Since 1985, the Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exposition (OFC) and the National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference (NFOEC) has provided an annual backdrop for the optical communications field to network and share research and innovations. Current Analysis Principal Analyst for Optical Infrastructure, Jason Marcheck, was there and wrote a series of intelligence reports on announcements made at the show. Highlights from these reports appear below. Clients with a subscription to our Optical Infrastructure module can read the full report by clicking the Client Access links. |
Contents
Transmode Adds Layer 2 Ethernet to iWDM Product Line, Hits Mark for Aggregation in Edge Networks
| Analyst: Jason Marcheck | Optical Infrastructure | Client Access |
Announcement Summary
|
February 27, 2008 – Transmode announced the addition of integrated Layer 2 Ethernet demarcation and aggregation capabilities into its metro WDM platforms. The new capabilities will be housed in the Transmode Ethernet Demarcation Unit (EDU), which can be deployed as a plug-in unit in conjunction with the TM-series platform. The new EDU is currently available, and Transmode noted that the product is currently being deployed with existing customers.
Analytical Summary
• Current Perspective: Positive on Transmode’s news that it is introducing an Ethernet Demarcation Unit (EDU) for use in conjunction with the TM-Series metro optical transport platform. Already successful as a metro WDM vendor in Europe, the new EDU promises to provide a number of functions critical to the support of emerging transport services such as Ethernet-based aggregation and backhaul for mobile wireless and DSLAM traffic.
• Vendor Importance: High to Transmode, because the market demand for robust Ethernet aggregation and traffic management features is becoming one of the most crucial drivers of new metro optical transport equipment. Thus, the ability to support these features is a must for all metro optical vendors. Introducing the EDU as a plug-in to the already space efficient TM-series platform better enables Transmode to offer service providers the tools necessary to support important new trends like Ethernet backhaul, especially in the European market where Transmode is best known.
• Market Impact: Low to moderate on the optical infrastructure market, because while Transmode’s new EDU offering undoubtedly adds a valuable dimension to the Swedish vendor’s flagship platform, several much larger European optical vendors will cite similar capabilities in their own metro transport solutions. To this end, rival vendors should be on notice that Transmode is taking the incremental steps to keep its TM-series in step with evolving market requirements. However, the move is unlikely to result in a major competitive advantage for Transmode.
Infinera Unveils Roadmap to 400G PICs, Cornerstone of 40G Channels
| Analyst: Jason Marcheck | Optical Infrastructure | Client Access |
Announcement Summary
|
February 22, 2008 – Infinera announced that it anticipates making photonic integrated circuits (PICs) capable of supporting 400 Gbps of optical transport capacity available in 2009. 400G PICs represent an important milestone for Infinera because it will allow the vendor’s DTN platform to support 40 Gbps worth of traffic on a single wavelength. Infinera also pointed out that it expects to be able to double PIC capacity, beyond 400 Gbps, every three years.
Analytical Summary
• Current Perspective: Slightly positive on Infinera’s outlining of a roadmap to commercial availability of photonic integrated circuits (PICs) capable of supporting 400 Gbps of optical transport capacity. The move essentially prescribes Infinera’s plans to support 40G services over a single wavelength, which will be a critical step in preparing its DTN DWDM optical transport platform to meet the evolving needs of network operators. At the same time, the vendor noted that the 400G Digital Line Modules (DLMs) cards will not be commercially available until sometime in 2009. With at least a year to go before G.A., it can be reasonably assumed that Infinera has a significant amount of work remaining before its first “roadmap” milestone comes to fruition.
• Vendor Importance: Very high to Infinera, because the vendor needs to begin showing demonstrable progress on technology that will enable the DTN to support serial 40G wavelengths. However, looking beyond 40G support, Infinera’s assertion that it expects to be able to double PIC capacity every three years indicates that the vendor should be able to support 1 Tbps on a single chip within approximately five years (assuming 400G PICs are ready in 2009). This argues that the DTN will be able to support serial 100G wavelengths in approximately the timeframe when widespread demand for 100G wavelengths is predicted to occur.
• Market Impact: Moderate to high on the optical infrastructure market because Infinera’s roadmap (and corresponding demonstration of a 400G PIC) state that the vendor will be offering 400G DLMs that can support serial 40G wavelengths, thereby meeting a critical milestone in the near term develop of optical transport networks. However, 40G is already widely available from Infinera’s competitors, meaning waiting until next year to offer 40 Gbps of capacity on a single wavelength will by no means be a shock to the market. Nevertheless, if Infinera is able to reduce the cost delivering 40G wavelengths via its 400G DLMs dramatically the vendor could gain a significant competitive advantage over rival 40G suppliers.
OIF Bolsters Standardization of Carrier Ethernet Transport Control with UNI 2.0
| Analyst: Jason Marcheck | Optical Infrastructure | Client Access |
Announcement Summary
|
February 25, 2008 – The membership of the Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF) has ratified the group’s UNI 2.0 implementation agreement designed to support features such as: Ethernet clients for EPL and EVP services; dynamic bandwidth modification, without service disruption; G.709 connection services for ODU and OUT switching layers; and low order SONET/SDH connection services. Although 7 carriers and 8 vendors participated in an IOT, the membership needs to provide their go-to-market programs.
Analytical Summary
• Current Perspective: Positive on the news that the OIF has produced an implementation agreement (IA) related to its UNI 2.0 initiative. Long touted and refined through a series of interoperability tests, the UNI 2.0 agreement formalizes standards related to a variety of control plane mechanisms important to the delivery of Carrier Ethernet Transport (CET) services. At the same time, the OIF’s agreement was produced without input from several important CET players, thus threatening to undermine the ultimate credibility of the “standard.”
• Vendor Importance: Very high to the OIF because the industry trade group exists to facilitate cooperation among vendors and service providers toward the end of simplifying the implementation of optical switching and transport technologies. An IA on UNI 2.0 represents the successful fruition of approximately three years of work to make support for CET services more uniform, and by extension, less risky for carriers to deploy.
• Market Impact: High on the optical infrastructure market because UNI 2.0 should give vendors and carriers a common framework through which to develop control plane mechanisms for supporting important new CET services. As a result, vendors now have clear marching orders when it comes to defining control mechanisms for the parameters addressed in the UNI 2.0 IA; a factor that should allow them to narrow the focus of their development efforts and speed time to market for enhancements to products aimed at the CET market.
Fujitsu Updates FW 7500 to Broaden Platform’s Network Footprint
| Analyst: Jason Marcheck | Optical Infrastructure | Client Access |
Announcement Summary
|
February 20, 2008 – Fujitsu Network Communications announced several new enhancements for its FLASHWAVE 7500 ROADM. The new features include new 19 and 23-inch shelf options, a two-degree ROADM configuration, an in-service upgradeable In-Line Amplifier (ILA) and a 10 Gbps Flexponder card. The new features are available immediately.
Analytical Summary
• Current Perspective: Slightly positive on Fujitsu’s latest round of enhancements to the FLASHWAVE 7500 ROADM (FW 7500), because while the update provides some improvements, Fujitsu did not address other key knocks against the product. To be sure, all incremental enhancements to any products are generally welcomed by customers. However, it seems equally certain that this latest round of development that went into the FW 7500 will leave these same customers wanting more.
• Vendor Importance: High to Fujitsu, because the FW 7500 is one of the vendor’s most successful equipment offerings in North America (along with the FW 4500 MSPP). To this end, addressing weaknesses in the platform, and adding new features that will help make the FW 7500 a better fit in additional parts of the network (in this case, the metro edge) represents an important step forward in keeping Fujitsu’s metro core offer in “fighting shape.”
• Market Impact: Moderate on the optical infrastructure market, because anytime a product with strong market traction is enhanced, the competition must take notice. In this case, more robust transmission capabilities and a simpler, more cost effective ROADM implementation should help Fujitsu defend its current accounts, and potentially expand the platform’s reach into new and existing accounts. At the same time, the features that Fujitsu is introducing for the FW 7500 are not exactly novel, meaning most competitors can claim to offer similar capabilities in their own metro core and edge solutions.
