PROFILE EXFO
Blazing a trail
Consolidation through acquisition has recently been a hot topic in optical communications. Fibre Systems discovers how a journey on the acquisition trail has worked for EXFO for more than 30 years
inaccurate predictions of how we might be living in the ‘noughties’. In the same year, Americans with a taste for more fact-based entertainment were delighted with the launch of the Discovery Channel, while in the UK the very first British mobile telephone call was made by Michael Harrison, son of Vodafone’s first chairman Ernest. It was around the same time in Quebec,
T
Canada, that an engineering graduate called Germain Lamonde – having completed his master’s degree in optics at Université Laval – set to the task of starting up his own business
he year was 1985. Back to the Future was playing in cinemas, bringing movie goers what we now know to be – for the most part – somewhat
in his apartment, with an initial investment sum of $100. Lamonde’s belief was that fibre optics would
make the best medium for global communications networks – contrary to the popular opinion at the time. He set out to develop modular handheld power meter and light source test instruments, closely followed by a succession of portable instruments to measure the integrity of optical fibre. Te first products generated by Lamonde’s
new business – EXFO – proved popular among the communications service providers with whom Lamonde had been working. Tis popularity, combined with initial support from Bell Canada, ensured that the new business was able to be profitable from its year of inception – no mean feat!
Shape of things to come Lamonde re-invested straight back into the company, allowing it to grow without venture capital funding, and leading, in June 2000, to EXFO floating on the stock market for the first time. Lamonde’s long-term strategy to focus on profitability helped to build a stronger organisation, shaping the business into the
EXFO we know today – a specialist in optical and high-speed Ethernet testing and active service assurance. Today, the company has approximately
2,000 employees across nearly 30 countries, and sells to around 2,000 key service providers, network equipment manufacturers and leading webscale companies, who benefit from test instruments and real-time 3D analytics solutions. In recent developments, last April saw Lamonde hand over the CEO reigns to Philippe Morin, who is no stranger to longevity himself, having accumulated more than 25 years in the telecommunications industry. As executive chairman, Lamonde will remain in charge of the acquisition strategy and other select initiatives. Morin was appointed chief operating officer
in November 2015, before which he held senior positions at Ciena and Nortel Networks. Fibre Systems met him at this year’s OFC conference in San Diego, where we were treated to a tour of all the new launches on the stand, and given some insight into the company’s strategy, which includes its journey along the acquisition trail. Morin explained: ‘EXFO is more than 30 years old. It has strength in the
@fibresystemsmag |
www.fibre-systems.com
EXFO was profitable from its first year 28 FIBRE SYSTEMS Issue 20 • Summer 2018
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
