OpVista Inc., a startup maker of networking gear, has scored its first major contract with Cox Communications Inc.
Under the deal, Irvine-based OpVista plans to provide Cox Communications with its MetroVista optical transport system,a box that sits on the edge of a network and ups the amount of data that can be carried along an existing line.
In the case of Cox, the Atlanta-based cable operator that serves most of South Orange County, it plans to use the devices to deliver more Internet access, video on demand and networking services for businesses.
The deal is a milestone for OpVista, which was founded in 2000 by executives from Scientific Atlanta Inc. and Sorrento Networks Inc. Details of the Cox pact weren’t disclosed, though OpVista called it a “multiyear” contract.
The Cox deals appears to be the biggest yet for OpVista, which has raised about $30 million in venture funding.
In 2003, the company landed a smaller deal with Time Warner Inc.
The contract comes a month after cable business consultant Gary Trimm stepped down as chief executive of OpVista.
Trimm was brought on in 2003 as part of a shift by OpVista to target cable TV operators as opposed to telecommunications companies.
Ron Foster was named the company’s chief executive late last year. Trimm remains a director.
Winston Way, a former engineering professor at the University of Pennsylvania, founded OpVista. He’s now the company’s chief technology officer and served as the company’s first chief executive.
