Continuum Photonics Announces DirectLight™ IG Series of Optical
Switches for Emerging Optical Automation Systems Market
"Instrumentation Grade" Switch to be Demonstrated in Conjunction with Upcoming OFC Conference in Los Angeles
Billerica, MA -- February 9, 2004 - Continuum Photonics Inc., a supplier
of advanced photonic switch products, today announced the availability
of its DirectLight IG (instrumentation grade) Series of Optical Switches.
The DirectLightTM family of products are scalable, non-blocking optical
switches, transparent to protocol and line rate, and available in 16
to 64 port configurations. The IG Series products are designed to support
the needs for flexible physical and protocol layer testing and automation.
DirectLight IG is the first in a series of products to be released
by Continuum utilizing its patented beam-steering technology. Based
on platform technology originally developed for its military customers,
Continuum has designed its products for demanding applications with
high reliability requirements. Through standard open interface APIs,
DirectLight can be used to establish and maintain optical connectivity
among numerous channels with minimal physical impairments. Integration
with test equipment enables highly automated test solutions by eliminating
recurring set-up time and lowering overall equipment costs. DirectLight
IG is ideal for applications in manufacturing production, lab environments,
component and system development, network monitoring, intrusion detection
and more. Continuum is now accepting orders for DirectLight, which is
currently deployed at a number of customer sites.
"With DirectLight, Continuum is targeting a critical need within an emerging market we call 'OAS' - optical automation systems," said Dr. Aaron Bent, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for Continuum Photonics. "We see a fundamental shift toward centralizing resources and automation of development and test processes. Customers are looking for solutions that can radically drive down cost, whether by reducing labor, eliminating equipment, or improving test throughput. With many of our customers, we are able to prove-in a three to five times ROI in the first year."
"We are seeing indications of a significant emerging market segment
in optical automation. In telecom, for instance, component and systems
vendors and carriers are under continued pressure to reduce their costs.
By automating testing and monitoring processes, Continuum's DirectLight
optical connectivity product enables customers to lower the costs of
building products and maintaining networks," said Sterling Perrin,
Senior Research Analyst, Optical Networks, at IDC.
Continuum has specifically designed its product to meet the instrumentation-level
performance requirements of the OAS market. In contrast to 3D MEMS mirror
technologies, DirectLight steers collimated arrays of light across free
space to achieve switching.
"In the majority of OAS applications we have identified, it is
not enough to establish an optical path - maintaining integrity of the
physical layer signal with minimal impairments and extremely high repeatability
is key", continued Bent. "Through our patented switching architecture,
DirectLight actually combines three instrumentation products in one:
switch, power meter, and optical attenuation on a per-port basis, features
that usually cost thousands more. Customers tell us they have never
seen this combination of performance and price and that DirectLight
radically changes the economics of their applications."
Continuum will show the DirectLight IG in cooperation with two strategic
partners at the upcoming Optical Fiber Communications 2004 conference
and exhibition in Los Angeles, February 22-27. In cooperation with Agilent,
Continuum is demonstrating the DirectLight IG platform in concert with
a suite of Agilent telecommunications test and measurement products.
The demonstration will highlight the impact of DirectLight in an OAS
application. In addition, as part of an announced partnership agreement
with Analog Devices, Continuum will show DirectLight in booth 3907.
ADI supplies over 95 percent of Continuum's analog electronics.
DirectLight IG represents the first in a family of DirectLight products,
based on a common technology platform, and optimized for markets in
instrumentation, optical transport, and fiber distribution systems for
central office and access solutions. DirectLight IG is available in
two platforms, DirectLight IG 3200 (32 port) and DirectLight IG 6400
(64 port) non-blocking transparent switches. Either chassis can begin
with as few as 16 ports, and can be upgraded in 16 port increments to
its maximum size. Pricing and availability is available directly from
Continuum.
About Continuum Photonics
Headquartered within Boston's high-tech beltway, Continuum is dedicated to bringing the highest performance photonic subsystem and system products to its customers. Leveraging commonality across its platform of patented technologies, DirectLight optical switches are the first in a series of products from Continuum aimed at changing the traditional economics of the communications and test industries. Founded in 1998, Continuum brings together a world-class team, and an extensive product history in aerospace, automotive, consumer products, and the military, where Continuum's products have been designed to meet the most demanding requirements. Continuum is supported through investments by Flagship Ventures, Prism Venture Partners, Harris and Harris Group, GE Capital, MTDC, Arcadian Venture Partners, and Gainesborough Investments.
For more information, please visit www.continuumphotonics.com
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Contacts
For Continuum Photonics, Inc.
Aaron A. Bent, PhD
Continuum Photonics, Inc.
978-670-4910, x189