Optical Networks

Coverage

Initially designed for telephony but increasingly used for data, global optical networks are being re-architected to lower transport cost and support new revenue sources in a climate where successful new service business models are unproven and service provider invesments are continuously questioned by the financial markets. Ovum RHK's Optical Networks program tracks the service providers and vendors who build and operate optical networks around the globe, the technologies they develop and deploy, and how those technologies will help the telecom industry improve profitability. The Optical Networks program, tapping Ovum RHK's globally distributed analysts' collective years of industry experience at service providers and system vendors, provides our clients with insight into optical network market dynamics and decision support that will increase market success.

BUSINESS ASSESSMENT

Ovum RHK addresses the following key business issues:

• What can system vendors do in order to improve their success in the global marketplace?
• How do regional markets compare and contrast with each other?
• What key trends are driving ON market dynamics, globally and by region?
• How are service providers using new ON technology to competitive advantage?
• How are service providers using ON innovations to improve their top and bottom lines?
• Which geographic, product, and equipment segments are growing/shrinking? Why?
• Who is gaining market share? Why?
• What new services (e.g., video, wavelength, and Ethernet) will next-generation optical networks enable? What will drive demand for them?

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS

Ovum RHK addresses the following key technical issues:

• Why does SDH/SONET not only survive, but prosper? What will trigger the end?
• Why are some regions embracing new bandwidth management, aggregation, and transport technologies quicker than others?
• How are ON products and product categories changing to better meet customer needs?
• How do new standards (e.g., OTN, GMPLS, RPR, GFP, and MPLS) help lower network costs and increase revenues?
• How will optical network architectures evolve to lower total cost of ownership?

RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

Ovum RHK analysts conduct the following research and analysis:

• Analysis of innovative service providers' optical network product deployments and architecture strategies, plus their relationship to new service offerings.
• Analysis of enterprise use of optical networking technology for business continuity, disaster recovery, converged access and transport, and other applications.
• Comparison of global vendors' products and roadmaps, delivery against plan, and relative success at carving out next-generation product and new geographic markets.
• Quarterly and annual reviews of financial data from key companies in the market.
• ON systems forecasts by product category and sub-category, globally and by region.
• Quarter-by-quarter system vendor market share and analysis by product segment, globally and by region.
• Connecting the dots between Ovum RHK's enterprise, service provider, system vendor, and components research.

PROGRAM STRUCTURE

Ovum RHK's Optical Networks program includes four comprehensive modules:

• The GLOBAL module includes global summary market details and comprehensive analysis of technologies, vendors, and key business issues affecting the global ON market. It includes quarterly market updates to track key market activities, vendor share changes, and market size trends. Comprehensive global spreadsheets are updated and provided each quarter. Global coverage includes undersea and CALA in addition to Asia-Pacific, EMEA, and North America, but without regional details.
• Each of the three REGIONAL modules includes drill-down data and analysis for the respective regional market, with quarterly market updates to track key market activities, vendor share changes, and market size trends. Network strategy and deployment plans of leading local Service Providers are also tracked. Comprehensive region-specific spreadsheets are updated and provided each quarter.

ANALYST TEAM

Dana Cooperson: Vice President and Practice leader, Network Infrastruture

Dana brought 15 years of telecom vendor and service provider experience to Ovum RHK, plus seven years managing and contributing research and analysis to RHK's four optical networking services. Prior to joining RHK in 1998, Dana was a marketing manager for Tektronix, where she was responsible for its high-speed WDM/SONET/SDH test and measurement products. Before Tektronix, she was a product manager at Telco Systems, with responsibility for its MX3 and SONET OC-3 multiplexers. Beginning her career as a network engineer at NYNEX, Dana managed the first 100%-fiber-optic connection to a major business customer in New York City. Dana was awarded her B.S. in Engineering from Cornell University and an M.S. in Management from MIT.

Ron Kline: Vice President

Ron Kline has been Research Director for Optical Networks: North America since 2000. He brought 18 years of service provider experience to Ovum RHK and is responsible for overall direction of Ovum RHK's North American optical networking research. Ron specializes in bandwidth management (DCS and OCS), aggregation (SONET and OEDs), and WDM. Prior to joining Ovum RHK, Ron worked for Bell Atlantic (now part of Verizon) as Senior Member of the Technical Staff where he was responsible for next generation optical network architectures. Ron has a wide variety of network transmission and switching equipment experience, as well as extensive knowledge of network management and operational support systems.

Ian Redpath: Senior Analyst

Ian came to Ovum RHK in 2004 with 14 years of telecommunications sector experience including four years at Corvis Corporation and 10 years at Nortel Networks. At Ovum RHK, Ian is the primary architect of the ON forecast models. At Corvis, Ian was Manager, Account Marketing for major carrier accounts, responsible for developing optical network plans and commercial proposals that led to successful lab trials, field trials, and commercial network deployments. At Nortel, Ian was Project Manager, Business and Network Planning. Working consultatively with Nortel's customer base, Ian led business and network planning efforts that supported carrier equipment deployment and capital budget decision-making. Additionally at Nortel, he held Systems Engineering positions in the areas of access, switching, optical, and enterprise networks. Ian earned an M.B.A. from Queen's University at Kingston and a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Manitoba.

Matt Walker: Senior Analyst

Based in Thailand, Matt Walker is a senior analyst for Ovum RHK for the Network Infrastructure practice, specializing in Asia-Pacific telecoms markets. Prior to initiating RHK's Asian optical research in 2000, Matt provided analysis for a number of RHK's services, with a particular focus on emerging carriers and service provider capital spending.

Matt's recent projects have addressed carrier Ethernet in Asia-Pacific, metro optical deployment trends, vendors' competitive strategies in emerging markets, business opportunities for unused radio spectrum and Asian carriers' plans for IP multimedia subsystems (IMS). Before joining Ovum RHK, Matt worked as an economist for Exeter Associates, a consultancy specializing in regulated industries. Matt received his M.S. in Applied Economics/Public Policy Analysis and B.A. in Political Science from the University of Rochester in 1995 and 1994, respectively.

Takehito Ichida: Analyst

Takehito Ichida brings six years of telecom industry research experience to Ovum RHK; based in Tokyo, his emphasis is on the Japanese market. Recent work has included market entry studies for U.S. and Europe as well as research into metro area networks through Asia-Pacific. Prior to joining Ovum RHK, Takehito worked for a Japanese market research company specializing in the electronics industries. While there, Takehito's work included competitive analyses of technology and system pricing, as well as network and technology planning. Previously, he worked for NTT as well as its subsidiaries and research institutes.

Tanya Harris: Senior Analyst

Tanya Harris is responsible for market share data collection and analysis across Ovum RHK's Optical Networks, Switching and Routing, Communications Semiconductor, Broadband Network Strategies, and Optical Components programs. Prior to joining Ovum RHK, Tanya held the positions of senior forecasting analyst and manager of pricing analysis with Corning Inc. Tanya received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.