Avago Adds QSFP+

BOEBLINGEN, Germany -- Avago Technologies (Nasdaq: AVGO), a leading supplier of analog interface components for communications, industrial and consumer applications, today announced fiber optic module solutions that enable more efficient switching and greater bandwidth in data centers. The new pluggable, parallel optical QSFP+ eSR4 transceiver is the first module that can address both 40 Gigabit (40G) and 10 Gigabit (10G) Ethernet applications with a verified link distance of 400 meters. This gives data center operators the flexibility to reuse the current 10G wired infrastructure when upgrading to 40G, providing a major cost savings. The Avago QSFP+ eSR4 modules integrate four 10G lanes in each direction to increase bandwidth within a line card by more than three times while using 50 percent less power than that of a one-lane SFP+ module.

Dell'Oro: 2012 optical transport equipment market shrinking

Sales of optical network hardware in the first half of 2012 declined 5% versus the same period in 2011, according to a newly published report by Dell’Oro Group. The optical network hardware market saw sales levels of $6.1 billion during the first half of last year, according to the market research firm. “The optical market contracted in the first half of 2012 due to lower spending in the mature markets of North America and EMEA,” said Jimmy Yu, vice president of optical transport research at Dell’Oro Group. “The emerging regions of Asia Pacific and Latin America, however, did grow as service providers in the regions continued to expand network capacity.” North American spending decreased 12% versus last year, while sales in the EMEA region declined 16%, the report reveals. While revenues have grown by 7% in Asia Pacific and 11% in the rest of the world (principally Latin America) compared to the first half of last year, the overall effect has been a 5% decline. As Infonetics Research stated earlier (see “Infonetics: Optical network systems revenue jumps 15% in 2Q12”), sales of WDM equipment and packet-optical systems bucked the downward trend. The former niche grew 5% in the first half of the year, while sales from the latter composed a third of total optical market revenues during the period. Overall equipment spending trends favored Huawei, which captured approximately 20% share of the worldwide optical network equipment market in first half 2012, Dell’Oro states.

Sticklers to launch OPTIXX lens and instrument screen cleaner at ECOC

Sticklers Fibre Optic Cleaning Products, a division of MicroCare Corp., says it will unveil the OPTIXX Precision Lens & Instrument Screen Cleaning Kit at the European Conference and Exhibition on Optical Communication (ECOC) which will run September 17–19 in Amsterdam. The OPTIXX Precision Lens and Instrument Screen Cleaning Kit is designed to be used on high-precision optics, solar cells, laser hardware, and scientific instruments used within the telecommunications, security, and medical fields. The kit will clean dust, oil, dirt, fingerprints, pyrotechnic soot, moisture, and similar environmentally generated contamination, Stickler says. The kit includes a non-pressurized, metered volume dispenser of the non-flammable OPTIXX optical-grade high-purity cleaning fluid and a specially designed dispenser containing 100 OPTIXX optical-grade, lint-free wipes. The OPTIXX cleaning fluid’s hermetically sealed 3 oz./85 g metered volume dispenser enables the fluid to be transported as non-hazardous and non-regulated. This means the kit can be shipped anywhere, even via commercial airlines, without HAZMAT paperwork and costs, Sticklers asserts. The OPTIXX wipes are static dissipating, non-tearing, non-abrasive, and exceed federal standard A-A-50177B Type 1, Class 4 spec for optical grade wipes.

Omron Network Products offers optical modules for video transmission

Omron Network Products, LLC (ONP) has unveiled a pair of optical transmitter and receiver modules, both rated to support 14 Gbps of data over 1 km of multimode fiber. The new P1TX6B-SX51x-02C and P1RX6B-SX51x-02C, also called 02C TX and RX Modules, are available now. The support of 1-Gbps backchannels makes the 02C modules the highest-speed versions of ONP’s new SX51x line. The 02B version, introduced last week, supports 622 Mbps in the backchannel, while the 02A version supports 155 Mbps. All are available now. “The 02C TX and RX Modules are unique in combining single-fiber 14-Gbps transmission capability, 1-Gbps backchannel data rate, and 1-km range, and supporting both USB and Ethernet,” said Martin Smith, ONP’s director of marketing, via a company press release. “In addition, the modules surpass all competitive optical modules in user customizability, enabling systems designers to tailor them for a wide range of advanced applications in many industries including medical, legal, and education.” The protocol-agnostic data modules include a pre-programmed laser driver, an integrated SC clip, and a metal housing with EMI shielding. The new data modules are designed for easy use and quick implementation into a variety of fiber extension products. It is this flexibility that distinguishes the SX51x series from competitors, Smith told Lightwave last week. While he expects the modules to find significant success initially in such applications as home theater and related professional audio/visual applications, Smith added that he expects the products to open the door to opportunities in industrial automation as well as healthcare, legal, and campus markets.

Iliad Group nabs broadband funding

The Iliad Group has secured a loan of EUR 200 million from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to fund Iliad’s next round of fixed broadband network deployments. The EIB previously had loaned EUR 150 million loan to bankroll previous infrastructure roll outs. The EIB is the long-term lending institution of the European Union owned by its member states. It makes long-term finance available to support EU policy goals. Approximately 65% of the funds will be earmarked for the deployment of fiber to the home (FTTH). Much of the rest will go toward enhancing the carrier’s ADSL2+ network and promote unbundling. This next phase of construction will focus on less densely populated areas of the country under a cofinancing agreement signed with the incumbent operator in July 2011 designed to reach around 60 towns and villages. Said EIB Vice-President Philippe de Fontaine Vive, “Innovation and support for advanced information technologies are one of the EIB’s top priorities. Our goal is to foster the development of a competitive European economy based on the knowledge triangle of education, research, and innovation. We are therefore delighted by this partnership with Iliad, a key player in the digital revolution in France. The inhabitants of small towns and villages will benefit in particular from this operation.” “We welcome this partnership with the EIB, which will enable the Iliad Group to press ahead with the rollout of the digital fixed networks of tomorrow and strengthen its key position in France’s telecom’s sector,” added Xavier Niel, founder of the Iliad/Free Group.

Zayo adds 400G to Spokane to Portland route

Zayo Group says that it has increased the capacity of its fiber route from Spokane to Portland by 400 Gbps.

The network services provider asserts the extra capacity on the low-latency router will improve its ability to serve the needs of major carriers, industries, and businesses in the region. The upgrades necessitated installation of new equipment and replacement of some existing systems.

In addition to direct connections, the route also will offer an alternative path to the zColo facility at 2001 6th Avenue in Seattle, from Spokane and Portland.

"The Spokane to Portland route serves as a differentiator for Zayo's wavelength service," says Zach Nebergall of Zayo's Wavelength Product Group. "It provides diversity from other Spokane to Seattle routes, and gives Zayo the ability to serve more customers in the Spokane, Portland and Seattle metro markets."

Allot Completes Oversi Acquisition

HOD HASHARON, Israel -- Allot Communications Ltd. (NASDAQ: ALLT), a leading global provider of service optimization and revenue generation solutions for fixed and mobile data networks, today announced it has completed its acquisition of Oversi Networks. Oversi is a global provider of rich-media caching and content delivery solutions for Internet video and peer-to-peer (P2P) traffic. The agreement was announced on July 31, 2012. The Oversi Networks acquisition further enhances Allot’s vision to integrate the widest range of critical value-added services in its industry-leading Allot Service Gateway. Allot now enables operators to implement comprehensive video strategies by integrating caching with a portfolio of video services including video optimization, analytics and tight integration with both policy and charging. The Allot Service Gateway enables wireless and wireline service providers worldwide to quickly and efficiently drive new revenue sources and to effectively manage the ever-increasing volume of video traffic on their networks. Oversi's innovative caching and acceleration solutions help both fixed and mobile service providers to relieve the heavy network congestion associated with Internet video traffic. Its technology identifies popular content and caches it at the edge of the network, therefore achieving significant bandwidth saving and minimizing long delays in Video delivery and enabling the operator to better monetize the flood of video. The end result is a dramatic improvement in the subscribers’ quality of experience (QoE) for video applications. Oversi's solution has been widely deployed at several large and medium service providers to date.