How broadband hunger fuels test (continued)
By Larry Maloney, Contributing Editor -- Test & Measurement World, 10/1/2007
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Q: Can you cite two or three key products that demonstrate where JDSU is headed with its T&M technology?
A: In field service, our HST handheld testers and the T-BERD fiber optic test instruments demonstrate our strength in providing multi-function test devices that make our customers’ technicians more efficient. We’re very proud that we have delivered 170,000 T-BERD instruments since that product family’s launch. And in the most recent quarter, we reached the 25,000 milestone for HST instruments shipped. In the cable business, we also have a very successful product called the DSAM (digital service activation meter). It performs digital quality index measurements, enabling providers to quickly identify network impairments that affect services such as high-definition TV. We’ve shipped more than 40,000 of these units.
In other applications, we are delivering new service assurance systems designed to ensure reliable network performance and quality for services such as IPTV, and the Casabyte acquisition strengthens our position there. Our acquisition of Test-Um last year demonstrates our commitment to home and enterprise network test solutions, where we already have such successful products as the JDSU IVT-600. This device is a home networking installation meter that handles a full range of physical wiring tests for the fast, efficient delivery of IP-based voice, video and data services inside the home or enterprise. It also meets the home networking technology standards of both the Home Phoneline Network Alliance (HPNA) and Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA).
Q: When it comes to new product development, to what extent does JDSU’s T&M business benefit from technology advances in the company’s other business units?
A: A good example is JDSU’s new Optical Spectrum Analyzer (OSA) for our widely deployed T-BERD/MTS 8000, a system that addresses the specific test requirements of ROADM networks. This was a true team effort that answered a growing demand for more flexible, dynamically reconfigurable broadband networks for new high-bandwith applications, such as IPTV. The specific challenge here is that ROADMs introduce new network test issues, such as “noise” that can degrade performance, yet is difficult to detect and accurately measure. Thanks to the combined test and optical network expertise at JDSU, our new OSA delivers accurate noise measurements on a live network without interruption of service.
Q: How will engineer customers benefit from your new Test and Measurement Services Partner Program?
A: This program was launched to give more options to our test equipment customers – in this case cable operators spread around the U.S. – who want fast, authorized, convenient services, such as routine upgrades and certified on-site calibration. Customers can opt to go right to JDSU or, via this program, can select an authorized partner located nearby for basic service need. The goal is to help these customers keep their test equipment in the best shape possible.
Q: What kind of growth do you see for remote test products, such as the OTU-8000 for optical network management?
A: JDSU expects to see continued growth in demand for our remote fiber test products. We lead the market in remote test products and aim to keep in step with the needs of those deploying fiber networks worldwide. With the OTU-8000’s powerful and wide range of applications, carriers can decrease operational costs by eliminating erroneous field technician dispatches and reducing mean-time-to-repair. Based on the T-BERD 8000, a single OTU-8000 can test hundreds of fiber links within a 40,000 square kilometer area. The tester helps carriers anticipate service disruption by detecting fiber degradation before service is affected. In addition, the instrument can monitor the long-term performance of installed fibers and can detect and locate fiber tapping for organizations concerned about network security.
Q: What are some useful new tools that JDSU is using to keep test engineers current on your new technologies?
A: JDSU’s culture is one of innovation, maintaining a fast pace to support our customer base and proactively addressing industry trends. We understand the importance of keeping audiences that rely on our T&M solutions up-to-speed and we are engaged in the tools to do just that. For example, JDSU conducts on-going interactive Webinars that address trends such as VoIP and IPTV deployment, and how to maximize the network and optimize services using JDSU test tools. We also conduct Webcasts that detail new features to our test equipment that better enable technicians to do their job. There’s also online training on product enhancements, or broader topics such as how to manage test and measurement requirements in a triple-play environment.
Besides White Papers and association participation, JDSU personnel also are involved in helping to set industry standards and policies that shape service provider deployment specifications. And we serve on the board of directors of the Association for Telecommunications Industry Solutions.
Finally, as a world leader in fiber optics, we are proud of our Reference Guide to Fiber Optic Testing, which is in its second printing, with more than 10,000 distributed since March. Engineers can learn more about this guide by visiting this link on our Web site: http://www.jdsu.com/test_and_measurement/products/fiber/foguide1.html.
Read the first part of this interview.
