Point2 Technology has been formed by accomplished industry veterans from Marvell, Nvidia, and Samsung. They’re about to shake up data center efficiency to the core with their new revolutionary e-Tube cables. The company’s self-contained distributed optical switching matrix is said to consume 95 percent less power, cost and latency than today’s optical technology. Fueled by $55 million in venture capital, Point2 Technology is determined to change the way data moves through data centers.
Point2’s system consumes a mere one-third of the power that optical systems need. This efficiency makes it an attractive option for data centers seeking to reduce opex costs and improve performance. Point2’s system is priced at only one-third of traditional optical systems. That means that entities, particularly under-resourced municipalities, can save tens of thousands when electrifying their infrastructure.
The e-Tube cables are engineered for performance with latency as low as one-thousandth that of optical systems. This exceptional speed is key for data centers, which are increasingly dependent on the fastest possible data transmission to power a variety of data-hungry applications.
Technical Innovations
Point2 has created e-Tube cables, which consist of eight e-Tube fibers. Each fiber can carry well over 200 gigabits of data per second! With state-of-the-art performance in a super thin design, the cables are best-in-class. They take up just a quarter the space of a typical 32-gauge copper wire. This smaller footprint frees up data center space and makes for a more efficient overall layout.
Point2’s proprietary technology offers up to 20x the reach of legacy copper cables. The integrated waveguide transmits and receives data over short distances (up to 20 meters) short wavelength infrared. This flexibility allows it to be an adaptable choice for multiple data center layouts and designs. This past spring, Point2 executed a record-setting 4-meter transmission! They achieved this at world-leading 970 GHz frequency during the Optical Fiber Communications Conference.
“Customers love fiber. But what they hate is the photonics,” – Dave Welch
Point2 utilizes e-Tube fibers produced from one thin silicon chip. This breakthrough innovation makes it simple to incorporate fiber optics into existing data center infrastructure. This method boosts reliability and lowers design complexity, since electronics have proven to be fundamentally more reliable than optics.
Financial Backing and Market Potential
Point2 Technology’s inaugural journey started 9 years ago – since then, the product has really picked up steam through the market. The award comes as the company recently closed $55 million of venture financing. This investment will be key for scaling operations and boosting its market development.
The investment provides clear affirmation of the power and potential investor confidence in Point2’s vision and future makes. Data centers are constantly searching for new solutions to improve efficiency and reduce costs. Point2’s state-of-the-art technology provides an exciting solution to fulfill these needs.
“Electronics have been demonstrated to be inherently more reliable than optics.” – Dave Welch
In data centers, the need for new innovative solutions is at an all-time high. So, with today’s organizations managing increasingly complex data loads, they need new processing speeds to match their ambitions. Point2’s e-Tube cable tackles these challenges directly by offering a faster, easier, and more affordable solution compared to optical technology.
Industry Perspectives
As Point2 Technology starts to push the envelope, industry authorities are beginning to pay attention. Industry expert Don Barnetson discussed the trend away from active solutions to more passive copper-based solutions.
“You start with passive copper, and you do everything you can to run in passive copper as long as you can.” – Don Barnetson
He further commented on the challenges faced by data centers in scaling up their operations using traditional methods:
“The entire reason people have gone to liquid cooling is to keep [scaling up] in passive copper.” – Don Barnetson
These findings highlight a dire need for options. Point2’s technology delivers superior performance without the usual downsides associated with conventional optical systems.