This may seem like a distant dream, but during the height of the tech bubble, Lucent Technologies, Alcatel, Nortel and JDSU were racing each other to buy optical R&D start-ups and manufacturers. Not only were they trying to vertically integrate, they wanted to capture capabilities, and particularly to exclude competitors. That trend was the beginning of the end for some great companies.

Well, wake up! Alcatel-Lucent has completed the transfer of its optical transport equipment plant in Trieste, Italy, to Flextronics Manufacturing. Flextronics will assume responsibility for new product introduction, manufacturing, integration, and repair services of Alcatel-Lucent optical equipment at the site.

The two companies have signed a five-year, renewable contract for the supply of optical products as well.  The transfer begins Trieste’s transformation into “a global center of excellence for optical transport technologies,” Alcatel-Lucent said in a press release, https://www.alcatel-lucent.com/press/2015/alcatel-lucent-completes-transfer-trieste-site-and-related-activities-flextronics

“The Trieste plant will benefit significantly from becoming a global center of excellence, with employment levels maintained and even increased. Alcatel-Lucent is transferring the Trieste plant to a proven player in manufacturing on this industrial scale, a track record that ensures the highest level of quality for the company’s optical transport products,” explained Roberto Loiola, CEO and managing director of Alcatel-Lucent Italy.

Meanwhile, Alcatel-Lucent is being acquired by Nokia (see http://www.truepulse.com/nokia-takes-control-of-alcatel-lucent/).

How the mighty have fallen. If there is any lesson in this, humility is a useful character for each of us to acquire.