Motorola to acquire Synchronous

Motorola’s broadband communications sector plans to purchase Synchronous for $260 million to expand its optical networking product suite. The vendor will purchase all of Synchronous’ capital stock in exchange for Motorola common stock. The deal is expected to close late 2001 or early 2002.

Motorola’s acquisition of the Calif.-based company, which provides fiber optic transmission systems for video, data and voice, will expand Motorola’s product line and provide high-speed network operators a way to increase the capacity of existing networks by improving signals sent via fiber optic cable.

Motorola Broadband’s Transmission Network Systems business will get Synchronous’ optical networking technology, and more than 70 employees in areas such as engineering, product-marketing, manufacturing, technical sales, and research and development.

--Amalia D. Parthenios, staff writer