FAQs

What is included in our report packages?

3-17 reports with a single purchase order enables a significant discount and substantial cost savings.

What is included in your custom consulting services?

The LightCounting team offers custom consulting services tailored to the specific needs of each client when additional analysis beyond the numbers is required. Maybe you are contemplating launching a new product, expanding into a new geographic market, business or market segment, or planning for a new product launch... we can help.
As data speed continue to increase past 40G and 100Gbps, physics dictate eventually all high-speed interconnects transitioning to optical technologies that interconnects chips or systems. We focus on the markets, products, and technologies at the boundary-line tension of the "Optical/Electronic border " specifically in the area of High-Speed Systems Interconnects (HSSI).
This includes transceivers and interconnects in: Sonet/SDH, GbE, FTTH, Infiniband, Fiber Channel, CWDM/DWDM, serial and parallel optics, active cables, silicon photonics, optical manufacturing and 10GBASE-T.
Our domain experience and expertise spans optical communications systems, optical components, communications semiconductors. Our team has several PhDs and senior executives collectively with over 45 years industry experience at start-ups to major companies in optical and semiconductor communications and over 35 years of experience in market research and consulting.

Licenses?

All reports come with a Corporate license.

Continuous Information Services?

This package consists of groups of reports and databases, a choice of several Focus reports and extensive access to analysts for inquires and discussions. Subscribing to the CIS also entitles you to advance forecasts and publications ahead of general release.

What is LightCounting's Definition of Integrated Optical Devices?



The scale of optical integration varies from combining just two functionalities to much more complex photonic integrated circuits (PICs). For the purpose of this report, we use the broadest definition of integration, including hybrid and monolithic approaches. Any product, which combines more than one key functional element, such as a laser, modulator or detector, on the same chip or Planar Lightwave Circuit (PLC), is considered as integrated. For simplicity, we do not consider lenses, filters, Mux/Demuxes and isolators as key functional elements in this report.
We sort the integrated products into three categories: 2x, 4x and Large Scale (LS) integration:

 
An electro-absorption modulated laser (EML) is an example of a 2x integrated product, as it combines two functions or elements (a laser and a modulator) on the same chip.
 
A 100GbE (4x25G) QSFP28 optical transceiver, which typically includes four laser chips integrated with a PLC is a good example of 4x integrated product. In contrast, 100GbE (4x25) CFP modules, which are usually assembled of pre-packaged lasers and detectors, are not considered as integrated. Some manufacturers may use pre-packaged lasers to manufacture QSFP28 modules, but we will have to ignore these cases to simplify the analysis.
 
A 100G DWDM CFP SiP-based transponder, combining much more than 4 functions on the same chip, is defined as a LS integrated module. A 12x10G CXP transceiver or an AOC are other examples of LS integration.

Discrete optics, in our definition, includes optical transceivers comprised of pre-packaged lasers and photodiodes. The majority of FTTx transceivers or BOSAs, 100GbE CFP modules are examples of products considered as discrete in this report.
In order to estimate the impact made by integration technologies in terms of product sales, we look at the market for optical transceivers, rather than laser chips, packaged transmitters or detectors. This allows us to use a consistent set of pricing data collected by LightCounting for the last 12 years.
In some cases, this approach may overestimate the impact of integration on the market. For example, 100G DWDM transponders include a variety of other components in addition to integrated InP or SiP modulators, which account for a relatively small fraction of the total module cost. The market data does not account for InP integrated products made by Infinera, as these are not made as transponders, but it does include SiP-based CPAK modules made by Cisco. Despite these challenges, the presented approach offers a self-consistent analysis of the market for tracking advancements made by optical integration technologies.

What is the difference between forecast database delivered with High-Speed Datacenter Optics, Mega Datacenter Optics and Market Forecast reports?

First, LightCounting has one forecast model for Ethernet transceivers that is updated every six months based on the latest survey data from module vendors. This common forecast model underpins all three reports.

While the focused High-Speed Datacenter Optics and Mega Datacenter Optics reports use exactly the same Ethernet forecast database, additional data and analysis presented in the two reports is different. The Mega Datacenter Optics Report is published in March. Its database includes very detailed forecasts for Ethernet transceivers and for CWDM/DWDM ports. The forecast is also sorted by application into Cloud, Enterprise and Telecom segments.

The High-Speed Datacenter Optics is published in September. It does not address CWDM/DWDM ports, but instead includes a detailed forecast of Fibre Channel transceivers. The analysis focuses on the dynamics inside the data centers, the standards bodies as well as the market and technology behind the evolution of the module market.

In contrast to our focused reports, the Market Forecast Report database covers the entire breadth of the optical module industry. It includes a less detailed version of the Ethernet transceiver forecast, but more details on the CWDM/DWDM optics, such as transceivers, transponders, discrete optics, modulators, receivers, tunable lasers and wavelength selective switches (WSSs). It also includes data on transceivers used in SONET/SDH, Wireless Infrastructure, Fibre Channel and FTTx applications as well as optical interconnects, such as active optical cables (AOCs) and embedded optical modules (EOMs). Our Market Forecast Report is updated every six months and published in April and October (one month after each of the Datacenter Optics reports).
To summarize:

Market Forecast Report: Published April and October 

History and forecast for every segment of optical module market
More basic forecast for Ethernet, AOCs and EOMs.
Analysis of Carriers, Service Providers and internet infrastructure drivers
 


Mega Datacenter Optics Report: Published in March


Focused report on Ethernet optical modules in most granular detail. Also CWDM/DWDM ports for data centers
Analysis of consumption by application space: Cloud, Enterprise, Telecom
 


High-Speed Datacenter Optics Report: Published in September


Focused report on Ethernet and Fibre Channel optical modules in most granular detail.
Analysis focuses on the dynamics inside the data centers, the standards bodies as well as markets and technologies.


What is included in Market Update Reports?



This report provides an analysis of business developments and financial performance in the optical equipment and optoelectronic module markets. The analysis focuses on recent quarterly performance data to benchmark the performance of leading component, module, and equipment manufacturers.

Review of quarterly sales of telecom, enterprise and storage area networking equipment, using publicly disclosed information and interviews with leading manufacturers.


Review of quarterly sales of optical components and modules based publicly reported and confidential sales information provided by at least 20 leading manufacturers and interviews with their customers and suppliers.


Analysis of market dynamics based on network bandwidth growth calculated from data on shipments of optoelectronic interfaces.


Detailed database of quarterly shipments and sales for more than 100 product categories of optoelectronic modules including transceivers, transponders, linecards and WSS, employed in WDM, SONET/SDH, Ethernet, Fibre Channel, FTTx, wireless backhaul and optical interconnect applications.


What is the scope of Market Forecast Reports?



This report analyses the supply chain from component vendor to service provider to develop a near term forecast for optoelectronic modules.

Analysis of trends in capital expenditures of top 10 global carriers and their implications for network infrastructure expansion worldwide.


Review of annual sales of telecom, enterprise and storage area networking equipment, using publicly disclosed information and interviews with leading manufacturers.


Review of annual sales of optical components and modules based on confidential sales information provided by at least 20 leading manufacturers and interviews with their customers and suppliers.


Detailed forecast for shipments and sales for more than 100 product categories of optoelectronic modules including transceivers, transponders, linecards and WSS, employed in WDM, SONET/SDH, Ethernet, Fibre Channel, FTTx, wireless backhaul and optical interconnect applications.


What is covered by State of the Industry Reports?



This report examines the market position and strategic direction of leading optical component and module vendors.

Review of revenue growth and profitability across the optical networking supply chain including major carriers, content providers, equipment manufacturers and component suppliers.


Analysis of business strategies of leading telecom, enterprise and storage area networking equipment manufacturers.


Data on market shares of top 3, top 6 and top 10 optical component and module vendors in WDM, SONET/SDH, Ethernet, Fibre Channel, FTTx, wireless backhaul and optical interconnect market segments. Market shares of individual suppliers are not reported to protect confidential sales data disclosed by these vendors to LightCounting.


Profiles of more than 30 optical component and modules vendors.


Summary of publicly available data on customer supplier relations across the industry.


How to avoid double counting tunable lasers in the forecast report?



We are also trying to avoid double counting of tunable lasers. As indicated in red text on the tunable laser page of the database: it does NOT include lasers sold as part of 300-pin or XFP transceivers. If you are looking for the total number of tunable lasers, you should add data on the tunable laser page and data on tunable DWDM transceivers.

Does the Tunable Lasers forecast include all tunable lasers – both for interfaces sold by system solution providers and by component suppliers?



This is a very good question. We are looking at what is being sold on the market as lasers and modulators for use in transceivers or linecards. This does not include components made by equipment vendors or transceiver manufacturers internally. For example if Huawei makes a tunable laser and uses it for their own modules, we do not include it. If Ciena or Acacia make modulators for transceivers, we do not include it either. Good examples of what is included in our market definition and forecast, tunable lasers, modulators and integrated TOSAs/ROSa/COSAs made by II-VI Photonics, NeoPhotonics, Fujikura, Fujitsu Optical components, Lumentum, Sumitomo Electric, Sumitomo Osaka Cement, etc. as long as these products are sold a component (not as part of a transceiver).
If you are looking for the total number of tunable lasers and modulators, please use the DWDM ports listed on the TOTAL PORTs tab of the forecast database.

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