May 26, 2004 Washington, D.C. -- The executive management of the Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exposition (OFC) and the National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference (NFOEC) today announced plans to combine the two events into one comprehensive conference and trade show exposition to take place March 6 -11, 2005 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA.
To remain focused on core competencies in telecommunication software and services, Telcordia Technologies has turned over assets and management of its NFOEC event to OFC. Owned and managed by the OFC organization, the combined OFC/NFOEC event will provide attendees and exhibiting companies with the communications industry's most comprehensive view of optical technology--both in terms of the latest research breakthroughs and innovations as well as the commercial products and services available today, say representatives for the combined event.
The stand-alone NFOEC meeting, originally planned for September 12-16, 2004 in Anaheim, CA, will not be held. Instead, it will take place in combination with OFC in 2005, and Telcordia Technologies Inc., the previous owner and sponsor of NFOEC, will continue to offer recommendations on programming content and audience outreach together with OFC management.
The OFC event is managed by the Optical Society of America (OSA) and co-sponsored by OSA, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers/Communications Society (IEEE/ComSoc) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers/Lasers and Electro-Optics Society (IEEE/LEOS).
"Both OFC and NFOEC have long been leaders in serving the research, engineering, and application communities in the communications industry," contends Elizabeth A. Rogan, executive director, OSA. "By joining our efforts and areas of expertise, this combined event will offer enhanced programming for the benefit of our attendees and will deliver a greater concentration of customers in one location, which is a terrific opportunity for our exhibitors."
"In its early years, NFOEC's primary audience was the Regional Bell Operating Companies," recalls David Arbach, Professional Services, Telcordia Technologies. "While continuing to serve the needs of network carriers, over the years the conference has greatly expanded its reach to become an international event serving CLECs, long-distance carriers, and the broad range of facilities-based network operators. We believe the combined event is an important next step in the expansion of NFOEC's reach and is consistent with the evolution of the communications industry."
OFC/NFOEC 2005 programming and special event announcements will be released in the coming months. The 2005 conference will feature an exposition, plenary session, peer-reviewed technical programming, workshops, short courses, and special focus sessions, including OFC's Market Watch: Business & Technology and the Service Provider Summit.