Finisar Australia Expands to Support Growing WSS ROADM Market
No CommentsPosted by Rafik Ward on September 1, 2010
Last month, Finisar Australia unveiled a new office at its South Sydney headquarters, located in Waterloo, NSW. This newly expanded space will support the R&D efforts necessary to meet the growing market demand for our WSS ROADM products.
The Finisar AU staff was especially excited to have Premier of NSW Kristina Keneally on-site for a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Ms. Keneally was able to observe first-hand the expanding operations, including state-of-the art research and development laboratories, manufacturing, and office space which will house a growing Finisar staff.
This new office comes at a significant time in our international growth, specifically in support of telecom service providers who are looking for greater flexibility as they design their networks. International market research firm, Infonetics Research, predicts that the ROADM optical equipment market will continue to be the fastest growing segment of the optical equipment business, and the key component fueling this is the WSS or Wavelength Selective Switch. Finisar is sufficiently positioned and well prepared to accommodate this market surge and we look forward to further building this team to support our customers.
We are actively recruiting talented people to support our operations in Australia. If you are interested, please e-mail your CV/Resume to HR@finisar.com or call +1-408-542-4128.
Premier of NSW Kristina Keneally visits Finisar Australia to conduct a ribbon cutting ceremony of its newly expanded office with Andrew Bartos (August 2010)
Premier of NSW Kristina Keneally visits Finisar Australia laboratory (August 2010)
Add Your Thoughts
Future Proof Your Network: Flexible Grid Architecture
No CommentsPosted by simonpoole on August 19, 2010
The driver for any development in optical communications technology is, almost without exception, a reduction in cost-per-bit/km travelled (although there’s one interesting exception to this which I’ll talk about at some future point). This intensely capitalistic and utilitarian approach has enabled the dramatic growth in the internet (YouTube needs very low cost/bit to be viable), but are we approaching the point where the rate of cost reduction may start to slow down? In the US, for example, there’s recently been a move away from ‘all you can eat’ data plans to something approaching (very slowly) the capped plans found in many other parts of the world – partially in response to the recognition that there is a finite amount of bandwidth available at any point in the network.
In the optical space, we have, over the past 15 years, moved to higher and higher per-channel bit rates running on more-closely-spaced WDM channels. However, we are (as I mentioned previously) reaching the limit of what can be achieved on the ITU Grid-based systems introduced in the 1990s. Consequently, fibre bandwidth, which only a few years ago was being proselytised by Gilder as being effectively ‘infinite’, is increasingly being seen as a finite resource which needs to be managed as effectively as possible using all the techniques at our disposal.
One solution, which is gaining a great deal of traction at the moment is to move away from the constraints of the ITU Grid to what we term a flexible grid architecture where the channel optical bandwidth can be dynamically adjusted to meet the requirements of the signal being sent through it and hence maximise the data carrying capacity of the fibre.
This ability to control the channel bandwidth and position with GHz resolution has been utilized in many research papers as I discussed in my previous blog. In practice, however, the complexity of managing a network with such fine granularity may outweigh its advantages. Market requirements indicate that a channel bandwidth granularity of 12.5 GHz will meet future channel bandwidth requirements and that even 25 GHz channel bandwidth increments may be sufficient.
First generation WSS (typically based on MEMS and/or Liquid Crystal technologies) allocate a single switching element (pixel) to each channel which means that the channel bandwidth and centre frequency are fixed at the time of manufacture and cannot be changed in service. However, second generation WSS, based on Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCoS) or 2D MEMS mega-pixel matrix switching arrays, permit dynamic control of channel centre frequency and bandwidth through ‘on the fly’ modification of internal pixel arrays via embedded software.
Furthermore, not only must the core switching elements in a ROADM be capable of supporting flexible grid architectures, but the multiplexer/demultiplexers and filter arrays must support the same degree of flexibility. The flexibility provided by LCoS technology can also be applied to these high-port-count (e.g. 1×23) multiplexer/demultiplexers and programmable filter arrays.
This discussion has focused on the requirements for the wavelength-selective elements in a flexible-grid ROADM as these will be the first part of the flexible grid network that has to be deployed to ensure the network is future-proofed. However flexible grid networks will also require additional component developments including scanning optical channel monitors capable of handling polarization multiplexed signals with varying bandwidths and signal formats and signal (and local oscillator, for coherent systems) lasers capable of operating at the finer frequency increments implied by flexible grid architectures (6.25 GHz for 12.5 GHz channel increments and 12.5 GHz for 25 GHz channel increments). This provides a continuing challenge to those of us in the optical space as we continue to improve the price/performance of our components and modules which underpin the networks of the future.
Flexible grid technology (not grid-less) will allow the optimum usage of the finite operating window in a fibre and allow operators to continue down the path of reducing the cost per bit/km of data travelling through the network.
Any comments are welcome.
Add Your Thoughts
Finisar Achieves Industry Milestone: 100 Million VCSELs Shipped and Counting
No CommentsPosted by Rafik Ward on August 10, 2010
I am very excited to announce an industry milestone for Finisar: the shipment of our 100 millionth Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser, or VCSEL. Finisar’s VCSELs are semiconductor lasers used by some of the world’s largest companies to power high-speed fiber optic data communications. I can proudly state that we have been an industry leader in high-volume VCSEL technology since our first commercial introduction in 1996. Shipping 100 million VCSEL products clearly demonstrates the viability of this technology in many applications and is a testament to our continued focus on innovation and execution.
None of this has been possible without the support of our customers whom represent the industry’s leading storage and network system manufacturers, telecommunication carriers, and enterprises operating major data centers. In addition, in recent years, we have also started to see new applications for VCSELs outside of our core communications markets. We are now shipping VCSELs into consumer, medical, industrial and sensing applications. While these applications are currently low volume relative to our core communications markets, we believe over time the number of applications for VCSELs will likely grow and the size of some of these new markets can become significant for our VCSEL products.
Fifteen years ago, a small team in Texas started shipping their first VCSEL and the business has grown tremendously since then. Today, Finisar is recognized as the gold standard of VCSELs and has many patents on VCSEL design structure and processing techniques used to manufacture them. Our VCSEL fab in Allen, Texas is considered one of the most advanced VCSEL fabs in the world and has received high praise from many customers who have performed audits. Our VCSEL team has gone on to create the gold standard VCSEL for performance, reliability and delivery in the industry.
The growing demand for VCSELs has been fueled by several factors, including the success of Gigabit Ethernet and Fibre Channel. Ultimately, we owe our success to our customers, who are working hard to champion the explosive growth in the data center and telecommunications market.
Add Your Thoughts
A Trip to China and A Top500 Award for Quadwire
No CommentsPosted by finisar on July 14, 2010
This week’s Lightspeed post comes from guest blogger Tony Pearson, Finisar’s Director of Product Marketing.
A “lightspeed” visit to China! It was a short journey of only 3 days, with two halves and a tale of two cities, separated by a virtual “Great Wall”. The first half: a visit to Shanghai, both the city and one of the jewels in the Finisar homegrown facility treasury. The second: to Tianjin (approx. 150km from Beijing) to visit Dawning Information Industry Company Ltd. and their Nebulae Supercomputer installation. The virtual “Great Wall” I refer to was simply the barrier thrown up by Mother Nature to domestic flight schedules – during rainy season in Beijing we are reminded that no matter how fast our communication solutions become…she’s still the boss! I’ll focus on two halves and the cities for this post, but I’m always happy to recount my travel stories to the interested in a future blog post.
Let me begin with an event that I was honored to attend at the Dawning manufacturing facility in June for those companies, including Finisar, who helped enable the world’s #2 supercomputer “Nebulae” as ranked by the 35th edition of the Top 500 supercomputer list. The event celebrated a milestone for Dawning as the #1 Supercomputer solution vendor in China and #2 in the world in terms of performance as ranked by the Top 500. Dawning further honored Finisar with a commemorative award for participation in Nebulae.
The Nebulae Supercomputer was at the center of the celebration with the event including a tour of Nebulae itself. The exciting thing for me, personally, was to see a supercomputer with over 120 server racks connected using Quadwire™ Active Optical Cables. This excitement only perhaps topped by the fact that these cables were designed and manufactured by Finisar at the very facility I visited the previous day.
Although not my first visit to China, this was my first visit to Shanghai and the Finisar Shanghai R&D and Manufacturing facility. Shanghai is truly a city in the fast lane, quite literally with some of the best kept and most functional highways I’ve seen in the world. With all eyes currently on the World Expo site located on the Huang Pu River running through the heart of downtown, this is a city in the same mold as Singapore, New York, London or Hong Kong, in my opinion, with a very cosmopolitan feel and population. With an infectious air of both maturity and optimism, this is a city that makes you want to keep coming back. The same is true of the Finisar Shanghai team and site in its newer location with a mix of both locally and globally educated talent, with a vast wealth of experience in the fiber optics business.
While this trip was focused on the high tech: high tech cities, high tech facilities, high tech computer solutions and high tech fiber optics, the real story here for me was about two Laws of Nature: “Bandwidth x Distance” limits combined with our relentless need for more information, pushing fiber solutions over longer distances now to our homes and to the Supercomputer in its most recent incarnation. And, then of course Mother Nature, who stamped her laws on my ability to move around China if not the data in the highly controlled environment of the Nebulae Supercomputer installation.
Finisar’s Tony Pearson (left) visits Dawning for a tour of the Nebulae – the World’s #2 Supercomputer as ranked by the 35th edition of the Top 500 supercomputer list.
Add Your Thoughts
Finisar is a Top Bay Area Workplace!
No CommentsPosted by Rafik Ward on June 30, 2010
On June 20th, Finisar was named a Top Bay Area Workplace by the Bay Area News Group. More than 1,200 companies were surveyed and 60 were selected based on an employee ranking of several attributes including company leadership, training, workplace flexibility, and diversity. I am honored to work for a company that treats its employees well and embodies a culture driven by nice, participative and hard working individuals. In my eight years at Finisar, I have seen a lot of changes, but we have remained true to our culture and hard work, openness and innovation.
To our staff especially, THANK YOU for Making Finisar a Top Bay Area Workplace!
Read more about this award.
The Lightspeed Blog will take a break next week as we celebrate the Fourth of July – our national Independence Day. For those of you in the USA, I wish you all a safe and relaxing holiday.
Add Your Thoughts
Sensors Expo Wrap-Up
No CommentsPosted by finisar on June 28, 2010
This week’s Lightspeed post comes from guest blogger Pritha Khurana, Components Product Line Manager for Finisar.
The last few weeks have been very busy for Finisar. Spread across the world, our team participated in both the ISC and Sensors Expo conferences. I flew to Chicago to spend June 7 through June 9 at the annual Sensor event, co-located with the Embedded Systems Conference (ESC). I love the opportunity to reconnect face-to-face with our customers and partners, discuss fiber optic communication advances in the enterprise with our industry colleagues, and of course the chance to meet potential customers. At this event, Finisar showcased its VCSEL technology – used for precision optical sensor applications – at the company’s booth. Finisar’s demonstration of precision velocity sensing using VCSELs for a completely non-contact system drew a lot of interest. A number of customers expressed an interest in turbidity sensing using lasers as well.
I spent two solid days meeting with customers and partners at this year’s Sensors conference, which drew more attendees than last year. The sensors industry, a space Finisar is engaged in through its VCSEL products has widely embraced the areas of MEMs-Based Systems, Energy Harvesting, Smart Power, Data Acquisition, Wireless Networking, and more.
While a busy couple of weeks for Finisar, the time with our customers, partners and industry peers discussing “what’s next”, and discovering how Finisar is an important facet of these next steps was as valuable as ever.
Add Your Thoughts
Finisar Innovation Heroes!
No CommentsPosted by Rafik Ward on June 22, 2010
Simon Poole and Steve Frisken, the founders of Finisar Australia have been recognised for their contributions to Australian Innovation by being named as two of the Warren Centre’s “Innovation Heroes” for 2010 at a ceremony at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney on Tuesday evening, 8th June.
The Innovation Heroes awards are presented to individuals recognised for developing and commercialising a range of cutting-edge technologies and innovations that have significantly contributed to the economic progress of Australia.
According to Professor Mike Dureau, Executive Director of The Warren Centre, “It’s one thing to have a good engineering idea and another to develop and commercialise the technology and then sell it to the world. Each of this year’s Heroes Award recipients possess a unique vision and drive to see their products commercialised to benefit of a range of local and international industries. The capacity of each finalist to successfully give life to great ideas that also benefit the Australian economy must be applauded.”
“Australian engineers are a leading force in the economic growth of Australia and their creativity, innovation and entrepreneurial skills are the qualities that continue to help shape the future of Australia and in many cases, the world,” added Professor Dureau.
The citations for Simon and Steve were as follows:
Dr. Simon Poole is an innovator in communications and photonics technologies. He co-invented the Erbium-Doped Fibre Amplifier with a market of $300M pa. He founded and sold two successful photonics companies, INDX and Engana, responsible for developing world leading Wavelength Selective Switching technologies. He is now working as the Director, New Business Ventures of Finisar Australia to expand the company’s core activities into the field of Optical Instrumentation.
Dr. Steven Frisken was a co-founder of Photonic Technologies which was acquired by Nortel Networks, and he became the interim CEO. He introduced a telecommunications optical circulator adopted by industry and passive and dynamic EDFA gain flattening filters leading to the first laboratory DWDM amplifiers. Steve Frisken also co-founded Engana with Simon Poole, Australia’s most successful optical start-up company.
Congratulations Simon and Steve!
Add Your Thoughts
ISC 2010 Wrap-Up –What’s Hot in Supercomputing
No CommentsPosted by finisar on June 17, 2010
This week’s blog post comes from Katharine Schmidtke, Finisar’s Strategic Marketing Manager.
I had the pleasure of attending the International Supercomputer Conference (ISC) event May 31-June 3, in Hamburg Germany. The show was well attended and appeared to have doubled in size from last year. In attendance were all the major industry suppliers and leading technology providers such as Mellanox, QLogic, Voltaire, NVidia, HP, IBM, Cray, Oracle, AMD, Intel, LSI, Supermicro and STEC. Key themes included supercomputing, storage and networking. Of those, hot trends discussed were cloud and parallel computing as well as the future developments to come in the next 10 years. The trend to higher bandwidth continues, with the IBTA announcing the latest roadmap which adds a new datarate at FDR (14 Gbps) in addition to EDR (26 Gbps). InfiniBand is targeting 300 Gbps by 2011 in a 12 lane format running at 26Gbps per lane.
And as I sat through the presentations and spoke to some of the folks on the show floor, it became evident that there are two central themes underpinning all the major business and HPC initiatives – latency and flexibility. Reducing latency is key for supercomputers, while flexibility is the driver in cloud computing. NVidia made quite a splash with their Tesla C2050 GPUs which are used to improve data crunching speeds in many supercomputers, including the new #2 supercomputer – the Nebulae system built by Dawning in China. Dr. Wilfried Oed from Cray shared some of the secrets in the new XE-6 supercomputer including the new Gemini network card which he admits is “more than just a router” by increasing processing speeds using a clever non-blocking routing system.
On the news front, the biannual 35th edition of the Top 500 supercomputer list was released. The U.S. continues to take the lead in the number one spot with Jaguar, the fastest supercomputer system used for The Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Computing Facility. Trailing close behind and ranked second on the list is Nebulae, China’s fastest system worldwide.
Other noteworthy technical initiatives point to Intel, who dominates the high-end process market with roughly 82% of all systems and over 90% of quad-core based systems. IBM recoups the lead in market share by total systems and overall performance from Hewlet-Packard (HP). And exciting for Finisar – we were part of the 120 Gb/s InfiniBand demonstration at this year’s event. Check out the press release issued by the HPC Advisory Council to learn more.
Until next year’s ISC show, Auf Wiedersehen, as they say in German!
Add Your Thoughts
Finisar Australia, oh so nice!
No CommentsPosted by simonpoole on June 8, 2010
As you may have read recently, Finisar is now the number 1 WSS/ROADM supplier globally, with a particular strength in high-performance WSS for 50GHz channel spacing. As I discussed in my last post the flexibility of our core LCoS technology means that we’re extremely well positioned to meet the needs of upcoming flex-grid architectures for 100G and above transmission. Our WaveShaper product range is also expanding – again driven strongly by the growth in advanced modulation formats and coherent systems but also by expansion into other markets including microwave photonics and laser pulse manipulation.
To support all this growth, we’re expanding our engineering and R&D teams here in Sydney and are looking to hire a whole lot more engineers and scientists. We’re looking for people with a range of skills, including opto-mechanical engineers, software engineers, optical designers and high-speed electronics whizzes as well as manufacturing and process engineers to support the manufacturing ramp that comes with a growing market share in a rapidly-expanding market.
Sydney is a tremendously cosmopolitan city (heck, we’ve even got Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson curating a city-wide arts festival this month) with a great, year-round lifestyle and (particularly important for me these days) great food and wine…
Our facility is located in Waterloo, only 10 minutes to the heart of the city, with thriving local arts and restaurant scene and good access by road and public transport. We provide competitive salaries and full relocation packages. If you’re interested, check out this page or contact theodora.liosatis@finisar.com.
Add Your Thoughts
Applicable Laws
2 CommentsPosted by Rafik Ward on May 24, 2010
The following are some of my favorite laws, when it comes to tracking technology and bandwidth growth:
Everyone has heard of Moore’s Law, invented by the legendary Geofrey Moore, founder of Intel. Moore’s Law predicts:
The number of transistors on an integrated circuit doubles every 24 months
Probably the next most cited law in technology circles is Metcalfe’s law. Created by the inventor of Ethernet, and the founder of 3Com, Metcalf’s Law states:
The value of a telecommunications network is proportional to the square of the number of users of the system (n2)
George Gilder, the legendary technology visionary, came along with another law in 1996 predicting internet bandwidth growth. Gilder’s Law postulates:
The total bandwidth of communications systems will triple every year for the next 25 years
Maybe a little optimistic in terms of what we know now, but a valiant attempt, none-the-less to predict bandwidth growth. Perhaps a more accurate estimate is Nielsen’s Law:
Internet bandwidth for a high-end user grows at 50% per year
However, my favorite law of all is attributed to Jeff Farmer, the former CTO of Wave7, who perhaps predicted Internet bandwidth in the most accurate of ways… Farmer’s Law states:
No matter how much bandwidth you provide, some clown is going to come along with an application that needs more!
In reality, bandwidth has been growing at approximately 40% per year but my favorite law remains to be Farmer’s Law.
When I first started in this industry as a junior PLM, I used to believe that bandwidth would keep growing until the point where one could stream a decent resolution video stream over the Internet that could be watched on a large screen TV. At that point the killer app (video) would have been realized and bandwidth growth would start to slow significantly. Now with websites like Netflix, this has proved possible. However, the growth in bandwidth doesn’t appear to be slowing anytime soon.
Bandwidth has provided us with the opportunities to develop more and more applications, which in turn fuels the need for more bandwidth, which in turn opens up new applications.
Looking forward, I think cloud computing will set an interesting bar for the next major milestone for bandwidth. It will be very interesting to see the day when latency and bandwidth are so fast, that very low cost clients will have seamless interfaces to massive datacenters that host all our applications, files and software.
