Sanmina-SCI and GigOptix Announce Optical Polymer Modulator Manufacturing Partnership

SAN JOSE and PALO ALTO, Calif., March 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sanmina-SCI Corporation (Nasdaq: SANM), a leading global Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) company, and GigOptix (OTC Bulletin Board: GGOX), a leading provider of electronic engines for the optically connected digital world, today announced a manufacturing partnership to produce GigOptix' revolutionary high bandwidth polymer modulator designed for 40Gb/s and 100Gb/s long-haul optical transponders.

"This partnership with GigOptix exemplifies Sanmina-SCI's optical strategy to provide significant value-added manufacturing services across the entire range of optical products," said Dave Dutkowsky, Executive Vice President of Sanmina-SCI's Communications Infrastructure Division. "We offer the most comprehensive and technologically advanced service capabilities in the optical manufacturing segment which we use to develop unique and innovative solutions for our customers. We will be providing GigOptix with industry leading design, process development, test development, manufacturing and supply chain management services across Sanmina-SCI's global optical infrastructure, including our optical manufacturing capability in China."

"Just over a year since the GigOptix acquisition of Lumera we are now gearing up for volume production. The prospects for this and our future modulators look very positive as major customers we have been visiting see the benefits of our technology, and also value that GigOptix offers a full suite of driver, modulator and receiver TIAs for 10, 40 and 100Gb/s which eases interoperability challenges," stated Dr. Avi Katz, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors for GigOptix. "This partnership is bringing immediate benefits to our products. We selected Sanmina-SCI due to their world-class optical manufacturing capabilities, competitive cost structure and ideal location for servicing the important China market, and are delighted with their solid vote of confidence in our revolutionary modulators."

The first product for the partnership to be brought to production is the GigOptix LX8401, a 40Gb/s DPSK Mach-Zehnder modulator that will be the industry's first EO polymer modulator. Planned to be fully qualified for volume production in the fourth quarter of 2010, it will offer price and specification advantages over currently available products. Benefits include its low power consumption and small size. At just 84mm in length, the LX8401 is not only 30 percent shorter than comparable Lithium Niobate modulators, but also fits easily into a 3.5" by 4.5" SFF (small form factor) 300pin transponder. GigOptix proprietary materials technology has been under development for several years and is now optimized for thermal and optical stability to the telecom requirements of 85 degrees C for 25 years.

GigOptix, in partnership with Sanmina-SCI, intends to bring a family of modulators to production to address the various modulation formats – DPSK, DQPSK and DP-QPSK covering 40Gb/s and 100Gb/s for telecom and RF communication market applications. The polymer modulator chips, based on GigOpitx' proprietary and protected technology, are designed, developed and produced by GigOptix while the optical packaging is jointly developed and then manufactured by Sanmina-SCI.

Sanmina-SCI has design, manufacturing and logistics facilities strategically located in every region of the world, including the Shenzhen, China Optical facility. Sanmina-SCI provides more than 30 years of optical design and engineering experience to its customers.

Sanmina-SCI will showcase its range of optical capabilities at the Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exposition (OFC) at the San Diego Convention Center March 23-25, booth number 2919. GigOptix' products and technologies will be showcased at booth number 1017. For more information about OFC, visit http://www.ofcnfoec.org.

About Sanmina-SCI

Sanmina-SCI Corporation is a leading electronics contract manufacturer serving the fastest-growing segments of the global Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) market. Recognized as a technology leader, Sanmina-SCI provides end-to-end manufacturing solutions, delivering unsurpassed quality and support to OEMs primarily in the communications, defense and aerospace, industrial and medical instrumentation, multimedia, computing and storage, and automotive technology sectors. Sanmina-SCI has facilities strategically located in key regions throughout the world. More information regarding the company is available at http://www.sanmina-sci.com.

About GigOptix, Inc.

GigOptix is a leading fabless manufacturer of electronic engines for the digital world. The Company offers a broad portfolio of high speed electronic devices including polymer electro-optic modulators, modulator drivers, laser drivers and TIAs for telecom, datacom, Infiniband and consumer optical systems, covering serial and parallel communication technologies from 1G to 100G. GigOptix now also offers the widest range of mixed-signal and RF ASIC solutions in the market including Standard Cell, Hybrid and Structured ASICs targeting the Consumer, Industrial, Defense & Avionics industries. For more information, please visit www.GigOptix.com.

Sanmina-SCI Safe Harbor Statement

The foregoing, including the discussion regarding the Company's future prospects, contains certain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including uncertainties associated with economic conditions in the electronics industry, particularly in the principal industry sectors served by the Company, changes in customer requirements and in the volume of sales to principal customers, the ability of Sanmina-SCI to effectively assimilate acquired businesses and achieve the anticipated benefits of its acquisitions, and competition and technological change. The Company's actual results of operations may differ significantly from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements as a result of these and other factors, including factors set forth in the Company's fiscal year 2009 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the other reports, including quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, that the Company files with the Securities Exchange Commission.

SOURCE Sanmina-SCI Corporation