Approximately 80 employees working in Ciena's global products group - which includes the Metro Ethernet Networks division purchased from Nortel Networks in 2010 - in Canada and the U.S. were affected, said company spokesperson Nicole Anderson. She was unable to provide specific figures for Ottawa.
"We're working towards rightsizing the company in terms of improved and sustained profitability," said Ms. Anderson. "This action is really around driving alignment between the product development activity and market demand, and also optimizing the global cost structure."
In December, the company announced a fourth-quarter loss of US$22.33 million, down from US$80.32 million a year earlier. Quarterly revenues were up nine per cent to US$455.46 million.
The company is projecting revenues of between US$435 million and US$455 million in its current fiscal first quarter.
Two years ago, Ciena completed its US$773.8-million acquisition of most of Nortel's optical networking and Carrier Ethernet assets and appointed former Nortel MEN president Philippe Morin as senior vice-president of its global products group.
Prior to last week's announcement, Ciena had approximately 1,600 local employees, making the company one of Ottawa's largest private-sector employers.
Many commercial real estate observers are closely watching where Ciena will move its local operations once its lease at the former Nortel campus on Carling Avenue expires.
Public Works purchased the property in 2010 to consolidate the Department of National Defence, which is expected to start moving in later this decade.
Ciena is believed to occupy approximately 265,000 square feet and is not required to leave Carling Place until March 2015 at the earliest.
However, the company requires specialized high-end lab space and may have to construct a new building, meaning its real estate decisions must be made well in advance.
Ms. Anderson said there are no new developments in Ciena's search for a new home, but reiterated the company is "absolutely" committed to staying in Ottawa even after its lease expires.
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