optical Business to Marlin Equity Partners

Nokia Siemens Networks will sell its Optical Networks business unit to Marlin Equity Partners for an undisclosed sum.

Marlin, a Los Angeles California-based private investment firm with over US$1 billion of capital under management, will form a new optical company to be headquartered in Munich, Germany with operations around the world.  This new optical company will be led by its existing management team with Herbert Merz nominated as chief executive officer.

Up to 1,900 employees – mainly in Germany, Portugal and China – from the optical business unit and related functions are expected to transfer to the new company.  The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2013.

NSN's optical networking unit is known for its long-haul and ultra-long-haul transmission platform.

Nokia Siemens Networks said the deal is another step in its transformation into a mobile broadband specialist.

“During 2012 Nokia Siemens Networks has made tremendous progress in the transformation of our company to being the world’s mobile broadband specialist. Our strategic focus on our core markets has enabled us to concentrate our energy and investment in areas such as LTE where we have strengthened our global leadership position,” said Rajeev Suri, chief executive officer at Nokia Siemens Networks. “This transaction builds on that momentum and aims to provide a new home for the Optical Networks business with the focus, resources and strategic flexibility to address the opportunities in the optical market.”

http://www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com
http://www.marlinequity.com/

In October, Marlin Equity Partners acquired  Sycamore Networks' Intelligent Bandwidth Management business, which includes optical networking and multiservice access solutions deployed in fixed line and mobile networks around the world.