Viavi Solutions

Viavi Solutions Inc.

Company type	Public
Industry	Network testing, measurement, and optical technologies
Founded	August 2015 (2015-08)
Headquarters	Chandler , United States
Key people	Oleg Khaykin (President and CEO)
Products	Network testing equipment, optical technologies, security products, spectrometers
Website	www.viavisolutions.com

Viavi Solutions Inc. (marketed as VIAVI Solutions), previously a segment of JDS Uniphase Corporation (JDSU), is an American enterprise specializing in network testing, measurement, and assurance technologies, with headquarters located in Chandler, Arizona. The company manufactures equipment for network testing and monitoring while also developing optical technologies utilized in areas such as material quality inspection, currency anti-counterfeiting measures, and 3D motion detection, including applications like Microsoft's Kinect controller.

Viavi was established in August 2015 following the division of JDSU into two distinct entities: Viavi Solutions and Lumentum Holdings.

Origins as JDSU

The roots of Viavi date back to 1979 when Uniphase was founded in San Jose, California, initially producing lasers for semiconductor manufacturers and scanning devices. Through a series of mergers and acquisitions, the business evolved into JDS Uniphase (JDSU). In August 2015, JDSU underwent a corporate split creating two independent firms: Viavi Solutions and Lumentum Holdings, with Lumentum inheriting the Communications and Commercial Optical products segment.

After the JDSU division

Following the August 2015 separation from JDSU, then-CEO Tom Waechter resigned, and Richard Belluzzo was appointed as interim president and CEO of Viavi Solutions.

In September 2015, Viavi introduced GigaStor Software Edition designed to capture packet data from software-defined networking (SDN) environments for detailed performance evaluation and forensic investigations.

By February 2016, Richard Belluzzo transitioned to Chairman while Oleg Khaykin assumed the roles of president and CEO. That same month, Frontier Communications selected Viavi’s Ethernet Assurance Solution (EtherASSURE) to manage network performance and monitor service-level agreements (SLAs). Viavi also upgraded its CellAdvisor Base Station Analyzer to enable baseband testing during tower installations, thereby minimizing tower climbs and enhancing safety protocols. Furthermore, the company launched GEOson—a network automation platform aimed at 4G and 5G testing—incorporating technologies acquired through companies such as Reverb Networks and Arieso.

In March 2016, Viavi expanded its OneExpert CATV Signal Analysis Meter by adding a fully DOCSIS 3.1-compliant signal meter capable of field-testing D3.1 signals. Additionally, it debuted MicroNIR near-infrared spectrometers intended for on-site quality control of organic substances.

During July 2016, Viavi entered into a collaboration with Brocade Communications Systems to combine Brocade’s Packet Broker and Session Director solutions with Viavi’s xSIGHT Targeted Subscriber Search (TSS), thereby improving mobile operators’ subscriber traffic analytics capabilities.

In March 2024, Viavi revealed a £1 billion bid to acquire British telecommunications testing company Spirent. Nevertheless, Keysight surpassed this offer with a £1.16 billion proposal later that month, leading Spirent to withdraw endorsement of the Viavi transaction and instead recommend acceptance of Keysight’s acquisition offer.

Network Enablement (NE)

The Network Enablement division designs testing solutions for broadband and IP network providers to facilitate network construction and upkeep across laboratory, production, and field settings. NE offerings are divided into wireline, wireless, and lab categories. Additionally, the company provides the StrataSync cloud platform, enabling remote equipment management and data gathering.

Within the wireline NE category, products include tools for performance monitoring, Ethernet service assurance, and video analytics. The division manufactures compact optical network field testers branded as T-BERD in the United States and MTS in Europe, capable of supporting network speeds up to 100G. The OneExpert series of handheld signal meters assists with cable service deployment and troubleshooting (OneExpert CATV) supporting up to DOCSIS 3.1 standards, as well as telecommunication services (OneExpert xDSL) up to G.fast speeds.

The wireless NE group offers CellAdvisor, a portable RF signal tester over fiber that facilitates baseband testing during cell tower setups, minimizing the need for physical climbs and improving safety protocols.

Lab testing products include the Optical Network Tester (ONT) series designed for multi-protocol, multi-rate testing on optical network components supporting speeds of 100G, 400G, and other advanced high-speed technologies. This segment also produces the Xgig 1000 lab tester for iSCSI and Fibre Channel protocols utilized within Storage Area Networks.

Service Enablement (SE)

The Service Enablement segment provides systems and services tailored for broadband/IP network operators and data center environments.

Highlighted products include EtherASSURE, an Ethernet testing device that supports physical and virtual network environments; xSIGHT, a customer experience platform enabling mobile operators to scale and monitor wireless technologies such as 4G; and GEOson, a network automation solution that integrates machine learning with geolocation data to manage 4G/5G networks effectively. The Observer product suite features Observer Gigastor—a packet capture and analysis system designed for enterprise use—and Observer SightOps, which offers cloud-based and on-premises monitoring capabilities. Observer Gigastor was acquired through JDSU’s 2013 purchase of Network Instruments, while Observer SightOps emerged from collaboration with ScienceLogic, a network monitoring company.

Optical Security and Performance Products (OSP)

The Optical Security and Performance division focuses on advanced optical coating technologies applied in anti-counterfeiting measures and other specialized optical uses.

Its anti-counterfeiting lineup includes Optically Variable Pigment (OVP) and Optically Variable Magnetic Pigment (OVMP), both integral to contemporary currency featuring color-shifting properties. This segment also manufactures secure labeling solutions for pharmaceutical products and consumer electronics. The ChromaFlair color-shifting paint is widely adopted by automotive manufacturers.

Optical thin-film coatings produced by this group enhance light sensors, 3D sensing devices (notably utilized in Microsoft’s Kinect), wafer-level patterning processes, linear variable filters, and large-scale optics applications. Additionally, MicroNIR Spectrometers are developed here to provide real-time, non-invasive material analysis alongside process monitoring capabilities.

In aerospace and defense sectors, this segment supplies optical components for guidance systems, laser eye protection gear, signature management technologies, and space exploration programs. A notable contribution includes providing optical coatings for NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission instrument OVIRS, which supports asteroid research initiatives.