Point2 Technology, a startup working to improve connectivity in and between data centers, has apparently done pretty well for itself – having raised $55 million in venture capital funding. Industry veterans from top technology companies like Marvell, Nvidia, and Samsung founded the company nine years ago. With cutting-edge cabling solutions, their mission is to transform data center operations for the better.
The funding will enable the team to focus on closing development and ramping up manufacturing of Point2’s flagship product, the e-Tube cable. This innovative fibre has eight thin polymer waveguides. Each of those 48 waveguides can send data in each direction simultaneously at a mind-blowing speed of 448 gigabits per second! On the e-Tube side, the magic works by utilizing two frequencies — 90 gigahertz and 225 GHz. Its high capacity of 1.6 terabits per second allows it to take on aging copper cabling head-to-head.
Innovative Design and Performance
Point2’s e-Tube cable provides major benefits compared to traditional copper-based alternatives. It uses just a footprint of half the size of conventional 32-gauge copper cabling. Combined with the datacenter-restricted footprints that this design allows, it becomes very space-efficient. Providing up to 650 feet of range without significant signal loss, the e-Tube’s range is remarkable.
This new technology surpasses copper with an astounding range of 10-20 meters. It’s most distinctive by its extraordinary power management prowess. Point2’s system consumes only a third of the energy that optical technology requires. This extreme reduction allows data center owners and operators to save millions on data center energy costs. The e-Tube cable is one-third the cost of optical solutions. This gives it the potential to be a great boon for companies looking to future-proof their infrastructure.
The latency of Point2’s technology is another remarkable quality. It can get latencies down to one-thousandth of optical technology. This level of speed is particularly important for aviation-grade applications, where both speed and reliability are non-negotiable.
“You start with passive copper, and you do everything you can to run in passive copper as long as you can.” – Don Barnetson
Industry Challenges and Opportunities
Point2’s technology brings some extraordinary tools to the table. Migrating from traditional copper-based solutions to advanced options such as the e-Tube cable is not without challenges. Our customers are eternally grateful for fiber optics, but often complain in a rage about the torture that is photonics.
“Customers love fiber. But what they hate is the photonics.” – Dave Welch
Industry experts admit directly that electronics are far more reliable than optic systems. Dave Welch of APT who has been working deeply on this reliability agrees that this reliability could be a game-changer in attracting data centers to take technology risks.
“Electronics have been demonstrated to be inherently more reliable than optics.” – Dave Welch
Welch emphasized the strategic positioning of Point2’s technology in a quickly evolving marketplace. The need for new data transmission solutions is accelerating, driven by the nonstop boom in bandwidth and speed requirements.
“If I didn’t have to be at [an optical wavelength], where should I be?” – Dave Welch
Future Prospects and Manufacturing Plans
P2T recently closed on a large round of funding. Now they’re just waiting to begin volume manufacturing of the chips that’ll power their record-setting 1.6-terabits-per-second cable later this year. This investment is a meaningful step in their quest to become a global leader in data center connectivity solutions.
Molex, one of the biggest names in computer cabling and connections, has become Point2 Technology’s largest investor. Their involvement underscores the industry’s recognition of the potential impact Point2’s innovations can have on data centers worldwide.
“We call it the copper cliff,” – David Kuo
Looking forward, Point2 has their sights set first on pluggable connections being the inaugural application for their technology. But as exciting as those possibilities may be, Welch thinks the real power comes from combining them with radio transceivers co-packaged with processors.
“Pluggable connections will be the technology’s first use, but radio transceivers co-packaged with processors are ‘the real prize,’” – Dave Welch