2016 Lightwave Innovation Reviews Recognizes OFS Products

Two OFS fiber optic products have obtained recognition by the 2016 Lightwave Innovation Reviews. In these reviews, LaserWave® FLEX WideBand Multimode Fiber received a score of 4.5 out of 5 points and the InvisiLIght® Optical Solutions earned a score of 3.5 points.

According to Lightwave, the competitive, unbiased Innovation Reviews program celebrates the most original and innovative products in the optical networking industry. The panel of third-party judges included executives from Verizon, LightCounting Market Research, Cisco, Lumentum and Huawei. In addition, the criteria used in the Innovation Reviews rankings included unique technology or application thereof, innovation, ease of use, efficiency, reliability and contribution to profitability.

To read and learn more, please go here.

How ADSS Cable “Lost the Gel”

Over the past decade, the fiber optic industry developed and quickly accepted the use of completely gel-free (“dry”) loose tube cables for general use. Referred to as “dry-dry,” these cables use superabsorbent powders to prevent water ingress into a cable instead of traditional oil-based filling and flooding compounds. Now completely gel-free technology has arrived in the ADSS cable arena.

Loose Tube Webinar

On March 18, Dr. Tim Goddard of OFS will present an IWCS-sponsored webinar on the development and commercial deployment of a totally dry ADSS loose tube cable family. This presentation will cover the key design factors considered in development and the comprehensive test program performed to ensure the suitability of these fiber optic cables for use in the field.

View the ADSS Cable Webinar

Making the Right Optical Fiber Choice: Single-Mode or Multimode?

Cloud computing and web services continue to drive the need for greater network bandwidth. In fact, this demand is pushing the data communications rates for both enterprise and data center networks up to 100G and beyond.

Given these higher speeds in mind, premises system designers may believe that single-mode fiber holds a growing advantage over multimode fiber. However, higher Ethernet transmission speeds alone do not automatically make single-mode fiber the right choice.

Network developers must consider a variety of factors such as bandwidth, reach and cost-effectiveness. And, with the introduction of bend-insensitive fiber and Wideband Multimode Fiber, it makes sense to revisit the Issue of multimode versus single-mode fiber.

A new white paper by OFS’ Tony Irujo offers a fresh perspective on making the right fiber choice for your premises network.

Get the full story HERE.

OFS Launches New Addition to Fiber Optic Microcable Product Line

OFS introduced the newest member of its growing microcable product line at the FTTH Conference in Luxembourg today.  Building on OFS’ expertise in microcable technology, the MiDia® 2GX Cable can help take metropolitan networks to the next level with increased fiber density, enhanced performance and significantly greater cost-saving opportunities on deployment.

Specifically designed for seamless installation into existing microduct networks, the MiDia 2GX Microcable can help service providers achieve up to a 100% increase in fiber density plus longer air-blown installation distances, by using a single, reduced-diameter cable.

To learn more about this new microcable, please visit the links provided below.

Press Release

Data Sheet

Meeting the Data Center Demand for Increased Bandwidth

Today’s data centers are increasingly using 40 and 100 Gb/s Ethernet speeds. Work is also underway to develop 400 Gb/s Ethernet and 256 Gb/s Fiber Channel standards for next-generation networks. How are the optical fiber and structured cabling industries responding to this growth in demand for bandwidth?

To learn more, mark your calendar to hear OFS’ John Kamino (BICSI RCDD) Senior Manager – Multimode Fiber Product Management cover this and other topics during his “Next-Generation Multimode Fiber” presentation at the BICSI Winter Conference in Orlando on Tuesday, February 2, 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.  For more information on this topic, please go HERE.

Emerson Report Identifies Four Emerging Data Center Models

Emerson Network Power recently released a summary report that predicts four emerging archetypes that will reshape the way the data center of the future will look and operate.

According to the analysis, the data center has typically changed in response to technology innovation with a somewhat predictable pace and direction. However, it continues, “Disruptive trends such as cloud computing, sustainability, cybersecurity and the Internet of Things (IoT) are driving profound IT changes across all industries and creating opportunities and challenges in the process. As a result, new archetypes are emerging that will change the data center landscape and improve productivity, drive down costs and increase agility.”

Meeting the Need for Speed

Bandwidth demand continues to grow unabated and is predicted to increase at a compound annual rate of nearly 25 percent over the next five years.  The use of virtualization in servers has driven intra-data center traffic to new levels, while the rapid deployment of cloud computing applications is creating demand for higher-speed enterprise networks.

In a new article in BICSI’s ICT Today, John Kamino and Roman Shubochkin of OFS discuss how the optical fiber and cabling industry is supporting this need for higher network speeds by developing a new, next-generation multimode fiber – wideband multimode fiber.

What Lies Ahead for Multimode Optical Fiber

Multimode optical fiber has supported the transmission speeds of the fastest networks for many years, with refinements in the fiber manufacturing process enabling increased bandwidth and throughput capability. OM4 fiber is currently the highest-performing, standardized multimode fiber.

Multi-mode links can be used for data rates up to 100 Gbit/s. Multi-mode fiber’s large core enables multiple light modes to be propagated and limits the maximum length of a transmission link because of modal dispersion.

In an upcoming webcast sponsored by Cabling Installation & Maintenance, Tony Irujo of OFS will look ahead to the future of multimode fiber, describing the next generation of fiber technology and, specifically, applications for which it is appropriate.

To learn more, click Here

Managing Change in Data Center Cabling and Systems

From network cabling to supporting infrastructure, every system in a data center must deliver solid, consistent performance.  However, because data centers are subject to frequent reconfiguration, they must also be adaptable to change.

A recent webcase seminar from Cabling Installation & Maintenance provides an inside look at technologies that can help data centers to meet the challenge of remaining both dependable and flexible.