March 2008 Archives
« February 2008 | Main | April 2008 »
March 27, 2008
Credit crunch for start-ups
Investing in R&D remains a continuing problem for optical networking companies both large and small, and the fact that venture capital firms like Europe's 3i Group plc now says it will stop investing in early stage start-up companies will not come as welcome news for the industry.
You can see it from 3i's point of view though. Past investments in optical components makers include Intense Photonics, Indigo Photonics, Kamelian, ilotron, and Polatis. Intense survived by diversifying, and Polatis is still out there building its optical switches, but neither has made it to IPO or acquisition, while Indigo, Kamelian and ilotron called in the administrators. That's not to say there haven't been any successes for 3i in the optical arena — planar lightwave circuit maker Kymata was sold to Alcatel (as it then was) for $119 million — but I suspect that VC firms usually aim a little higher.
On the other hand, as the financial industry is so fond of telling us: past investment performance is no guide to the future. It's a shame that 3i is quitting on start-ups at a time when R&D investment is so sorely needed.
March 25, 2008
Inspirational people?
At the 2008 Executive Forum, which took place concurrently with the OFC/NFOEC conference, an OSA representative took to the floor to ask a panel of optical components makers and analysts who they most admired in the optical networking industry.
Nobody had an answer. Seemingly the industry is lacking in dynamic, motivational, and visionary leaders. Or so I thought.
I've just spotted that last week the OSA appointed Viviane Reding, European commissioner for information society and media, and Thierry Van der Pyl, head of the Commission's Photonics Unit, as the organization's 2008 Advocates of Optics. This award is given to a public official with a strong record of supporting optics and photonics.
According to the press release, Reding was selected as this year's advocate for "her extraordinary vision in establishing a Photonics Unit within the European Commission", while Van der Pyl is being recognized for his leadership of the Unit.
This made me think about the original question: who are the inspirational figures in the telecoms industry? Despite her high-profile position and the importance of regulation in promoting competition in the telecoms market, Reding — who was also named Internet Villain of the Year in 2007 — probably wouldn't be everyone's first choice. Who would you pick?
March 6, 2008
Fibre-optic black holes
It seems there's no end to the things you can do with optical fibres. Light can be slowed to a walking pace or even stopped in its tracks, and now, it appears, it's possible to create something akin to a black hole.
A research paper just published in the journal Science describes an experiment in which light in optical fibres was used to mimic the event horizon of a black hole.
Although the actual experiment doesn't appear to be as sexy — or dangerous — as it sounds, it clearly involves some clever non-linear optics and quantum physics (using bigger brains than mine). It could potentially lead to new insights or techniques unrelated to the original problem the researcher were trying to solve — to observe and understand Hawking radiation, which was theorized by physicist Stephen Hawking to stream from real black holes.
This could give a whole new meaning to fibre-to-the-home!
March 5, 2008
OFC/NFOEC 2008 news roundup
As usual, the OFC/NFOEC exhibition produced one big concentrated hit of product announcements from optical components vendors. Here's a complete list of fibresystems.org news and analysis coverage from the show:
Bookham touts long reach tunables
Lightwire claims silicon photonics advance
Opinion: Beginnings of a bubble?
Infinera unveils photonic roadmap
JDSU takes subsystems to the next level
OFC/NFOEC report part 1: 40G
Tunable laser deluge drives down prices
OFC/NFOEC 2008 in pictures
Yes, I know what you're thinking. If there's a show report part one, there ought to be a part two. I really set myself up for a fall with that one! It's a work in progress and is on the topic of electronic dispersion compensation. Check back later this week to see it.
OFC/NFOEC 2008 in pictures
OFC/NFOEC was a big event for the FibreSystems' team because it was our first outing since we relaunched the magazine and its companion website fibresystems.org a few months ago. Armed with 1200 copies of the mag, and some dazzling egg-yolk yellow T-shirts, we prepared to take the show by storm. Here are some photo highlights from the week. Enjoy!
FibreSystem's Swedish contingent (from the left: marketing executive Mikael Wigart and sales executive Mattias Persson) earn their keep by putting stickers on 1200 magazines ready for the publishing bins. We let them stay up late too.
There's no mistaking that this is the FibreSystems booth. Bring your sunglasses! Our illustrious publisher Claire Bedrock and marketing man Mikael Wigart were always on hand to tell exhibition attendees everything they never needed to know about the magazine, and to bribe folk into signing up for the print or digital edition.
HMS Surprise is a replica of an 18th century Royal Navy frigate, which was used in the film Master and Commander, and now resides at the Maritime Museum of San Diego. This was to be the location of the fibresystems.org launch party. The surprise was that the party got moved to the paddle steamer Berkeley, moored behind it, but 191 people still managed to find us.
The egg-yolk yellow marketing campaign certainly got us noticed in the exhibition hall. But a yellow website, yellow banners, yellow pens, and yellow T-shirts clearly wasn't enough, we had to have yellow tablecloths at the party as well. For 2009, we'll see if we can get permission to paint the submarine.
From left to right: Pauline Rigby, editor of FibreSystems Europe magazine, and fibresystems.org (someone give me coffee), Roy Rubenstein, former industry analyst with RHK, and now research director for Light Counting and a regular contributor to the magazine, and our esteemed publisher, Claire Bedrock (aka booth babe).
A good time
A good time was had by all at the fibresystems.org launch party. These guys from the University of Melbourne certainly did, although the fact that they'd just won startup funding may have helped. Also in the picture, folks from Diamond Australia.
San Diego is such a great venue! The conference centre is right on the bay, with the temptations of the sun and sea, whale watching and the Maritime Museum vying with the show for your attention - shown here is aircraft carrier USS Midway. The good news is that the conference organizers say OFC/NFOEC will be held in San Diego for the next two years. Until next time!
March 3, 2008
EC to recommend technology for fibre access
The European Commission (EC) is planning to issue a recommendation before the summer on how member states should go about rolling out fibre connectivity to homes and businesses, according to the article on ZDnet. Ken Ducatel, a member of information commissioner Viviane Reding's cabinet, said that the recommendation would address a preferred technical method for rolling out next-generation access.
The EC is talking about the fact that many network suppliers are attracted to a passive optical network (PON) architecture because it keeps costs down by sharing the fibre medium. But PON rollouts also raise competitive issues, because it's unclear how PON infrastructure can be shared between operators. Active Ethernet, on the other hand, is much easier to unbundle.
Should the EC get involved in deciding which technology is used in fibre access?