The Mitsubishi LaserVue could mark a turning point in the aspiring chipmaker’s fortunes, after optoelectronics supply deals in India put a big burden on its finances.
High-purity viewingAustralian optoelectronic company Arasor is continuing to refocus its business towards laser chip manufacture, despite losses forcing it into drastic cost cutting.
Arasor recorded a AUS$16.7 million ($15.6 million) loss on AUS$117 million revenue in 2007. Consequently at its May 15 AGM, the company said that it is “terminating” employees and consultants, closing down locations and exiting businesses to reverse this trend.
These moves are the latest results of a strategy that Arasor started in 2006 to expand upon its basic lithium niobate optics business.
The expansion has centered on an optoelectronics business that has been restricted to low-margin opportunities in Chinese and Indian wireless infrastructure. Limited profitability in this area has been worsened by a delay in the receipt of revenues from a customer in India.
Now the optics firm is increasingly pinning its hopes on laser displays, in advance of Mitsubishi Electric's US launch of its Laservue television, which is expected in the third quarter of 2008.
