Capella Photonics and Lightconnect Create MEMS ROADM Alliance; Alliance to Enable Multi-Sourcing of Wavelength Selective Switches.ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Capella Photonics and Lightconnect announced today the creation of the first MEMS (MicroElectroMechanical Systems) Tiny mechanical devices that are built onto semiconductor chips and are measured in micrometers. In the research labs since the 1980s, MEMS devices began to materialize as commercial products in the mid-1990s. ROADM ROADM Reconfigurable Optical Add/Drop Multiplexer ROADM Reconfigurable Add Drop Multiplexing Alliance to better respond to customer demands for multi-sourcing of wavelength selective switch (WSS WSS Windows Sharepoint Services (Microsoft) WSS Web Services Security (OASIS) WSS Wavelength Selective Switch (Reconfigurable Optical Add/Drop Multiplexer) ) modules for use in reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM) and optical cross connect (OXC See optical cross-connect. ) applications. The alliance goal is to further accelerate the commercial deployment of ROADMs by fostering MEMS technology innovation and promoting an open architecture for wavelength management modules and sub-systems. Having an open architecture allows systems vendors to design a common circuit pack and source key components from multiple vendors. "Traditionally, suppliers of passive wavelength management products resisted the implementation of multi-source agreements to protect their market position. However, our customers can no longer afford to develop multiple line cards or circuit packs. The optical telecom industry needs to develop solutions that will reduce cost throughout the entire supply chain: component, sub-systems, systems and service providers. Lightconnect and Capella decided to spearhead this effort and invite other suppliers to join the Alliance," says Yves LeMaitre, CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of Lightconnect. The ROADM market is the fastest growing segment of the DWDM (Dense WDM) The term given to wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) when significantly more channels were being added. Since WDM is increasingly more "dense" all the time, both terms are used synonymously. See WDM. DWDM - wavelength division multiplexing market and represents a critical investment decision for system providers and network operators. "As we've seen with other innovative functional blocks, an MSA (Metropolitan Service Area) An urban area with at least 50,000 people plus surrounding counties. There are 306 MSAs and 428 RSAs (rural service areas) in the U.S. MSAs and RSAs are used to allocate cellular licenses. is a key part of the maturity process to move past early adoption into mainstream use," said Karen Liu of market research firm RHK RHK Ratahallintokeskus (Finnish: Finnish Rail Administration) RHK Ryan Hankin Kent (RHK, Inc. marketing consulting firm) RHK Rigshospitalets Kollegium (Copenhagen, Denmark dorm) . Today, MEMS is recognized as the clear choice for building WSS modules. MEMS scales from wavelength blocker to multi-port WSS configurations and unlike liquid crystal technology, allows for switching and equalization on a single chip. The other ROADM alternative to MEMS is Planar Lightwave Circuits but the optical performance penalty has prevented field deployment. "With the rapid growth of broadband IP services, it is paramount for network operators to be able to dynamically manage bandwidth throughout their networks. Wavelength switching is the cornerstone element for system providers to respond to this demand. At a time where innovation comes primarily from agile and focused private companies, the MEMS ROADM alliance will provide optical system manufacturers with a secure supply of MEMS based products while lowering overall solution costs," says Larry Schwerin, CEO of Capella Photonics. To learn more about the MEMS ROADM Alliance, please stop by Lightconnect booth #2375 and Capella Photonics booth #2750 at the OFC/NFOEC show in Anaheim, California. About Capella Photonics Located in San Jose, California San Jose (IPA: /ˌsænhoʊˈzeɪ/) is the third-largest city in California, and the tenth-largest in the United States. It is the county seat of Santa Clara County. , Capella Photonics is the leading supplier of wavelength selective switch (WSS) modules for use in reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM) and optical cross connect (OXC) applications. The company's solutions are based on an extension of free-space optics technology proven by the founders' groundbreaking work in the fields of optical and magnetic data storage. Capella's WavePath product line enables system architects to design optical platforms that offer dynamic and remote reconfigurability, thus greatly simplifying the engineering and provisioning of optical networks. For additional information, please visit www.capellaphotonics.com or contact Ken Falta of Capella Photonics at +1 (408) 360-4241 or kfalta@capellaphotonics.com. About LIGHTCONNECT, Inc. Lightconnect is the leader in MEMS-based components and modules for next generation optical networks. Lightconnect product portfolio includes an entire family of variable optical attenuators (VOA (Variable Optical Attenuator) A device that can incrementally adjust the power of the optical signal passing through it. ), dynamic equalizers and ROADM solutions. For more information, visit www.lightconnect.com or send an email to Santosh Joseph; LIGHTCONNECT; 510-284-4334; santosh.joseph@lightconnect.com. Join Lightconnect and its employees in supporting the UNICEF UNICEF (y  `nĭsĕf'), the United Nations Children's Fund, an affiliated agency of the United Nations. South Asia Tsunami Relief, www.unicef.org.
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