Cisco CPAK optical module or CFP2 threat?

On October 11, 2012, Cisco ‘s upcoming named CPAK optical module, the company in recent months on CPAK module in detail. It is expected that this technique will reduce CFP2 multi-source agreement ( MSA ) market, which caused some concern.

Influence to CFP2 Market

JDSU’s high-speed transmission testing department director Paul Brooks says, CFP2 MSA release time than expected to slow. He speculated that, because CFP4 MSA and CFP4 MSA both born of time interval is shorter, CPAK market will result in some optical module manufacturers to skip CFP2, directly to the smaller CFP4.

CPAK optical module is the CFP2 MSA volume three fourths, its still not officially released, some details in the table below are given.

CPAK optical module is the Cisco acquisition of silicon photonics company Lightwire, the first display module development ability.

The module was developed fully demonstrate the acquisition of core technology for equipment manufacturers to provide the development of proprietary interface capability, thereby saving cost, at the same time making differences. But at the same time also to CFP2 and MSA standards presented a problem, as the industry’s leading potential CFP2 customers choose to use their own design will have what kind of situation.

Some analysts believe that, CPAK will not destroy CFP2 MSA market. ” CFP2 will have very big market, ” Ovum Daryl Inniss says, ” Cisco is committed to the development of a lasting solution, CFP2 size is too large and the power consumption is too high, CFP4 needs a longer period of time to enter the market, thus CPAK is a good trade-off. ”

On the influence of traditional industry chain

In addition, the article points out, Cisco acquired Lightwire is the traditional industrial ecological chain and a potential attack. Lightwire through the unique silicon photonic technology, with the development of low power consumption and high density module power. Cisco is likely to launch a specifically targeted transceiver strategy, which can reduce the cost, shorten the time to market, and the establishment of trade barriers to competition. It will not need to adopt standard process, Cisco only needs to provide the customers is indicated by its powerful supply chain, sufficient to support its products.

” The next ten years, Cisco will have more proprietary products and technology and Huawei competition. ” LightCounting market research company CEO Vladimir Kozlov said, ” from the transceiver to the provider’s perspective, the customized product more often than the standard product more have good prospects of gain. Cisco product unless all do all their own, which of course is impossible, so to say, it is not a bad news. “