Transforming Network Infrastructure Week in Review: ADTRAN, Delta, II-VI

What’s black and white and read all over? The answer, we hope, is Transforming Network Infrastructure. But if you missed some of our coverage this week, here’s a quick review.

Network operators have been working to explore and implement APIs, software-defined networking, and new orchestration solutions in an effort to better serve users – and, in the process, to stay in the black (and to grow their businesses). As Transforming Network Infrastructure contributing writer Michael Guta explained this week, the Metro Ethernet Forum and the TM Forum are working with AT&T, Colt, and Orange to release a set of standard APIs for orchestrated Carrier Ethernet services to help them do that.

“Our research shows that the No. 1 issue impeding the delivery of on-demand services is the need for a standardized approach to orchestrating

services across multiple provider networks,” said Rosemary Cochran, principal at Vertical Systems Group. “This initiative, led by industry leaders to collaboratively standardize on APIs for Ethernet services, is an essential step toward tackling this challenge.”

Guta this week also contributed a Transforming Network Infrastructure article on the new miniature Z-block optics from II-VI Inc.

“Our ability to miniaturize our micro-optics technology platform allows us to offer our customers a very low loss technology option compared to waveguide or silicon photonics technology,” said Gary Lin, vice president of II-VI Photop. “Our micro-optics volume capabilities are based on our state-of-the-art thin-film filter fabrication facility in Guangzhou, China, from which we have shipped more than 200 million filters in the last 3 years for the fiber-to-the-home market.”

Transforming Network Infrastructure this week also featured a story on new Agema white box switches from Delta. As I explained in this piece, the new data center switch and carrier-grade deep buffer switch leverage Broadcom’s StrataXGS BCM56970 (Tomahawk 2) and StrataDNX BCM88680 (Jericho+) technologies.

“To build a disaggregated network, today’s cloud computing customers need robust network switches, which Agema provides, plus the OcNOS network operating system,” said IP Infusion President and CEO Kiyo Oishi. “We’re working with Agema to support Layer 2 and Layer 3 switching on Agema products for service provider applications and will have the platform qualified.”

And contributing writer Steve Anderson kept us up to date on what’s happening at ADTRAN. The network solutions supplier has come out with a new SD-Access system to help address 5G requirements.