LOS ANGELES, March 2 -- Arasor Corp., a Fremont, Calif., developer and manufacturer of communications integrated circuits, components and subsystems for wired and wireless communications, announced it has acquired Lightbit Corp., an optical telecommunications subsystem provider that manufactures purely optical processors for handling multiple channels over optical fiber networks. Lightbit also produces a line of lasers used in color copiers and optical chips for the biotechnology industry.
   As part of its agreement with Lightbit, Arasor has also acquired Intelligent Optical Amplifier (IOA), which makes next-generation amplifiers. Lightbit acquired IOA in 2002. Arasor said the acquisitions were completed in exchange for an undisclosed amount of cash and preferred stock.
   Arasor made the announcement at the 2004 annual Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exposition (OFC), held last week in Los Angeles.
   Arasor will retain the existing Lightbit and IOA teams and Lightbit's optical fabrication facility, and will consolidate at Lightbit's headquarters in Mountain View.
   IOA, which Lightbit acquired in 2002, makes next-generation intelligent amplifiers that are dynamically controllable. IOA uses smart electronics to improve amplifier performance and eliminate external optical elements, thereby reducing the cost and complexity of amplifiers. Arasor said it plans to continue and expand on the IOA product line, which includes narrow-band, c-band, and l-band amplifiers.
   Arasor also announced it is expanding sales, marketing and business development in the US and China, and that it has added three executives to its management team: Charles Mao, PhD, a founding member of Avanex Corp., has been appointed president and vice-chairman of the board of directors; Jessy Chao, former founder and CFO of Avanex Corp., is Arasor's new senior vice president of business development; and Aibing Gong, former general manager of Lasertron-Shanghai, is vice president of China operations for Arasor.
   Arasor has entered into multi-year joint venture agreement valued at $175 million with Nansha High Technology Investment Ltd., the investment arm of the Guangzhou government, to build a 200,000-sqare-foot facility in the municipality's new Nansha IT Park. Arasor will use the facility for research and development, production, testing and customer support. The company will move from its current facility to the new facility in the fourth quarter of this year.
   For more information, visit: www.arasor.net