Dec 17, 2001 12:00 PM,

Harry Carr

Liane LaBarba

Tellium

Harry Potter may be the wizard whose name is on everyone's lips, but Harry Carr has some magical powers of his own. The chairman and CEO of Oceanport, N.J.-based optical switch maker Tellium has remained steadfast in his ability to meet commitments and goals rather than revise them, an ethic vastly different from many in the industry. And while an understanding of technology isn't enough to help a company prevail, Carr also boasts financial and managerial prowess in addition to a long telecom history that includes stints at AT&T and Lucent Technologies.

More on this Topic

Industry News

Blogs

Briefing Room

“There's something magical around here,” Carr said. “It's not just a product or technology. It's what Tellium is like to do business with.” Liaisons with customers are compounded by the camaraderie among the employees. “Regardless of their level, everyone can make a huge contribution. You can feel the energy.”

Ed Glassmeyer, general partner for Oak Investment Partners, a founding investor in Tellium, believes the company lacked that energy until Carr's arrival. “The magic came with him. He has something special,” Glassmeyer said. “Everything was hard work for Tellium. Everything was a battle until he came on board.”

But Carr's spell hasn't worked on Wall Street. The company had its IPO in the thick of the downturn last May and has gone from a high of $29.73 to just less than $7 at press time. “I have never missed the results for a quarter,” Carr said. “The challenge is that we need to knock down some more customers.”

Although spending is down for optical equipment, Carr believes service providers know optical networks and optical mesh networks are part of their future. Tellium currently counts Qwest Communications, Dynegy and Cable & Wireless as customers for its Aurora product family, yet Carr maintains at least one new customer will be pulled in by the end of this year. And when RHK recently altered its market share numbers, Tellium gained ground on competitor Ciena.

Said one industry source, “For a small company with one product, they are doing well.”