LightRiver Turns 20!

20-Year Milestone Marks an Exciting Time of Expansions, Enhanced Service Offerings, and Innovation

Happy anniversary to The LightRiver Companies, the premier optical network integration solution provider for next generation, multi-vendor, Factory Built Networks^® and netFLEX^®, Transport Domain Orchestration Software solutions! This month, the company is celebrating its 20-year anniversary. Founded in 1998, LightRiver offers a multi-vendor optical lab and network factory designed specifically for packet optical networks for Tier 1 and Tier 2 carriers, global cloud and data center players and Investor Owned Utilities. In 2017, with the acquisition of Unique Computer Services, LightRiver expanded its software and service portfolio by adding netFLEX^® Software-defined networking (SDN) optical domain control as well as network function virtualization (NFV) customization services, further positioning itself for solid growth within the industry.

Notably, LightRiver also added 50% more capacity to its network factory, with an integrated netFLEX overlay, growing its ability to build and serve large, international networks; and also enhanced the space to configure hardened and commercial servers to package Virtual Network Functions (VNFs).

LightRiver supports more than 100 customers from the marquee brands in the cloud, datacenter, carrier and utility sectors, also continues to expand further across the Atlantic, deploying networks across Europe for several global players and growing its delivery team, as well as multi-continental netFLEX software control. In 2018, LightRiver hopes to start its own netFLEX channel program in the EU, specialized to the local markets.

“Our customers have adopted and are comfortable with the Factory Built Network^®  (FBN) model for their disaggregated networks - where we take the risk out, shorten the cycle to revenue, and enable the successful integration of new technologies,” explains Mike Jonas, President Global Customer Operations for LightRiver. “In further aligning with this philosophy, we now ensure that software controlled networks are part of this model. The industry is hungry for deliverable SDN, but has become disillusioned in the pace of its rollout. We listened and responded to our customers who said, ‘if only you had the FBN solution for software’ - and now, we do. Multi-vendor, multi-generational, software controlled, integrated networks are the future and we are here to serve.”

“LightRiver offers not only the latest, groundbreaking technologies, but also the expertise and attentiveness to the needs of the industry,” comments Glenn Johansen, President and CEO of LightRiver. “Behind the doors of our LightRiver Labs, a multiple-million-dollar, state-of-the-art facility where all the latest next generation equipment, solutions and services are put through the rigors of mission-critical simulation, is our amazing team of nearly 100 highly skilled professionals who focus solely on transport. We are grateful for our team, indebted to our loyal and valued clients and partners, and honored to reach our 20-year anniversary, a significant milestone for our company. We look forward to continued growth, innovation and success as we stay true to our niche as a packet optical specialist that makes a real difference for the vendor business.”

LightRiver will celebrate its 20th anniversary throughout 2018 with several commemorative events, kicking off at the UTC National conference held in May in Palm Springs, CA.

Read the release here or watch LightRiver's latest JSA TV interview below from PTC'18, featuring Mike Jonas.