On 1 April, Lumerical, a photonics simulation company, was acquired by global software giant Ansys.
Emerging technologies such as 5G and industrial internet of things (IIoT) applications as well as autonomous vehicles are challenging companies to deal with massive volumes of data faster than ever. Traditional means of transmitting that data are being replaced by higher-efficiency optical networks.
Lumerical’s photonic simulation products enable designers to model the most challenging problems in photonics, including interacting optical, electrical and thermal effects. Lumerical’s solutions can improve the performance of data center architectures by removing networking bottlenecks, potentially slashing the total cost of ownership. Additionally, the acquisition of Lumerical is expected to enable Ansys customers to predict light’s behavior within complex photonic structures and systems.
'Ansys provides a comprehensive solution for semiconductors and high-performance electronics,' said Shane Emswiler, Ansys’ senior vice president, physics business units. 'With the acquisition of Lumerical, we will extend Ansys’ capabilities to exploit the potential of photonics to further empower our customers to develop next-generation products like autonomous vehicles and other smart-connected products.'
James Pond, co-CEO and CTO of Lumerical, added: 'Lumerical is a perfect fit with Ansys. The potential of photonics in applications like 5G, IIoT and autonomous vehicles can only be realised by solving immense multiphysics device and system challenges. Together, Lumerical and Ansys are uniquely positioned to provide the necessary solutions, and customers of both companies will reap tremendous rewards from this dynamic acquisition.'
