Continuing growth in data traffic and increasing revenue from data services are driving carriers to migrate from legacy infrastructure to next-generation optical networking infrastructure. IDC's Optical Networks service focuses its quantitative research primarily on next-generation optical equipment that will be deployed throughout service provider networks over the next five years and beyond. The service also provides qualitative analysis of the impact of legacy technologies on next-generation systems.

This service covers the following segments of the worldwide and U.S. optical network market:

• Metro WDM/ROADMs
• MSPP/MSTPs
• Optical cross-connects (OCCs)
• Metro Ethernet market
• Long-haul dense wave-division multiplexing (DWDM)

Throughout the year, this service will address the following topics:

• Market share, trends, and forecasts for all major next-generation optical segments
• Technologies, architectures, and carrier plans
• Pricing and cost curves for optical equipment
• Vertical markets for optical networking
• New applications driving demand, including Ethernet, SAN extension, and disaster recovery
• The Carrier Ethernet market and its impact on incumbent and alternative carrier networks
• Key trends in components and subsystems
• Selected profiles of equipment vendors and service providers

Our research addresses the following issues that are critical to your success:

1. What are the best market opportunities in the next-generation optical equipment space?
2. How will "fiber in the last mile" networks evolve, and how will these rollouts vary by geographic region?
3. What are the key selection criteria for service providers for optical equipment?
4. How can Ethernet services reduce operational expenses and garner new revenue?
5. What is the future promise of RPR, VCAT, LCAS, GMPLS, and other optical standards? What opportunities are emerging in new optical markets, including government and enterprise sectors and cable MSOs?

IDC's Optical Networks service provides quantitative and technological assessments of a wide variety of equipment segments in IDC's optical taxonomy. This research includes a competitive analysis of major and emerging optical vendors as well as surveys of leading service providers that are deploying optical products, including the following companies:

Actelis, ADC, ADVA, Alcatel, Atrica, Avanex, Bookham Technology, Calient, Calix, Ceterus, CIENA, Cisco Systems, Corrigent, ECI Telecom, Ericsson, Extreme Networks, Foundry Networks, Fujitsu Network Communications, Hitachi, Huawei, Infineon, Infinera, Intel, JDS Uniphase, Lucent Technologies, Matisse, Meriton, NEC, Nortel, Opvista, Siemens, Sycamore Networks, Tellabs, Terawave, Transmode, Tropic, Turin Networks, Xilinx, Zhone Technologies, and ZTE.

Throughout the year, this service will offer insight into the latest trends impacting the market. Potential studies include:

WDM is following a different trajectory in the metropolitan environment than in the long-haul segment. This study defines the metropolitan market, profiles the major players, examines the economic issues, and presents a worldwide revenue forecast for the market as a whole.

This study divides MSPP vendors into major market segments and presents five-year worldwide revenue forecasts for each. Also included are vendor profiles, market share, and primary drivers and inhibitors.

This study provides a holistic view of the metro Ethernet opportunity. IDC carves the market into four major categories - metro WDM, SONET/SDH MSPPs, Layer 2/3 switches, and routers - and quantifies the Ethernet-specific contribution of each.

IDC assesses the opportunity of optical networking revenue by optical segments - LH DWDM, metro WDM, MSPP, and OXC - for each enterprise vertical: finance, banking, healthcare, and utilities.

IDC offers a complete market intelligence solution customized to meet your business requirements. The array of products and services available to you includes:

• The opportunity to have your specific questions answered through personal interaction with industry experts who cover the topics and markets in your service
• Around-the-clock access to our market intelligence on idc.com, IDC's personalized Web experience
• A view of the market's future with 12 months of continuous intelligence about its direction and the reasons behind it, along with actionable advice for taking advantage of existing and emerging opportunities
• Special client discount pricing on purchases of research from other services
• Complimentary admission to IDC's annual Directions conference, where you'll hear our latest forecasts and network with IDC analysts and other industry professionals
• Complimentary invitations to monthly executive telebriefings, interactive forums designed to provide you with insights about research and strategies directly from IDC analysts

To find out how our flexible packaging options can meet your specific business needs, please contact your IDC sales executive.

As a privately held company, IDC believes that our customers are our primary constituency. A large percentage of every revenue dollar is reinvested back into our products, including more analysts, more geographic coverage, and extensive primary research.

Our steady growth over the past 10 years reflects our commitment to investing in our customers.