The need for networking bandwidth is doubling every 18 months. Optical networking is emerging as the preferred means by which to address this need. 1 Learn how the industry's unprecedented shift to optical networks offers new opportunities for equipment manufacturers and service extension solutions for ISP's. Solutions for OEM Empowerment and for Connected World-Optical product lines must be easy to design and must enable OEM network visibility and performance monitoring. Multi-service, full standards compliance, platform density, and low power consumption will be presented as make or break requirements for today's OEMs.
Optical fiber wraps around the earth connecting people, business and governments.
Hundreds of thousands of volumes can now be transported in seconds over a single strand of fiber. Phenomenal breakthroughs in knowledge, technology and applications have lead to a Network Economy unto itself. What exists as Optical Networking today was first proposed in the mid-eighties and grew out of the existing paradigm of voice transportation and telecommunication services. What the future holds for Optical Networking is even more fascinating than the developments that have brought us to our current infrastructure. This introduction attempts to give a brief history of current Optical Networks and a glimpse into the growing possibilities for future network standards, technology, and topologies.