Omnilux Acquires Exclusive Development Rights to Family of Patents Covering a Universal Broadband Network Architecture
19 April 2004
PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 19, 2004-- Omnilux(R), Inc. and the UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering today announced that the company has acquired the exclusive use and development rights to a family of patents covering a universal broadband network architecture from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). The patents strengthen Omnilux's position as the only producer of wireless optical mesh networking equipment worldwide and further enable the company to deliver the lowest cost-of-ownership, most scalable networking solutions available to enterprises, carriers, system integrators and access providers. As part of this license agreement, UCSD and QUALCOMM (Nasdaq:QCOM) have become shareholders in Omnilux, a developer and manufacturer of the most affordable ultra-broadband wireless solutions on the market.
Driven by applications like voice over IP, network storage, and collaborative communications, businesses and municipal Internet users continue to demand greater bandwidth. However, much of this demand is being underserved because of inadequate capacity afforded by the copper wires that typically connect commercial buildings to the existing national telecommunications networks. The patents recently licensed by Omnilux provide a blueprint for solving this problem of inadequate capacity, outlining a comprehensive infrastructure solution for low cost, Ultra-Broadband networking.
"We are very pleased to have acquired the rights to these patents that further secure Omnilux's position as the only worldwide producer of wireless optical mesh networking equipment," said Edmond Sanctis, CEO of Omnilux. "We believe these patents are a great complement to our existing intellectual property and will enable us to further our mission of providing rapidly deployable ultra-broadband networks at affordable prices."
These patents, based on technology invented by Dr. Anthony Acampora, professor of electrical and computer engineering at the UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering, define a comprehensive method of providing cost-effective broadband service to large areas by using free space optics wireless networking equipment. Through a mesh of interconnected free space optical beams, broadband service can be reliably delivered to commercial and residential buildings over campus or city wide areas. This wireless, high-capacity infrastructure also provides an ideal backbone for the deployment of wireless hot spots using WiFi (802.11b) access technology in combination with this mesh-configured FSO networking platform.
"I am personally very excited about the arrangement with Omnilux since I believe they are well positioned to exploit the potential of this technology and establish a broad enabling platform that will allow businesses and consumers to finally realize the potential of Ultra-Broadband," said Dr. Acampora.
"Part of our mission as a research university is to transfer our discoveries from the laboratory into the commercial sector, where exciting new technologies can benefit society," said Frieder Seible, dean of the UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering. "I am pleased that Omnilux sees the commercial value in our intellectual property."
Today, the Omnilux patented technology delivers 100 megabits per second (Mbps) of bandwidth up to a small, rooftop "node" that provides network connectivity to users through standard Ethernet. This solution enables service providers and systems integrators to extend existing broadband fiber, and other high speed networks, to customers without having to undertake their own costly "last-mile" construction, such as digging up the streets to lay fiber-optic or copper cables to individual businesses or installing expensive radio-frequency wireless towers. Omnilux's fiber-like capacity also enables service providers to maximize revenue and increase operating margins by delivering a full range of communications services, including offsite data storage and backup, web hosting, large file sharing applications, telecommuting services, and other voice, video and data applications.
Omnilux equipment has been deployed with eleven customers in six countries around the world as part of a global pilot program. The commercial launch of the company's next-generation broadband wireless platform, the Omni-Node 2.0, is scheduled for late summer of this year.
About Omnilux
Omnilux offers an optical last mile solution for delivering affordable, wireless Ultra-Broadband communication (100 Mbps). The company is the only worldwide producer of patented wireless optical mesh networking equipment. With Omnilux, service providers and enterprises can eliminate more than 85% of the cost of deploying fiber or point-to-point RF equipment. As more businesses adopt wireless communications, Omnilux offers a wireless alternative to fiber, T-1, and DS-3 connections, with the advantages of dramatically lower installation costs, rapid deployment capabilities, and a more than 1,000% ROI improvement for access providers. With a substantial price-to-performance breakthrough versus existing wired and wireless technologies, the Omnilux system is inexpensive to deploy, yet allows for 100 Mbps capacity and high-end capabilities.
Omnilux Mesh products include: Omni-Node(TM) hardware (both customer premise and base station equipment) with free space optics transceivers and advanced onboard software to provide software-assisted acquisition and auto-tracking capabilities; and the Clear-Mesh(TM) network management system, an intelligent software platform with powerful management tools to control the network. Omnilux is located in Pasadena, California, and is an Idealab company. For more information, visit www.omnilux.net, call 1-877-OMNILUX or e-mail info@omnilux.net.
About the UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering
The University of California San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering is one of the nation's premier engineering schools and is dedicated to education, research and technology advancement. The School includes 168 faculty and approximately 5500 students enrolled through five academic departments. With $118 million in annual research support, the Jacobs School ranks third in the nation among engineering schools for research expenditures per faculty member. Approximately 150 companies partner with the Jacobs School through its research initiatives and Corporate Affiliates Program. Through its von Liebig Center for Entrepreneurism and Technology Advancement, the Jacobs School proactively facilitates the commercialization of Jacobs School discoveries. For more information, visit www.jacobsschool.ucsd.edu.
Omnilux, Omni-Node, and Clear-Mesh are trademarks of Omnilux, Inc.
