Mellanox and Ranovus Champion OpenOptics Multi-Source Agreement

Mellanox and Ranovus introduce an OpenOptics Multi-Source agreement to standardize WDM technologies, Level 3 enables Northrop Grumman to deliver a distributed simulation training network for the U.S. Air Force, and Windstream selects Infinera to power its 100G long-haul express network.

Mellanox and Ranovus champion OpenOptics Multi-Source Agreement. Mellanox Technologies (MLNX) and Ranovus technologies founded an industry consortium to standardize Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) for an interoperable 100G WDM standard for 2 kilometer reach. The OpenOptics multi-source agreement (MSA) combines 1550 nm WDM laser and silicon photonics for QSFP-based solutions enabling the lowest cost, highest density, and highest bandwidth single mode fiber (SMF) connectivity, significantly improving terabit-scale data center infrastructure ROI. “Our cloud customers want to deploy data center infrastructure that allows seamless upgrades to the interconnect just as they do in server, storage and network hardware,” said Shai Cohen, COO of Mellanox Technologies.  “With 100G interconnects approaching commercialization in data centers, OpenOptics MSA brings 100G WDM technology to data center economics, density, power consumption, and 2 km link scalability on single mode fiber infrastructure.”

Level 3 selected by Northrop Grumman. Level 3 Communications (LVLT) announced that it has been selected by Northrop Grumman Corporation to deliver network services as part of the defense contractor's multi-million dollar agreement with the U.S. Air Force to support their distributed simulation training network. As part of the Distributed Mission Operation Network (DMON), Level 3 has connected more than 50 sites worldwide. "The Level 3 network is incorporated into the distributed training solutions Northrop Grumman provides to the U.S. Air Force," said Edward Morche, senior vice president of East Region Enterprise and Government Markets for Level 3 Communication. "The U.S. Air Force benefits from the global reach and low-latency performance of the Level 3 network to deliver the highest-quality training experience and realize efficiencies across various training networks and programs both in the United States and abroad."

Windstream deploying Infinera for long-haul express network. Infinera (INFN) announced that Windstream (WIN) is deploying the Infinera DTN-X platform, featuring 500 Gigabit per second (Gb/s) super-channels across Windstream's long-haul express network. The Infinera Intelligent Transport Network enables Windstream to differentiate their services, protect their investment and lower operational expense as they scale their network. Using single-card 500 Gb/s FlexCoherent super-channels based on Infinera's widely deployed photonic integrated circuits provides Windstream with a solution integrating DWDM optical transmission and five terabit per second non-blocking OTN switching in a single platform. "By deploying the Infinera Intelligent Transport Network, Windstream will significantly increase the capacity of our network infrastructure to meet the needs of our customers," said Randy Nicklas, executive vice president of engineering and chief technology officer for Windstream. "The DTN-X platform enables us to offer services that result in lower latency for mission critical applications while providing a network that is even more reliable and enables rapid provisioning of services."