Is Optical Equipment Too Expensive?

Analysis firm CIR says it is "quite an indictment" that, over the last 25 years or so, a typical operations director at a typical service provider "has yet to see any software application perform as marketed."

by Roy Mark of www.internetnews.com [September 12, 2002]

A new report from Charlottesville, Va.-based optical market analysis firm CIR says optical-networking vendors "by and large" have yet to live up to the network management promises they make to their customers.

CIR recently completed a six-month examination of the network management systems market and, as part of the process, interviewed the major U.S.-based ILEC, IXC, and CLEC companies. The results from the carrier discussions point to the fact that, despite the equipment vendors' complaints about terrible market conditions for optical transport and switching products, many of these companies "seem oblivious" to the crucial management requirements that can truly differentiate a manufacturer from its competitors in the eyes of carrier customers.

Furthermore, according to the report, it appears that certain vendors named in the report are risking the rewards of longer-term relationships by demanding higher prices in the short term.

CIR's "Managing the Optical Network" provides insights from the service providers into the various manufacturers in terms of their products, technical abilities, and selling practices. Some suppliers that appear to have made substantial strides in the area of network management include Ciena, Cisco, Fujitsu, Redback, and Tellabs.

However, both Lucent and Hitachi appear to still need to make major enhancements on their software for optical systems. Of the independent vendors, both MegaSys and Micromuse have "established solid reputations."

— End