Communications Semiconductors

Coverage

Ovum RHK's Communications Semiconductors program focuses on identifying opportunities for semiconductor companies, with an emphasis on understanding vertical markets and applications. Ovum RHK's research begins with carrier business needs and deployment plans, identifies changes in the network architecture, forecasts trends in the system vendors' business, and identifies product opportunities for semiconductor manufacturers.

MARKET COVERAGE

Ovum RHK's Communications Semiconductors program covers the markets for all wired communications:

• Broadband access: Evolution of established markets, such as DSL and cable, plus new technologies, such as PON (FTTH) and broadband wireless
• Wide area networks: Metro and core optical networking (SONET/SDH boxes and DWDM), plus carrier switching and routing (IP routers, multiservice switches)
• Voice switching: Class 4/5 switches, digital cross connects (DCS), softswitches, enterprise and carrier gateways for local loop and trunk, VoIP endpoints, TDM, and IP PBXes
  

SIGNIFICANT TRENDS

Ovum RHK addresses the following:

• Next-generation networks: How will carriers transition their existing networks from TDM to IP? What is the impact on network architecture? What new services will enterprises demand? What new boxes will be required and how does this create IC opportunities? How do network transition plans vary by carrier and by region?
• MSO competition: How will growing competition from MSOs force RBOCs and PTTs to accelerate network deployments? What new technologies will benefit? How do MSO networks differ from telcos and what are the opportunities?
• Access technology transition: How will carriers choose between the wide array of access technologies? What must IC vendors do to not miss these fast-paced transitions?
• Telco video: How will the addition of broadcast TV and video on demand (VoD) change telco networks? What type of content protection or digital rights management (DRM) must carriers deploy to gain access to lucrative Hollywood content?

IC STRATEGIES

Ovum RHK addresses the following key strategic issues for IC companies:

• Merchant adoption: In which markets will system vendors convert from captive ASICs to merchant ASSPs or FPGA solutions? How can chip vendors accelerate this transition?
• Pace of integration: How quickly will functions become integrated in both infrastructure and CPE; how does this vary by market? How can diversified IC manufacturers leverage multiple business units to gain share? In which markets will ATCA rescue the food chain and thus create opportunities for IC manufacturers?
• Flexibility vs. efficiency: How can IC vendors define products to best solve time-to-market, cost, and product definition challenges that system vendors' R&D managers face? What factors are helping ASSPs and FPGAs displace ASICs?
• Asia-Pacific opportunities: How can IC vendors capitalize on growing markets in Asia Pacific? What specific products are required for Asian carrier networks? What sales channels and system vendor relationships will be most rewarding?

ANALYST TEAM

Daryl Inniss: Program Director, Communications Semiconductors

Daryl Inniss is Program Director for the Optical Components program. He has 15 years of optoelectronics experience. He is responsible for worldwide coverage of pump lasers; erbium, Raman and semiconductor optical amplifiers; dispersion compensators; dynamic gain equalizers; reconfigurable and fixed optical add/drop subsystems; and switch matrices. Dr. Inniss is currently researching the SAN and LAN markets. Before joining Ovum RHK, Daryl worked for JDS Uniphase as Technical Manager for Raman Amplifier Development. Previously, he spent eleven years at Bell Laboratories/Lucent, conducting research on optical fibers, fiber lasers, and high-power fiber amplifiers. Daryl was awarded a Ph.D. in Chemistry from UCLA, and an AB in Chemistry from Princeton University.

Karen Liu: Director, Components

Karen Liu has 20 years of experience in optical networking, including the design and marketing of components and optical networking systems. She brings expertise in optical systems architecture, transmission technology, optical network modeling, optical components technology, and the introduction of new technology into products and networks. Prior to joining Ovum RHK, Karen worked for Tellabs as a senior product planner, with responsibility for optical architecture and product definition of a metropolitan DWDM product. Before Tellabs, Karen was a research staff member at the IBM Research Division, responsible for the optical design of one of the earliest commercial DWDM system products. Karen received a Ph.D. in applied physics from Stanford University and a B.S.E. in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Princeton University.