Abstract
In the heyday of the promise of optical networking, nothing was as holy as the
holy grail of all-optical networking. The promise of transmission and
switching happening at light-speed without dependence on protocols was the
elixir of an overactive marketplace.
A robust market for all sorts of devices for "optical networking" has arrived,
but very few devices implement their functionality optically. The venerable
optical cross-connect (OXC), for example, is usually an
optical-electrical-optical device that is more of a super-charged digital
access cross connect (DACS or DXC).
Rather than settling as the cornerstone of the much vaunted transparent
optical network, the all-optical switch (AOS) has the opportunity to find a
home in the offices of those network providers (FSOs, ILECs, etc.) rolling out
the fiber to homes and businesses. The AOS is finding growing traction as a
replacement for the manual optical cross connect as companies need to automate
the provisioning, testing and maintenance of the large amount of fiber being
installed to provide services to office parks and neighborhoods.
The use of the AOS for automated fiber management gives network operators more
functionality than a simple patch panel. Besides the elimination of patch
cords, these physical-layer, transparent switches have additional benefits,
including:
- Reduction in cost
- Elimination of errors
- Rapid provisioning
- Flexible and rapid testing
- Improved control and integration
- Elimination of abandoned connections
- Reduced truck-rolls to isolate faults
Other uses for all-optical cross connects include:
- Communication & Data Networks -- Intelligent, rapid reconfiguration of the
network at the physical layer.
- Manufacturing and Test:
- Component Design & Verification
- Manufacturing Automation
- Network Design & Simulation
This report analyzes the designs and applications of all-optical switches and
the products offered by the profiled companies. Of critical importance, this
report assesses the size of the current and future marketplace for these
devices.
Companies profiled include: Calient, Chromux, Continuum, Dicon, Engana
GlimmerGlass, Lambda Optical Systems, Lynx Photonic Networks, MEMX, and
Polatis.
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