Ciena becomes a computer weaver

• Ciena is to buy optical interconnect start-up Nubis Communications for $270 million.
• The deal covers optical and copper interconnect technology for data centres

Ciena has announced its intention to buy optical engine specialist Nubis Communications for $270 million. If the network is the computer, Nubis' optical engine and copper integrated circuit (IC) expertise will help Ciena better stitch together AI's massive compute fabric.

Source: Ciena

Ciena signalled its intention to target the data centre earlier this year at the OFC show when it showcased its high-speed 448-gigabit serialiser-deserialiser IC technology and coherent lite modem. Now, Ciena has made a move for start-up Nubis, which plays at the core of AI data centres.

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From spin-out to scale-up: OpenLight’s $34M funding

Part 1: Start-up funding

OpenLight Photonics, a Santa Barbara-based start-up specialising in silicon photonics, has raised $34 million in an oversubscribed Series A funding round.

The start-up will use the funding to expand production and its photonic integrated circuit (PIC) design staff.

“We’re starting to get customers taking in production mask sets, so it’s about scaling operations and how we handle production,” says OpenLight CEO, Adam Carter (pictured). The start-up needs more PIC designers to work with customers.

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Paying homage to Harald Bock

Harald Bock, described by an optical networking executive as one of the great people of our industry, has died. Former colleagues describe the man and their sense of loss

Harald Bock

Those who knew and worked with Harald Bock have been stunned by his sudden passing at 55. For them, Harald was a valued and much-admired friend, a deep thinker who made his views heard, quietly yet powerfully.

Last February, Harald changed jobs, becoming chief product officer at Ekinops after six years at Infinera. He was excited by the role and enjoyed his introductory period travelling to Ekinops' sites, meeting colleagues and customers, and working on the company’s strategy.

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IOWN’s all-photonic network vision

What is the best way to send large amounts of data between locations? Its a question made all the more relevant with the advent of AI, and one that has been preoccupying the Innovative Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN) Global Forum that has now over 160 member companies and organisations

Masahisa KawashimaOptical networking has long established itself as the high-speed communications technology of choice for linking data centres or large enterprises’ sites.

The IOWN Global Forum aims to take optical networking a step further by enabling an all-optical network, to reduce the energy consumption and latency of communication links. Latency refers to the time it takes transmitted data to start arriving at the receiver site.

"The IOWN all-photonic network is the infrastructure for future enterprise networking," says Masahisa Kawashima, IOWN technology director, IOWN development office, NTT Technology working group chair, IOWN Global Forum.

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Glenn Wellbrock’s engineering roots

After four decades shaping optical networking, Glenn Wellbrock has retired. He shares his career highlights, industry insights, and his plans to embrace a quieter life of farming and hands-on projects in rural Kansas.

Glenn Wellbrock’s (pictured) fascination with telecommunications began at an early age. “I didn’t understand how it worked, and I wanted to know,” he recalls.

Wellbrock’s uncle had a small, rural telephone company where he worked while studying, setting the stage for his first full-time job at telecom operator, MCI. Wellbrock entered a world of microwave and satellite systems; MCI was originally named Microwave Communications Incorporated.

“They were all ex-military guys, and I’m the rookie coming out of school trying to do my best and learn,” says Wellbrock.

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John Bowers: We are still at the dawn of photonics

Professor John Bowers has been a key contributing figure in the development of silicon photonics. In an interview, he reflects on his career, the technical advancements shaping silicon photonics, and its expanding role.

After 38 years at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), Professor John Bowers (pictured) is stepping away from teaching and administrative roles to focus on research.

He welcomes the time it will free for biking and golf. He will also be able to linger, not rush, when travelling. On a recent trip to Saudi Arabia, what would have centered around a day-event became a week-long visit.

Bowers' career includes significant contributions to laser integration and silicon photonics, mentoring some 85 PhD students, and helping found six start-ups, two of which he was the CEO.

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Lumentum's optical circuit switch for AI data centres

Part 3: Data Centre Switching

The resurgence of optical circuit switches for use in data centres is gaining momentum, driven by artificial intelligence (AI) workloads that require scalable connectivity.

Peter Roorda

Lumentum is one of several companies that showcased an optical circuit switch at the OFC event in San Francisco in March.

Lumentum's R300 switch connects optically the 300 input ports to any of the 300 output ports. The optical circuit switch uses micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), tiny mirrors that move electrostatically, to direct light from an input port to one of the 300 output ports.

The R300 addresses the network needs of AI data centres, helping link large numbers of AI accelerator chips such as graphics processor units (GPUs).

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