Carriers see Ciena as 100G optical technology leader - new optical survey
Boston, MASSACHUSETTS, November 15, 2010-Market research firm Infonetics Research (http://twitter.com/infonetics) today released excerpts from its Optical Equipment Features and Vendor Leadership: Global Service Provider Survey, featuring optical vendor ratings by carriers around the world.
The report, part of Infonetics’ Continuous Research Service (CRS) series of analyst reports and surveys about the optical market, provides insight into carrier plans and preferred features for optical network hardware, which optical vendors are being used and evaluated by carriers, and which vendors carriers perceive as the leaders in optical transmission and switching, 40G and 100G transmission technology, next generation packet-optical transmission systems (P-OTS), next generation OTN/ODU crossconnects, and best technology investments.
ANALYST NOTE
“Our survey of telecom operators makes it clear that they don’t necessarily share the stereotypical view of Huawei that exists in the vendor community. Huawei is consistently given higher marks each year by western carriers,” notes Andrew Schmitt, directing analyst for optical at Infonetics Research.
SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS: OPTICAL EQUIPMENT FEATURES AND VENDOR LEADERSHIP
Ciena, Alcatel-Lucent, and Huawei top the list of vendors that carriers consider to be among the top three optical vendors, with a surprise vendor fourth on the list
Huawei leads vendors under evaluation for purchase in the next year, followed by Alcatel-Lucent and Ciena
Ciena dominates the 40G/100G leadership rankings, with a second vendor not far behind
Alcatel-Lucent and Ciena top the list of vendors that carriers consider to be leaders in the P-OTS market, with several other vendors following
Huawei has the highest percentage of service providers that think they are making the best technology investments today that will result in products needed for future networks
The most-missed optical equipment feature by carriers is software - not hardware - related
REPORT SYNOPSIS
For the Optical Equipment Features and Vendor Leadership: Global Service Provider Survey, Infonetics interviewed purchase decision-makers with detailed knowledge of their company’s optical transmission equipment at telecom service providers that have an optical transport network. The service providers interviewed are a mix of incumbent and competitive operators in North America, EMEA, and Asia Pacific, and represent 23% of the world’s telecom carrier revenue and 22% of its capital expenditures (capex).
Respondent carriers were asked about preferred optical equipment features, installed vendors and vendors under evaluation, vendor familiarity, top vendors in 5 categories (overall, 40G/100G, P-OTS, OTN/ODU crossconnects, and best technology investments), and ratings of 8 optical vendors (Alcatel-Lucent, Ciena, Cisco, Ericsson, Fujitsu, Huawei, Nokia Siemens Networks, Tellabs) on 6 criteria: technology, R&D investment, management software, pricing, total cost of ownership (TCO) and service and support.