Altamar Networks

Ditech Communications, a leading provider of echo cancellation and other telecommunication equipment, had recently acquired an optical equipment manufacturer and was aggressively moving into the high-speed optical networking market. They wanted to name their new subsidiary in a way that would raise them above their competitors.

The field was cluttered with opti, photonic, and light-oriented company names that sounded overly high-tech. They wanted a name that was inspiring, lyrical, and positive, and that reflected their roots as a West Coast based company without limiting them geographically.

The solution was built from two Spanish words Alta, meaning high or elevated, and Mar, meaning ocean. The Spanish words give it a western feel without saying California or West Coast, and the series of open "a" sounds make it easy to say and very approachable.