wiredInUSA - April 2014
36
Swiss cabling producer Reichle &
De-Massari (R&M) has acquired the
business activities and operating assets of
the Bangalore-based fiber optic products
manufacturer Advanced Fiber Systems
(AFS). The management and employees
of AFS will be transferred to R&M in India.
“This acquisition is a key milestone to
expand our business in India. We can
now actively participate in the growing
fiber
optic
network
deployments,
fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) roll-outs and data
centre projects,” said Laurent Amestoy,
executive VP of R&M Asia-Pacific.
“AFS has been a certified assembly partner
of R&M for many years, so the quality
and innovation in fiber optic solutions will
continue,” added Gaurav Ahluwalia, MD
of R&M.
R&M, which began its operations in India
in 2006, offers cabling solutions for Cat 5e,
Cat 6 and Cat 6A systems, and a range of
single-mode (OS1, OS2) and multi-mode
(OM3, OM4) fiber optic systems.
Cabling firm gets
Advanced
DeepOcean UK, a subsidiary of Deep
Ocean Group Holding BV, has entered
into a seven-year charter agreement with
Maersk Supply Services, for a new build
cable lay vessel. The vessel is the DOC 8500,
a Damen offshore carrier which has been
designed specifically to suit DeepOcean’s
requirements.
The DOC 8500 will extend DeepOcean’s
capabilities in the larger cable-laying end
of the market, representing a new focus on
interconnector projects, in addition to oil
and gas sector and renewables work. The
specially equipped vessel will be delivered
from the Damen Galati yard in Romania.
René Berkvens, Damen Shipyards group
chief executive officer, said: “We are very
proud of being contracted by Maersk
Supply Service and DeepOcean for this
cable layer. This particular vessel has been
adapted in close cooperation with our
clients, drawing on the expertise of all three
companies to create a state-of-the-art
offshore construction vessel.”
The 138m long, 27.5m wide DOC 8500
features 2,200m² of unobstructed deck
and will have a top speed of 12 knots.
New build cable
vessel
Gaurav Ahluwalia,
MD of R&M