According to a Belgium based research institute IMEC, the most advanced cloud datacenters are currently using optical links and transceivers with a capacity of 100Gbps. This is expected to increase to 400Gbps by 2019, followed by 1.6Tbps by 2022. IMEC has successfully developed a platform that uses silicon photonics in high-speed optical links which can support the growing bandwidth needs of cloud datacenters.1
The silicon photonics market has undergone various stringent policies during the course of its evolution. The market players are applying different strategies in this domain such as product launches, business expansions, collaborations, partnerships, and recognitions, to make a mark in the industry. Among these, product launch has been popular among the companies in the silicon photonics market. One of the key players in the market, Luxtera, launched volume shipments of its LUX62608 OptoPHY, the company's 2x100-Gbps PSM4 embedded optical transceiver, in March 2017. Targeted at cloud data center, enterprise, and telecom network applications, the optical module leverages Luxtera's patented silicon photonics integration platform.2 In the same month, the company also announced its partnership with TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) for the manufacture of next-generation silicon photonics.3
March 2017 also witnessed another established player, Mellanox, introduced a new line of 200 Gbps silicon photonics and VCSEL-based transceivers in the same QSFP28 package as of today's 100 Gbps products. These new transceivers double the bandwidth for hyper-scale Web 2.0 and cloud 100 Gbps networks.4 Furthermore, many companies are entering into partnerships and collaborations with different players to diversify their range of product offerings and to target a bigger clientele with different solutions. Moreover, major players are also collaborating to develop inter compatible products in order to widen their reach and to tackle the competition effectively.
Acknowledging the future potential of this technology and the intense competition in the market, BIS Research has compiled a report titled ‘Global Silicon Photonics Market, Analysis & Forecast, 2017-2022'. According to the analyst at BIS Research, "The global silicon photonics market was estimated at $492.18 million in 2015, and is expected to grow at a rapid pace of 20.34% over the forecast period 2016-2022 to reach $1,676.10million by 2022."
The report is a compilation of different segments of the market including a market breakdown by products, components, applications and geographical locations. The revenue generated from silicon photonics products in the market has been tracked to calculate the market size, and its application areas contributing in shaping the overall market have also been explained.
References:
1 computerweekly.com
2 Lightwave
4 Business Wire