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This article sets forth five areas where we see five opportunities emerging from the emergence of quantum networking. Since the 1960s the digitalization of traffic on networks has transformed networking. Digital networking is characterized by information defined as bits (1s and 0s), rather than the waveforms associated with older analog networks. The rise of quantum

The demand for cost-effective high-performance cryptography solutions for data-centers continues to grow under the weight of almost constant threats of hacking, both strategic and malicious.  At the present time, asymmetric cryptographic solutions and bare fiber links form two of the most critical weak points for data-center security.  Both of these security incursions could be defended

400 GigE is the first Ethernet standard not to incorporate copper cable.  There is some talk about implementing 400 GigE for ultra-short reach links on a board or even board-to-board.  But for the typical data center applications – rack-to-rack and beyond – it’s fiber all the way.  An open question is how will the fiber

While polymer-based data communications has found viable niches in home networking and in the automotive industry, there has been no success in bring polymers in the data center.  Polymer datacom start ups have risen and fallen.  One recalls, especially, Telephotonics, which had very ambitious plans to create a full range of polymer-based optical components for

For now 400 GigE is barely in its deployment phase, and its use will be confined to hyperscale data centers at first.  But we have all seen how the fastest data rates make their way downward.  It is not that many years since 10 Gbps was considered “bleeding edge.” Today some laptops have 40 Gbps

Since its earliest days optical networking, on the physical cabling level, has been touted as much less prone for hard tapping than copper cables. But today, this is much less the case. Once somebody put their tap on in a right place, the security of the optical networking is gone. More and more studies are

The growth of data centers is a constant theme in the trade press.  Typically, this growth is presented as an encouraging trend, creating demand for a variety of systems and components. But for data center managers hyperscale data centers are mostly cost centers; necessary evils that require cost reduction and cost analysis, and do not

After the relative failures of the Thunderbolt 1 and Thunderbolt 2 cabling systems, Thunderbolt 3 appears set for success as the “one cable to rule them all.”  Thunderbolt 3 is billed as a user-friendly cabling system, robust enough to support everything from high-definition video to high-res audio to personal storage networking.  It operates at 40

Be sure to sign up for CIR’s webinar on active optical cabling markets taking place on July 16th.  See here to register. Active optical cable (AOC) suppliers are spreading their wings into video and consumer electronics markets, but most will remain focused on the data center – especially the HPC environment – for years to

There can be little doubt that most of the strategic focus of the AOC manufacturers will continue to be on the data-center market for the next few years. Here they will find a relatively mature market and a fairly clear path for further penetration of the market. Thus we expect to see a growing range

In 1990s fantasies of the all-optical network, electronics played a minimal role. Today it seems that the higher bandwidth demands go the more high-performance silicon is actually needed. In CIR’s new report “400G, OTN AND NEXT-GENERATION TRANSPORT: A MARKET AND TECHNOLOGY FORECAST” (See: http://cirinc.wpenginepowered.com/reports/400-g-otn-and-next-generation-transport-a-market-and-technology-forecast), we discuss (among other topics) how the first trials of 400G

Carriers worldwide are beginning to outgrow 100G transport networks and are taking the first tentative steps towards 400G backbones. CIR believes these ultra-fast networks will create major new revenue opportunities for optical components firms, silicon chipmakers and equipment companies alike. This new business will occur as 400G transport moves out of today’s trial phase and