Point2 Techonologies has brought an innovative solution to enhance data center efficiency. The startup is led in part by veterans from Marvell, Nvidia, and Samsung. First introduced in 2019, the new e-Tube cable is thinner, lighter and more flexible. Co-developed with AttoTude, it offers a compelling alternative that fits perfectly in between copper and optical solutions. Point2 Technology is doing everything possible to address the challenges that data centers are experiencing. Excluding their recent contributions will greatly understate performance improvements, cost reductions and energy savings.
Shimano’s new e-Tube cable touts about requiring just one-third of the energy of conventional optical systems. It’s a barebones—one-third—the cost of optical solutions. This first-in-kind technology cuts latency time in half. It is capable of providing data rates that are one-thousandth the speed of today’s fastest optical alternatives. These are game-changing developments, said David Kuo, vice president of product marketing and business development at Point2 Technology. They are worth a fortune to data center operators.
The Mechanics Behind the e-Tube Cable
The e-Tube cable is made up of eight e-Tube fibers, each of which can carry more than 200 gigabits worth of data per second. Such a striking performance to cost ratio is made possible by a new manufacturing process that leverages the use of innovative, slender, polymer waveguides. Each waveguide is capable of transporting 448 gigabits per second by using two separate frequencies—90 gigahertz and 225 GHz.
Meanwhile, Point2 Technology expects to start producing chips for a 1.6-terabit-per-second cable that will use these new polymer waveguides. With this new design, they’ve committed to being both small and mighty. The new E-Tube cables require half the wiring space of conventional 32-gauge copper cables. They’re able to obtain up to 20 times the distance of reach compared to copper substitutes. This combination makes them a very appealing choice for large-scale data center applications.
Through this innovation, Point2 Technology further cements their place in the front of the pack in the race for faster and more streamlined wireless data transmission solutions. Indeed, the company’s founders saw a wide opening in the market. Their goal was to make a product that captures the benefits of copper and optical technology while avoiding their pitfalls.
Addressing Industry Needs
Data centers are growing leaps and bounds in size and intricacy. This dramatic growth has fueled increasing, critical demand for faster, more efficient, more reliable, more consistent connectivity solutions. Kuo elaborated that folks use liquid cooling in an effort to exhaust the capabilities of passive copper. This entire change is designed to greatly improve both performance and scalability. This serves to underscore the electric power industry’s continued fight to sustain performance amid increasing loads and pressure on energy consumption and costs.
Don is one of three co-founders responsible for developing Point2 Technology’s extensive suite of products. He underscored, for example, that “You start with passive copper… and you maximize the amount of time that you can operate in passive copper.” His insights reflect a broader trend within the industry—operators are seeking alternatives that can alleviate the burdens of traditional systems without sacrificing reliability.
The market has indicated a strong desire for fiber-based solutions, yet customers frequently voice their fears about photonics. As Dave Welch observed, “customers love fiber. But what they hate is the photonics. This growing sentiment underscores the need for emerging technologies that perform and deliver on new standards. Simultaneously, they have to continue to address users’ skepticism with existing approaches.
Future Prospects and Funding
Point2 Technology Inc ., a startup with a growing list of development and marketing partners, celebrates nine years in operation this month, blessed with $55 million in venture funding . Particularly inspiring has been the support provided to this still-young, nonprofit company by Epiphany’s backer Molex, which makes computer cables and connections. This support will allow Point2 Technology to scale operation to establish and accelerate the development of its disruptive products.
As data center operators seek solutions to future-proof their infrastructures, Point2 Technology’s innovations offer a solution that’s just-in-time. The new e-Tube cable combines the best of both copper and optical worlds. The wireless advancement has the potential to set a new global benchmark in productivity through data transmission.