V tes

h company bought

Circa Communications links with Polycom

Michael Becker

News Editor
mbecker@nusnews.com

A small North Vancouver high tech company is
worth big bucks after a deal announced Tuesday.

Cirea Communications Lrd. will be acquired by Silicon
Vailey-based Polycom Ine. for $130 million Cdn ($90 million
US). The acquisition will see the transfer 1.6 million Polycom
shares to Circa and its employees who have stock options in the
Private company. Said Cirea president and CEO Phil Holland,
“Some people will be very rich.” The transaction is expected to
be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2001.

The North Vancouver company has focused on producing
Internet Protocol (IP) products such as phones that capitalize on
the convergence of voice, data networks and video applications.

Circa was founded in February 1999. Prior to launching his
own company Holland worked for Nurth Vancouver-based dba
Communication Systems Inc. as chief technology officer for a
number of years. He left dba in early 1998 after losing interest
in dba’s market focus — central office based traditional tele-
phony systems.

Holland teamed with Jim Burton, whe was on the dba
board. In November Burton and Holland presented a business
plan to Dialogic in New Jersey. Dialogic manufactures comput-
er telephony servers, The company builds the hardware for
communication servers. Said Holland, “They had realized that
they nceded a high quality source of phones that were from an
independent supplier.” Dialogic brought Circa its original fund-
ing. Circa started hiring in January 1999. Today there are 21
people working at Circa.

The plan is to remain in North Vancouver. It’s a business and
a lifestyle choice. “The Vancouver area has been a real strong
developer in the [voice over Internet] space. The truth is there

has been a lot of world-class
technology developed up
here. If anything right now,
this is an area where we'll see
a lot more happen,” Holland
said.

He notes that as tele-
phones and data networks
converge, much of the devel-
opmeat work is net being
done by large, vertically inte-
grated companies. A_ market
exists today for telephone
manufacturers whe do noth-
ing but make celephones. Said
Holland, “It’s more of a hon-
zontal market — one compa-
ny provides the application,
one provides the servers,
another provides the phones.

“We build telephones that
will deliver a high level of
functionality on anyone's sys-
tem.” The Circa phones will
be manufactured in Malaysia.

The deal between Polycom
and Circa was not the fruition

for $1 30

Friday. September 15, 2000 — North Shore News ~ 3

x
million

NORTH Vancouver-based Circa Communications Is being bought by a Californian
high tech company. Hardware engineer Catalin Palade shows a Circa phone.

of a direct overture by
Polycom. Said Holland, “What it really was is that we were out
partnering with other companies who would use our rele-
phones. This a company that was very interested in IP telepho-
ny. We've talked about building products for them that they
would resell, we've had a number of talks over 2 period of a few
weeks.

“Ac one point we decided that the best thing we could do is

see if we could join up and work together in a real tight manner
and obviously the acquisition was one way of doing that. It was
a progressive decision.” Circa is now in a position to leverage
Polycom’s international marketing resources, brand name and
existing, credibility in the market. Polycom manufactures and
markets network access devices and broadband appliances to tap
voice, video and data convergence. ;

NV City examines capital project priorities

Up to $72 million needed for entire wish list

Catherine Barr
Contributing Writer

NORTH Vancouver’s

Streetcar, and a few

other desired projects,
_may be in for a tough

es

On Monday,. city council
._was asked to get its priorities in
-order-as director. of finance

Terry Christie presented a list
of 16 capital plan projects for
discussion. ;
. But the much- heralded
Streetcar restoration project,
. along with the Hamersley
" House renovations, Mickey
McDougall Rec — Centre
upgrade... and —_- Lonsdale
_ . Corridor Master Plan, failed to
make the top ten.
‘The 16 “new projects and

major renovations” listed in
the finance committee’s 2600-
2009 capital. plan ‘priorities
report were divided into high,
medium anc low categories.

And despite Christie’s
assurances that the list was
merely pare of a “first step
process,” councillors have
already begun to fret over what
the city can, and can’t, afford.

The Lonsdale streetcar
restoration idea, which was
first. introduced . back in
February, is still an attractive
item to both councillors and
citizens. :

“You read about: it in the
papers and in the editorials,”
said Mayor Barbara: Sharp.
“They think it’s a “fabulous
idea” -

In fact, the city has already -

spent close to $133,000 on

materials and labour just in an
effort to get old No. 153 back
on the street.

But thanks in part to its
hefty $10-15 million estimated
price tag, it remains low on the
list of things to do.

Also finishing at the back of
the pack was the Lonsdale
Corndor Master Plan which,
oddly enough, — council
endorsed only minutes earlier.
It weighed in at an estimated
$6-10 million.

Among the high ranking
items were the library ($5-7
million), an artificial turf field
($1.4-1.6 million) and the
lower Lonsdale | “multi-pur-
pose centre” ($7.7 million).

The Lonsdale Rec Centre
(Phase 1) renovations and the
Media Arts Gallery cach
received a medium-high rating

and carry an estimated cost of
approximately $2 million dol-
lars cach.

But councillors don’: seem
to know why the $3.8-9.4 mil-
lion Marine City Museum fin-
ished ahead of the $3.8 million
fire hall seismic upgrade and
renovation,

According to the report, it
will take a total of $53-72 mil-
lion in capital wansfer funds to
complete all of the projects
over the next ten years. At pre-
sent, there is only an estimated
$21 million available for use
during 2000-2009, and only
$8 million for use over the next
two to three years.

Ideally, the finance depart-

‘ment would fike to see opera-

tional contributions to the cap-
ital fund increased to 10% of
total taxes. This, they suggest,
can be achieved over the next
ten years through an annual 1%
special capital levy increase.

Fail closure schedule next week

minutes — to remove.

*< Ryan said the jacking trav-
eller, ‘which -also took much

longer. than expected to move
“into place, would not be nced-
‘ed for this particular deck sec-

tion. For. future ‘closures, shit,
said, it could be moved during
the day while traffic was on the

+ bridge. ee

-. Ryan referred to the ‘forth-
“coming closure as “the final
test” before a complete fall clo-

sure: schedule «is announced.. |

-That announcement is expected
early next week, et

2 Ryan said) the suggestions:
“anade® by Liberal critic: Doug ..
Symons that the bridge be shut’
down for several weeks to com-.
“plete the whole: project were

"not realistic.-~

"“The‘ ten-hour closures are -
ust for the lower and fift,”. she ’
“'said.’“People don’t realize how .

“much prep work there is.” 22"

Ryan’ said ‘it ‘would. take .a ©
oral of “at least three months”. -*

“to finish the construction work.

Whether this will result in
an increase in taxes remains to
be seen. All will be revealed
later this year as the official
budget process begins. —

Overall, councillors agreed
that more information _ is
required. “We've got a wish list
here,” said Coun. John
Braithwaite. “And when you
get a wish list, you get trou-
ble.”

Braithwaite maintained that
council would have to ; assess
the “real need” of each item
before definitively deciding to
proceed with any project.

“It’s what we need; versus
what we like,” said Coun. Bob

Fearnley in agreement. :
Still, council voted to
endorse the preliminary set of
capital priorities with the
caveat that they reserve the
right to change their minds in
the future.
“If we need it, it shouldn’r
be on this list,” said Coun. Bill

. Bell.

Meanwhile, council awaits
further information reports on -

the library and consultation ~

reports regarding the streetcar,
project. :

Staff will also continue to ~

gather information and reassess -
the list of priorities and report
back to council each year.

ferry protest set

VEHICLES may come.
to a standstill in ;
Horseshoe Bay on
Saturday —.and for
once, not because of
the ferry traffic.

At least, not directly.
‘The Citizens Against
Ferry Terminal. Expansion

(CAFTE) are: planning to-
hold 2 march ‘tomorrow to |

protest .BC. Ferries’ planned
expansion of its terminal

’ facilities there. ;

The $26:million - pian -
would bring a number of
changes to: the landscape,‘

including: a. new_two-sterey

foot passenger’ facility and

administration office; a new

‘ALL réady to go: another new bridge deck section will be raised onto the Lions
+ Gate Bridge during a 24-hour closure period scheduled for this weekend. A full
closure schedule for fall is expected early next week... oa Se

toll. plaza; "a ferry . mainte-
nance. building; and “a: large
underground parking facility.

Some of: the “existing, rock
d lasted - -
away to.make room for. the

face :.would- have: to

Improvement’

The idea ‘for « the -march:
-arose:out of a CAFTE publi

meeting that was held in mid-

uly.” “The consensus: from ~

hat: meeting «was | that:-we

‘start organizing a number of.

.- protests so that the issues are

kept out infront of: BC
Ferries,” *. said“. (CAFTE

“spokesperson Carol. Hassell.

who also added that the orga-

nization is planning’ to. ho

similar marches in the futur:

“We'll do whatever is ne:
essary,” . she said. |. “We've
-been writing (to BC Ferries)
bur: we'don’t get. ansivers to
our questions. We get a form
letter. ::. saying that’ they’ve
. done all the public consulta
tion they’re- going to do an
: they’re..going to: plan:.on

going ahead.”

Hassell. said. that CAFTE
— which boasts ‘a: member-
ship base of about 300 fami
lies —. still. hopes to: affect.
change in the Crown’ corpo