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Technology: Raydiance laser hits milestone; Calix terminal for multiple users

Raydiance Inc. – developer of the first compact, cost-effective, software-controlled ultrashort pulse laser platform – announced last week that a major milestone has been reached.

As part of a three-year, multi-million dollar research and development contract with the U.S. Department of the Navy, Raydiance has completed a laser that generates 56 microjoules per pulse with pulses 700 femtoseconds long, a world record.

A femtosecond is one billionth of one millionth of a second. The peak power generated by the laser was approximately 80 megawatts.

“Although our Raydiance Discovery platform has been in the market for just a year, it is already being used by numerous customers to develop innovative surgical tools, applications in genomics, homeland security applications and advanced manufacturing solutions,” said Raydiance President Scott Davison.

“With the Navy’s support, we have demonstrated how this practical commercial architecture scales to much higher power. This is an important milestone not only for the country but also for our commercial clients, who will be able to take advantage of the enhanced power to explore new markets for USP applications,” he said. The Navy is expected to use the technology for high-powered surveillance systems.

Raydiance was founded by a group of engineers in Orlando, Fla. Former AOL Chairman and CEO Barry Schuler is leading the company in the commercialization of the technology from its western headquarters in Petaluma.

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Sonic Solutions, the San Rafael provider of digital editing and managing tools, has acquired San Francisco multimedia software and services company Simple Star.

Simple Star is the developer of PhotoShow, a comprehensive multimedia storytelling platform and online community that enables consumers to quickly and easily run personal photos and video clips into entertaining shows that can be shown and shared on PCs, TVs, handhelds or published to popular social media sites.

Simple Star will become a part of Sonic’s Roxio division, which makes and distributes photo, video, music and digital media management applications. It has distributed more than 300 million software packages, giving Sonic one of the largest installed bases of savvy digital media consumers globally.

“These consumers are always eager for new services and products,” said Matt DiMaria, general manager of the Roxio division.

“Simple Star provides us with innovative new products and Web services that are a natural fit for our users and that will extend the reach of the Roxio brand beyond the desktop to online and cable offerings.”

Simple Star partners include Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Kodak, Shutterfly and Ritz Camera Centers.

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Calix announced a new portfolio of gigabit passive optical network terminals for the multi-dwelling unit and small to mid-sized business markets.

The three new products are aimed at the requirements of residential and mixed-use apartment buildings, dormitories, hospitality locations, business parks, strip malls and stand-alone enterprises.

Using the new products, service providers can offer IPTV, RF video, gigabit Ethernet and other services and applications over their fiber-to-the-premises network.

“The business case for FTTP requires service providers to take full advantage of every service opportunity that is within reach of the deployed fiber,” said David Russell, solutions marketing director at Calix.

Over a third of the population in North America lives in multiple dwelling units, and tens of thousands of businesses spread throughout the country operate from business parks and commercial buildings, so to service providers deploying FTTP or considering a buildout, the market segment is critical, said Teresa Mastrangelo, principal analyst of Broadbandtrends.com.

“Calix has done a great job at providing a comprehensive portfolio of optical network terminals to address these underserved opportunities.”

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Endomatrix Inc., a Santa Rosa nutroceutical startup fueled by local investors, will sell its property to one of its distributors as part of a Chapter 7 settlement, it was announced in April. The company filed for bankruptcy in December of 2007, listing liabilities of between $1 and $100 million and assets of $500 to $1 million.

According to court listings, the property was sold to Bruce Daniel, M.D., for $35,000.

Endomatrix, founded in 1996, was developing the supplement Provasca, a naturally occurring compound derived from seaweed that had been shown to help maintain the resilience of the arterial wall. The product was aimed at cardiologists and pharmacies.

Glenn Foley, former CEO of Endomatrix, could not be reached for comment.

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Submit items for this column to Loralee Stevens at 707-579-2900 ext. 205, lstevens@busjrnl.com or fax 707-579-8475.

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