"The formation of the PMA council was a result of a strong grassroots initiative to both organize and accelerate standardization efforts in the photonics industry," says Randy Heyler, PMA steering committee chairman and Newport Corp.’s vice president of business development. "It was widely felt that not only OEMs, but the entire supply chain could benefit from a more formal and coordinated effort to establish more industrywide road maps and standards to address universal manufacturing cost issues."

The PMA Council held its first organizational meeting at the Optical Fiber Conference in Anaheim, CA. The council is currently assembling a 10-member steering committee. It is also searching for senior management and executive-level volunteers to serve on subcommittees for road-mapping; standards, guidelines and specifications; and industry statistics.