May 6, 2004 Haywood, CA -- Glimmerglass has been awarded a $10 million contract to supply λ OPTICALSYSTEMS, an advanced optical network solutions provider, with its carrier-class Reflexion switching fabrics over the next two years. Glimmerglass has already delivered more than $1 million worth of fabrics to λ OPTICALSYSTEMS, which incorporates the Glimmerglass fabrics within its λ Node all-optical switching family.
Together, Glimmerglass and λ OPTICALSYSTEMS worked through the specification and development of what they claim are the world's smallest and highest-performing optical switching fabrics, based on Glimmerglass' Brilliance microphotonics technology, which includes 3D MEMS architecture and connection-control software. These components enable λ OPTICALSYSTEMS to deliver affordable, flexible, and secure all-optical network solutions to customers. Key customer groups include government agencies that require reliable high-bandwidth data delivery and telecommunications carriers pressed to deliver enhanced services as cost-effectively as possible.
"Glimmerglass' technology is a key component of our optical networking solutions, because it enables the fast, reliable switching of optical wavelengths from one point to another," explains Dr. John Taylor, CEO of λ OPTICALSYSTEMS. "Next-generation networks must be based on a transparent, all-optical core in order to support and effectively deliver a host of data, video, and other connection-intensive applications, regardless of protocol or data rate," he adds. "Our partnership with Glimmerglass allows us to exceed the demanding performance requirements of government agencies and carriers at a fraction of the cost of traditional optical networks."
λ OPTICALSYSTEMS' all-optical network solutions combine DWDM technology with what it says is an industry-first capability to switch at the wavelength level. Unlike traditional DWDM networks, signals do not have to convert from optical to electric and back to optical again at each network node. Instead, all signal conversion and protocol-specific functions occur on the edge of the network, allowing core transmissions to be rapidly switched, routed, protected, and managed at the individual wavelength level--unobstructed by traditional switching technology. This capability enables customers to realize significant cost savings, as it can reduce network capital requirements by up to 80%, claim company representatives.
"λ OPTICALSYSTEMS' solution set is central to extending DWDM networks beyond today's point-to-point systems to fully-switched mesh configurations of any complexity," asserts Mark Housley, president and CEO of Glimmerglass. "The signal conversion savings alone are remarkable."
λ OPTICALSYSTEMS offers a family of optical networking products, including the λ CREATE software suite of integrated network management tools and the λ NODE all-optical switching family. The company's λ Optical Control Plane (λ OCP) enables integrated visibility and management of the entire end-to-end network from a single dashboard or operation center. The λ NODE 2000 optical switching system is expandable from 64 to 256 wavelengths in a single bay. The λ NODE 4000 optical switching system supports up to 1024 wavelengths. The Glimmerglass fabrics inside these switching systems deliver non-blocking connections that enable λ NODE systems to switch both individual wavelengths and wavebands (groups of wavelengths). When fully equipped, a λ NODE 2000 system utilizes eight Glimmerglass switching fabrics, providing 100% redundancy.
The Glimmerglass Reflexion family, meanwhile, is available in transparent switching configurations with sub-10ms switching times and a maximum insertion loss of 3 dB. Glimmerglass contends that its Reflexion is the smallest commercial subsystem of its kind, thanks to the company's patented microphotonics technology.