Joyce, who only qualified to play for England last year, averages 47 in first-class cricket and has 17 centuries to his credit, including a highest score of 211 for Middlesex against Warwickshire in July.
Jim Parmalee, an analyst at Credit Suisse First Boston, says the companies products will be "best in class" because they will be able to transmit light for 4000 kilometers without being regenerated electronically, which will mean a dramatic reduction in both operating and capital costs for managers of optical networks.