EXFO intros 400G dual-port test solution

EXFO introduced its FTBx-88480 dual-port test solution for fiber-optic transmission rates from 1G to 400G. 

The 1G to 400G dual-port capability of the FTBx-88480 allows field technicians to validate two circuits simultaneously for increased efficiency. The design also enables testing 100G transceivers -- which are widely deployed today -- plus next-generation 400G transceivers which are rapidly being adopted in metro and core networks, data centers, and subsea fiber-optic spans.

“A key challenge operators face is how to ensure their network migrations are done reliably and cost-efficiently while staying nimble enough to manage existing infrastructure,” said Sophie Legault, Director Mobile and Cloud Solutions at EXFO. “With the FTBx-88480 solution, we’ve combined the latest in 1G-400G testing with a flexible, future-proof architecture that lets our customers do more today and continue deriving value for years to come.”

Key features and benefits of the FTBx-88480 are:

• 1G to 400G dual-port capabilities: increase efficiency by validating two circuits simultaneously
• Test today’s 100G-400G transceivers while staying ready for tomorrow’s speeds with an 112G electrical lane design and EXFO’s unique OTS
• Validate network services (Ethernet, OTN, fiber channel, timing), rates (up to 400G) and interfaces (SFP, QSFP-DD and OSFP) all on the same platform—no stacking of modules
• Quickly validate pluggable transceivers (1G to 400G) with iOptics’ automated, intelligent test application
• Cloud-based, collaborative platform links all parts of a customer’s field test ecosystem

https://www.exfo.com/en/corporate/news-events/press-releases/exfo-introduces-400g-dual-port-test-solution-next-generation-telecom-field-testing/

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EXFO acquires EHVA, a Photonics Integrated Circuit test company

EXFO has acquired EHVA, an innovative Photonics Integrated Circuits (PICs) and system automation company based in Quebec City, Canada. Financial terms were not disclosed.

EHVA, which is a spin-off from the Center for Optics, Photonics, and Lasers (COPL) at Université Laval in Quebec, combines manufacturing intelligence with wafer-to-single device capabilities to deliver scalable solutions for PIC testing and manufacturing. 

EXFO said the acquisition will accelerate its advanced capabilities in PIC testing, enabling delivery of automated, turnkey end-to-end testing of optical components from lab applications to high-volume and high-speed manufacturing.

EHVA’s process software suite  integrates EXFO’s advanced swept continuous laser scanning technology into customer manufacturing settings for exceptional testing reliability and efficiency, delivering a fully-automated solution that helps avoid production bottlenecks. This seamless integration is critical, given the diversity in PIC designs used for varied applications and the lack of standards for PIC technology which poses added challenges for automated testing.

https://www.ehva.ca/

https://www.exfo.com/en/ehva/

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EXFO and Intel intro 5G service assurance

EXFO has collaborated with Intel on a service assurance solution for 5G network operators. This solution supports automation for cloud specific assurance regardless of whether faults originate in the network, service layers, or in the cloud-native network infrastructure.

EXFO’s full-stack assurance solution utilizes platform observability by Intel alongside EXFO’s existing adaptive service assurance (ASA) platform to close the visibility gap among cloud-native infrastructure and the network and service layers. In doing so, it provides complete visibility across the entire operational span of operator networks. The solution enables operators to assess the operational state of the underpinning cloud-native infrastructure from the chip-level up, allowing faults to be isolated or correlated across all network domains. Together, the EXFO and Intel technology speeds up the time to resolution and eliminates domain-specific fault denial.

Intel Xeon Scalable Processors, with built-in AI and NFV accelerators, provide the foundation to propel 5G experiences and Intel® Platform Telemetry Insights provide a granular view into the cloud-native infrastructure operations. It enables operators to “see” right into the heart of the foundational platform infrastructure and assess operational metrics, including health, utilization, congestion, power consumption and configuration checks. By adopting CNCF’s OpenTelemetry project, Intel provides a standard implementation for the industry to benefit from infrastructure observability.

“Network virtualization is an evolutionary path that began in 4G and is now firmly established in 5G. But managing service level agreements across virtual and physical domains is significantly more challenging, especially when the infrastructure is not always owned by the operator. As part of our adaptive service assurance platform, EXFO’s full-stack assurance solution ensures that operators can detect, correlate and resolve faults wherever they originate, significantly reducing time to resolution,” said Philippe Morin, EXFO’s CEO.

“While service assurance in mobile networks is relatively well understood, the added dimension of cloud-native infrastructure provides a new challenge for most operators. Given the ubiquitous adoption of solutions fueled by Intel Xeon processors in the core network, Intel Platform Telemetry Insights with Open Telemetry and EXFO’s ASA platform provides the lens operators need to help deliver full service assurance across their network infrastructure,” said Alex Quach, VP and GM, Intel’s Wireline & Core Network Division.

https://www.exfo.com/en/corporate/news-events/press-releases/?listall=1

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EXFO completes going-private transaction

EXFO completed its previously-announced going-private transaction and subordinate voting shares of EXFO will be voluntarily and imminently de-listed from the Toronto Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ.

A corporation controlled by Germain Lamonde acquired all the issued and outstanding subordinate voting shares of EXFO, other than the subordinate voting shares held by the purchaser, for US $6.25 per subordinate voting share in cash.

"As we're about to write a new chapter in EXFO's 36-year history, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to shareholders, customers and employees around the world as we heard you loud and clear with your overwhelming support and confidence in our going-private transaction," said Germain Lamonde, EXFO's founder and majority shareholder. "EXFO has built a tremendous reputation as a disruptive innovator and partner of choice with best-of-class support and service on a global basis. Although a competitor created unnecessary noise during this privatization process to reduce the competitive environment, I can assure all customers that EXFO is emerging stronger and more determined than ever to continue making a difference in your networks while expanding our leadership in the telecom test and service assurance industry."

https://www.exfo.com/en/

 

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EXFO: going-private bid increased to US$6.25

EXFO announced 11172239 Canada Inc. has agreed to increase the purchase price for the acquisition of all the issued and outstanding subordinate voting shares of EXFO, from US $6.00 to US $6.25 per subordinate voting share not held directly or indirectly by Germain Lamonde and Philippe Morin. The parties have also amended the arrangement agreement dated June 7, 2021, as amended on July 6, 2021 and July 12, 2021 accordingly. 

“We have been long term supportive shareholders of EXFO and we support Mr. Lamonde’s revised offer to take EXFO private. We believe that the transaction represents a fair outcome for EXFO’s minority shareholders as it provides actionable, attractive and immediate liquidity,” said Chris Galvin, Managing Partner at Westerly Capital.

https://www.exfo.com/en/corporate/news-events/press-releases/increase-purchase-price-going-private-transaction/ 

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Viavi bids again for EXFO and Germain Lamonde rejects

Viavi Solutions announced a fourth, unsolicited bid to acquire EXFO, which is undertaking a Go Private transaction. Viavi's new offer raises the bid from US$7.50 to US$8.00 in cash per share. 

Viavi said its higher offer reflects EXFO's recently announced fiscal third quarter 2021 financial results in which bookings increased 47.2% year-on-year to US$87 million with a book-to-bill ratio at 1.20.  EXFO's business strength reflects both a macroeconomic recovery and secular industry growth demand driven by 5G wireless and fiber network deployment.  EXFO's strong results and future prospects further underpin the inadequate US$6.00 consideration of the Going Private Transaction.

Mr. Germain Lamonde, founder of EXFO, issued the following statement:

"Viavi Solutions Inc. (Viavi) made a fourth unsolicited, non-binding proposal to acquire EXFO Inc. (EXFO), and, for the fourth time, I make it crystal clear to Viavi and to my board of directors at EXFO that as controlling shareholder of EXFO, I would not consider any transaction with Viavi, or any other change of control transaction. Viavi knew full well I would reject any new non-binding, non-executable tentative proposal, which in my view is only intended to create distortion in the current go-private process and is simply aimed at eliminating Viavi’s main competitor – it is clearly not in the best interest of Viavi and EXFO customers as they would end up paying much higher prices for the products we sell, having less services and no longer benefit from EXFO’s incredible innovation engine."

EXFO acquires InOpticals for 400G/800G testing

Saturday, January 02, 2021  EXFO  

EXFO completed its previously-announced acquisition of InOpticals Inc. of Taiwan. InOpticals' solutions will be integrated into EXFO's  test and measurement (T&M) product family. The amount of the transaction was not disclosed."EXFO has made strategic investments in recent years, both internally and through acquisitions, to increase its footprint in the rapidly growing lab and manufacturing test segments," said Germain Lamonde, EXFO's...

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EXFO will not pursue Viavi's acquisition bid

The Board of Directors of EXFO issued a statement confirming that, after careful consideration, it has decided not to pursue the unsolicited non-binding proposal made by Viavi Solutions Inc. as it is not capable of being completed.

Mr. Germain Lamonde, who founded the company and who controls, directly or indirectly, 61.46% of the issued and outstanding shares of EXFO and 93.53% of the voting rights attached to all the issued and outstanding shares of EXFO, indicated to EXFO's Board of Directors that he would not consider any alternative change of control transaction.

In a press release, Germain Lamonde states: "This is the third time that Viavi has made an offer to acquire EXFO, after its first and second attempts in November 2020 at a price of US$4.75 and in May 2021 at a price of US$5.25, respectively. On both occasions, I have indicated clearly to the board of directors of EXFO that, as the controlling shareholder of EXFO, I would not consider any transaction with Viavi and the board consequently concluded that there was no merit in pursuing any discussions with Viavi and did reiterate today to the board that, for the third time, Viavi's non-binding proposal would not obtain my support as the controlling shareholder."

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Openreach turns to EXFO for Full Fibre monitoring

Openreach has awarded EXFO a contract to supply optical test heads and test access switching for its Full Fibre initiative. With its cloud-based Nova Fiber solution, EXFO will equip Openreach to assure its build, thereby accelerating the programme and avoiding costly return visits to fix connection problems—additional “truck rolls” more than double operators testing costs.1 Following installation, Openreach will be able to remotely monitor its fibre infrastructure supporting the in-life operations of its Full Fibre service.

This announcement comes as Openreach hit a record build rate for its Full Fibre broadband programme. Openreach engineers are now delivering faster, more reliable connectivity to another 40,000 homes and businesses every week, or the equivalent of a home every 15 seconds.

Peter Bell, Director, Network Technology, Openreach: “We know that now more than ever that being connected matters. We’re convinced that our new Full Fibre network can play a crucial role in keeping the nation connected. This year, our build has been gathering pace and momentum, and we’re determined to match that rapid speed of deployment with the highest standards of build quality build and customer service.

https://www.exfo.com/

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EXFO acquires InOpticals for 400G/800G testing

EXFO completed its previously-announced acquisition of InOpticals Inc. of Taiwan. 

InOpticals' solutions will be integrated into EXFO's  test and measurement (T&M) product family. The amount of the transaction was not disclosed.

"EXFO has made strategic investments in recent years, both internally and through acquisitions, to increase its footprint in the rapidly growing lab and manufacturing test segments," said Germain Lamonde, EXFO's founder and Executive Chairman. "This latest acquisition of InOpticals raises our T&M addressable market to more than $1 billion by expanding our high-end portfolio related to 400G and 800G technologies. Ultimately, it will allow EXFO to strengthen its leadership position in the global fiber-optic test equipment market."

EXFO to acquire InOpticals for 400G/800G oscilloscopes

Wednesday, September 09, 2020  EXFO, Mergers And Acquisitions, Taiwan, Test  

EXFO has acquired InOpticals Inc., a Taiwanese supplier of sampling oscilloscopes, bit-error rate testers (BERTs) and other critical test instruments to manufacturers of optical transponders, components and network equipment. Financial terms were not disclosed.

InOpticals' product portfolio specifically addresses 400G/800G high-growth sectors like silicon photonics-based transceivers, active and passive components as well as integrated test systems for R&D and manufacturing use cases.

InOpticals' solutions will be combined with EXFO's advanced optical test offering, bolstered by the Yenista Optics acquisition in October 2017. This latest acquisition, which is expected to close by the end of October, will increase EXFO's global test and measurement (T&M) addressable market by approximately US$150 million to more than US$1 billion. The amount of the transaction, mostly valued in EXFO shares, was not disclosed.

"EXFO has intensified its focus on the research, development and manufacturing market as demonstrated by strong growth in this segment in recent years," said Germain Lamonde, EXFO's founder and Executive Chairman. "InOpticals brings to EXFO a remarkable product portfolio that is highly complementary and strategic. This synergistic acquisition will allow EXFO to leverage InOpticals' innovative test solutions across global sales channels and expand market share."

"We're excited to be joining EXFO, truly a global leader in optical testing," said Jones Huang, CEO of InOpticals. "Combining EXFO's global reach and market knowledge with our proven innovation capability will allow us to jointly have a more significant impact in this high-growth market."

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EXFO to acquire InOpticals for 400G/800G oscilloscopes

EXFO has acquired InOpticals Inc., a Taiwanese supplier of sampling oscilloscopes, bit-error rate testers (BERTs) and other critical test instruments to manufacturers of optical transponders, components and network equipment. Financial terms were not disclosed.

InOpticals' product portfolio specifically addresses 400G/800G high-growth sectors like silicon photonics-based transceivers, active and passive components as well as integrated test systems for R&D and manufacturing use cases.

InOpticals' solutions will be combined with EXFO's advanced optical test offering, bolstered by the Yenista Optics acquisition in October 2017. This latest acquisition, which is expected to close by the end of October, will increase EXFO's global test and measurement (T&M) addressable market by approximately US$150 million to more than US$1 billion. The amount of the transaction, mostly valued in EXFO shares, was not disclosed.

"EXFO has intensified its focus on the research, development and manufacturing market as demonstrated by strong growth in this segment in recent years," said Germain Lamonde, EXFO's founder and Executive Chairman. "InOpticals brings to EXFO a remarkable product portfolio that is highly complementary and strategic. This synergistic acquisition will allow EXFO to leverage InOpticals' innovative test solutions across global sales channels and expand market share."

"We're excited to be joining EXFO, truly a global leader in optical testing," said Jones Huang, CEO of InOpticals. "Combining EXFO's global reach and market knowledge with our proven innovation capability will allow us to jointly have a more significant impact in this high-growth market."

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EXFO posts Q2 sales of US$73.9 million, up 14%

EXFO reported IFRS sales of US$73.9 million for its second quarter, ended February 28, 2019, up 14.2% from US$64.7 million in the second quarter of 2018. Second-quarter sales for 2019 included a US$7.5 million revenue contribution from Astellia, which was reduced by US$0.6 million to account for acquisition-related fair value adjustment of deferred revenue. In comparison, Astellia had generated US$1.8 million in revenue for one month in the second quarter 2018.

IFRS net earnings in the second quarter of fiscal 2019 totaled US$5.2 million, or US$0.09 per share, compared to a net loss attributable to the parent interest1 of US$4.7 million, or US$0.08 per share, in the second quarter of 2018. IFRS net earnings in the second quarter of 2019 included net expenses totaling US$3.9 million: US$1.9 million in after-tax amortization of intangible assets, US$0.5 million in stock-based compensation costs, US$0.5 million in after-tax restructuring charges, US$0.6 million for acquisition-related fair value adjustment of deferred revenue, and a foreign exchange loss of US$0.4 million.

"EXFO delivered outstanding second quarter results with strong revenue and bookings growth, profitability and cash flow generation—all encouraging signs for our T&M and SASS product families and the leverage in our operating model," said EXFO's CEO Philippe Morin.

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EXFO posts sales of $69.2 million, up 9.2%

EXFO reported quarterly sales of US$69.2 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2019 up 9.2% from US$63.4 million in the first quarter of 2018. First-quarter sales for 2019 included a $7.5 million contribution from Astellia, reduced by US$0.9 million to account for acquisition-related fair value adjustment of deferred revenue.

Bookings, which included a US$7.8 million contribution from Astellia, improved 23.3% year-over-year to US$81.2 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2019 from US$65.9 million in the same period of 2018. The company's book-to-bill ratio was 1.17 in the first quarter of 2019.

Gross margin before depreciation and amortization* amounted to 58.2% of sales in the first quarter of fiscal 2019 compared to 63.3% in the first quarter of 2018.

IFRS net loss in the first quarter of fiscal 2019 totaled US$7.5 million, or US$0.14 per share, compared to net earnings of US$2.7 million, or US$0.05 per share, in the first quarter of 2018. IFRS net loss in the first quarter of 2019 included net expenses totaling US$6.3 million: US$2.5 million in after-tax amortization of intangible assets, US$0.4 million in stock-based compensation costs, US$2.7 million in after-tax restructuring charges, US$0.9 million for acquisition-related fair value adjustment of deferred revenue and a foreign exchange gain of US$0.2 million.

"EXFO delivered solid results in the first quarter of 2019 with revenue above the midpoint of our guidance range, while benefitting from robust calendar year-end spending for our T&M solutions to achieve the second-highest bookings level in company history," said EXFO's CEO Philippe Morin. "Our announced strategic transformation, focused on heightened efficiency and profitability, is progressing according to plan and should be completed by the end of the second quarter. This new structure is starting to pay off internally, but also externally with a better value proposition and more relevant engagement with SASS customers as reflected by a US$4.9 million contract win for real-time active topology software with a tier-1 service provider after the quarter-end."

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MEF18: Big data drives proactive service assurance

Big data platforms can drive proactive service assurance for carrier networks says EXFO's Anssi Tauriainen, Director of Data Science and Advanced Use Cases.

At MEF18, EXFO participated in a Proof-of-Concept (PoC) that examined various data sources, such as passive monitoring data, active test data and fiber monitoring data. A dynamic, network topology discovery component was used to correlate the data. Various applications for troubleshooting and customer care purposes were then employed. AI and machine learning enabled real-time anamoly detection, automated root cause analysis, and forecasting.

https://youtu.be/RCnf3Dm3FPo

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EXFO posts Q4 sales of US$69 million

EXFO reported sales in its fourth quarter of fiscal 2018 of US$69.2 million compared to US$63.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2017. Annual sales improved 10.8% to US$269.5 million in fiscal 2018 from US$243.3 million in 2017. IFRS net loss amounted to US$4.0 million, or US$0.07 per share, compared to net earnings of US$0.8 million, or US$0.02 per share, in the fourth quarter of 2017. In fiscal 2018, IFRS net loss totaled US$11.9 million, or US$0.22 per share, compared to net earnings of US$0.9 million, or US$0.02 per share, in 2017.

Bookings totaled US$63.1 million for a book-to-bill ratio of 0.91 in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018 compared to US$66.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2017. Overall for fiscal 2018, bookings increased 6.3% to US$267.7 million for a book-to-bill ratio of 0.99 from US$251.8 million in 2017.

Gross margin before depreciation and amortization* attained 60.4% of sales in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018 compared 61.9% in the fourth quarter of 2017. Gross margin before depreciation and amortization included restructuring charges of 0.7% of sales in the fourth quarter of 2018 and 0.2% in the fourth quarter of 2017. In fiscal 2018, gross margin before depreciation and amortization reached 61.0% of sales compared to 61.2% in 2017. Gross margin before depreciation and amortization included restructuring charges of 0.2% of sales in 2018 and 0.7% in 2017.

"During fiscal 2018, we made significant progress to strategically transform EXFO into a supplier of software-intensive, end-to-end solutions and analytics for fiber, mobile and virtualized networks," said Philippe Morin, EXFO's Chief Executive Officer. "While communications service providers are undergoing fundamental changes to their business models and network architectures with upcoming 5G and IoT deployments, EXFO has positioned itself as a supplier of choice delivering superior network performance, service reliability and subscriber insights through the acquisitions of Astellia and Ontology. Although these transformations are mostly unfolding according to plan, I am disappointed with our financial results in 2018 due to deal delays and the current market environment," Mr. Morin added. "Nonetheless, we have planned significant improvements for 2019 with an increased focus on execution."

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ECOC 2018: EXFO reveals open transceiver system for testing 400G and up

At ECOC 2018, EXFO unveiled a new 400G test module featuring its Open Transceiver System (OTS), which is a modular design concept that enables compatibility between current or future high-speed transceivers and EXFO's test platforms (lab and field).

EXFO said inserts to test specific transceiver types, including those used in 400G systems (e.g., QSFP-DD, OSFP, COBO, and CFP8), eliminate the need to replace entire testing modules and can be interchanged directly in the lab, out in the field or on the production floor. The OTS debuts on the new FTBx-88460 Power Blazer: a compact testing solution that supports all of today's latest high-speed ecosystem technologies (400G, FlexE and OTUCn/FlexO) and transceivers on a single module.

"We are proud of our position at the core of the 400G ecosystem—demonstrated by our participation alongside key industry partners in important interoperability events at ECOC," said Stéphane Chabot, EXFO's Vice President, Test and Measurement. "These activities, strategic relationships and new innovations contribute to our goal of delivering smart solutions that help our customers get the most from their testing investments while staying ahead of the 400G curve."

"Xilinx is pleased to partner with the EXFO team in a FlexE (Flex Ethernet) interoperability demonstration taking place during ECOC 2018. The Xilinx leadership FlexE solution combined with the EXFO test platform leadership clearly show that the FlexE and 400G ecosystem is mature and ready for production. FlexE is becoming an increasingly important component of the network evolution. Proven interoperability between Xilinx's leading FPGA, FlexE IP and design platform and EXFO's test and measurement products provide confidence to our customer base", said Farhad Shafai, Vice President Communications Markets, Xilinx.

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EXFO posts sales of $72 million

EXFO reported sales of US$72.2 million for the third quarter of its fiscal 2018, up from US$58.5 million in the third quarter of 2017. The IFRS sales included a US$8.6 million contribution from recently acquired Astellia

IFRS net loss in the third quarter of fiscal 2018 totaled US$6.0 million, or US$0.11 per share, compared to US$4.3 million, or US$0.08 per share, in the third quarter of 2017. IFRS net loss in the third quarter of 2018 included US$4.1 million in after-tax amortization of intangible assets, US$0.4 million in stock-based compensation costs, US$0.9 million for acquisition-related fair value adjustment of deferred revenue and a foreign exchange gain of US$0.2 million.

Gross margin before depreciation and amortization amounted to 59.9% of sales in the third quarter of fiscal 2018 compared to 58.0% in the third quarter of 2017.

"I am pleased our organic business and newly acquired Astellia delivered healthy growth in the third quarter and after nine months into fiscal 2018," said Philippe Morin, EXFO's Chief Executive Officer. "This solid execution across the combined organization demonstrates that EXFO is on the right path to profitable growth. Looking ahead, we are strategically transforming our monitoring and analytics business to offer a highly differentiated solution as the communications industry migrates to NFV and 5G architectures."

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EXFO's quarterly sales rise 7.8% to US$64.7 million

EXFO reported sales of US$64.7 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2018, up 7.8% year-over-year. Sales were up 5.2% to US$128.1 million at the halfway mark of the company's fiscal year. 

In January 2018, EXFO assumed full control of Astellia, a global leader in the performance analysis of mobile networks and subscriber experience.

Sales, excluding the one-month contribution of Astellia, attained US$62.9 million in the second quarter of 2018 compared to US$60.0 million in the second quarter of 2017. Astellia contributed US$1.8 million in sales in the second quarter and first half of 2018. Astellia's sales were reduced by US$0.3 million to account for acquisition-related fair value adjustment of deferred revenue.

IFRS net loss attributable to the parent interest totaled US$4.7 million, or US$0.08 per share, in the second quarter of fiscal 2018 and US$2.0 million, or US$0.04 per share, at the halfway mark of the fiscal year. In comparison, net earnings attributable to the parent interest totaled US$1.0 million, or US$0.02 per diluted share, in the second quarter of 2017 and US$4.3 million, or US$0.08 per diluted share, in the first half of 2017.

Adjusted EBITDA totaled US$2.5 million, or 3.9% of sales, in the second quarter of 2018 and US$8.6 million, or 6.7% of sales, in the first half of the fiscal year.

"I am thrilled with the closing of the Astellia acquisition as it positions EXFO among the top five providers worldwide of service assurance solutions," said Philippe Morin, EXFO's Chief Executive Officer. "Together, we have created a strong critical mass with solutions deployed at more than 250 network operators, while our global sales organizations have been merged to maximize cross-selling opportunities. Similarly, our unique portfolio of complementary technologies will be combined to deliver unmatched capabilities in high-growth markets like NFV/SDN, IoT and 5G. Although this transformative acquisition involves a short-term financial impact, we expect the additional sales volume, cross-selling opportunities, efficiencies as well as complementary technology and service offerings will contribute to earnings growth in fiscal 2019."

"In addition, I am pleased with the strong performance from our Physical-layer product line in the second quarter of 2018," Mr. Morin added.

EXFO to acquire Astellia for mobile subscriber awareness

Sunday, December 17, 2017  Canada, EXFO, France, Merger & Acquisitions, Monitoring, Testing  No Comments

EXFO has launched an all-cash voluntary tender offer to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Astellia, a provider of network and subscriber intelligence solutions for mobile operators. EXFO already holds 33.1% of Astellia's equity.

The offer is proposed at a price of EUR 10 per Astellia share, valuing the entirety of Astellia's equity (on a fully diluted basis) at approximately €25.9 million.

Astellia's real-time monitoring and troubleshooting solution optimizes networks end-to-end, from radio to core.  The company is based in France with significant operations in Spain and a strong presence in Canada, Lebanon, Morocco and South Africa.

"We aim to combine the two companies and create a global leader in the service assurance and analytics industry", said Germain Lamonde, EXFO's founder and Executive Chairman of the Board. "Combining our complementary base of customers, technologies and competencies, as well as our similar corporate cultures, will enable the development of game-changing solutions and services within a large market in rapid transition—all this in the best interests of our customers, employees and shareholders."

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China Mobile tests core scalability for NB-IoT using EXFO

China Mobile Communications Corporation (CMCC), working with EXFO's test solution, completed a performance verification test of core networking equipment from 4 major vendors. The tests examined whether these NFV-based networks can individually support 5 million narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) devices.

EXFO said its test solution was preferred for three main reasons:

• Performance - capacity to simulate millions of IoT devices on one single server, keeping network configuration simple
• Flexibility - ability to adapt to rapidly evolving specifications and specific requirements
• Extensive test coverage: covers the network from end to end, including focus on individual nodes

"Communication service providers have to ensure that new IoT equipment introduced into the network will be compatible with existing network nodes before they go live," Claudio Mazzuca, EXFO's Vice-President, Systems and Analytics. "Through our local presence, we were able to deliver quick turnaround times to adapt to CMCC's specific requirements. Our test solutions come with unmatched flexibility giving them an edge in today's rapidly transforming telecom landscape."

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EXFO to acquire Astellia for mobile subscriber awareness

EXFO has launched an all-cash voluntary tender offer to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Astellia, a provider of network and subscriber intelligence solutions for mobile operators. EXFO already holds 33.1% of Astellia's equity.

The offer is proposed at a price of EUR 10 per Astellia share, valuing the entirety of Astellia's equity (on a fully diluted basis) at approximately €25.9 million.

Astellia's real-time monitoring and troubleshooting solution optimizes networks end-to-end, from radio to core.  The company is based in France with significant operations in Spain and a strong presence in Canada, Lebanon, Morocco and South Africa.

"We aim to combine the two companies and create a global leader in the service assurance and analytics industry", said Germain Lamonde, EXFO's founder and Executive Chairman of the Board. "Combining our complementary base of customers, technologies and competencies, as well as our similar corporate cultures, will enable the development of game-changing solutions and services within a large market in rapid transition—all this in the best interests of our customers, employees and shareholders."

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EXFO intros pocket-sized tester

EXFO introduced its EX1, a pocket-sized solution enabling technicians to measure subscribers’ real-life throughput — up to full line rate Gigabit Ethernet — using Speedtest by Ookla.

The multipurpose and portable EX1 offers active testing capabilities for service lifecycle testing and continuous- or on-demand performance monitoring at points of contention.

“The EX1 is a powerful tool to validate that speed promised is speed delivered. Technicians can simply connect to the EX1 through their smart device for a true untethered testing experience,” said Stéphane Chabot, EXFO’s Vice President, Test and Measurement. “Add continuous monitoring capabilities and our customers get precise and actionable data intelligence using a solution that’s perfect for use in service commissioning or break/fix scenarios.”

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