Point2 Technology is another local rising star, specializing in data communication innovation. They are poised to revolutionize data center efficiency by bringing the technology of radio into the data center space. Nine years ago, a group of former veterans of companies such as Marvell, Nvidia and Samsung set up Point2 Technology. Since then, their company has generated a tremendous amount of buzz and investor interest, raising $55 million in venture capital, including a $30 million investment from Molex.
Advanced Technology and Capabilities
Point2 Technology’s e-Tube cables are at the core of its award-winning approach. These cables are formed by eight e-Tube fibers, each of which can support over 200 gigabits per second. Collectively, the e-Tube cable can concert 1.6 terabits per second!
Each e-Tube fiber consists of thin polymer waveguides that can operate simultaneously at two frequencies, 90 gigahertz and 225 gigahertz. This design allows for each fiber to carry a stunning 448 gigabits per second. Dave Welch, a network industry luminary and former CTO for the Packet Clearing House, founded AttoTude. He’s looking forward to passing on the technological benefits of this new technology.
“If I didn’t have to be at [an optical wavelength], where should I be?” – Dave Welch
Welch predicts that this waveguide technology will eventually allow data to be transmitted over 20 meters. This breakthrough improves performance and directly impacts three significant issues of power consumption and cost. Point2 Technology’s system uses only one-third the power of optical systems. It’s priced at only one-third of the cost of traditional solutions. As a bonus, it provides latency—delay—that’s up to one-thousandth the latency of optical technologies.
Manufacturing and Industry Collaboration
Point2 Technology’s chip manufacturing process will leverage existing, widely-used standard silicon foundries that offer a more accessible and cost-effective path to production. The company expects to start production of the chips driving its 1.6-terabit-per-second cable later this year. This strategic acquisition dovetails nicely with the growing need for more efficient data transfer technologies in our rapidly evolving data-centric world.
Point2 Technology is creating exciting new technologies at a timely inflection point. Even industry giants like Nvidia and Broadcom are currently embedding optical transceivers right into their processor packages. Point2’s e-Tube technology presents distinct advantages. Welch says that the new fiber optic cable is slim enough to fit on a pencil and able to extend 20 meters. It provides an outstanding reach up to 20 times that of similar AEC cables while taking up half the space.
“Customers love fiber. But what they hate is the photonics.” – Dave Welch
Increasingly, commercial customers are calling for higher performance solutions in the market. They need options that steer clear of the burdens sometimes associated with optical solutions.
Reliability Over Optics
• Industry experts discuss proven reliability as the most important factor in data transmission solutions. Credo’s senior vice president and head of product Don Barnetson is one of those focusing on this significance. As organizations work harder than ever to deploy the most efficient data centers possible, the move from optical to electronic-based systems is more important than ever.
“Electronics have been demonstrated to be inherently more reliable than optics.” – Dave Welch
Reliability and a history of stable solutions is important for implementation-oriented organizations. They require robust systems that can justifiably handle a modern data processing workload. Point2 Technology is all about redirecting energy towards using radio frequencies, not marble surfaces. This out-of-the-box thinking can切り開く the new frontier of data center infrastructure.