In our OFC preview issue last year, we ran a cover story on some of the new and unfamiliar companies we thought you might run into on the show floor and meeting rooms. I didn’t have much trouble thinking of companies to cover, which made the story straightforward to write.
Move forward about eight months later, and I’m participating in a conference call with other members of the Optica Executive Forum program committee. We decide we want to inaugurate a startup panel, so we all go off to dig up potentially interesting new companies.
I’m telling you, they’re everywhere. We came up with a list of at least 15 companies in the optical communications and optical computing fields that we considered startups – plus a few more that had been around too long to meet our requirements but were still in the research and initial product development phase.
You’ll likely have a chance to check out several of them at OFC. (I of course invite you to discover which ones we picked by attending the Optical Executive Forum on March 6 at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront.) There’s a lot going on in optical processors as well as in miniaturization and integration. Not all of these companies will make it – but I expect some will help shape optical communications in the future.
The allure of the new is always powerful. In fact, one of my fellow committee members left his job this week to go work for a startup. Apparently, innovation is contagious.
Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave
Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.
Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.
He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.
You can connect with Stephen on LinkedIn as well as Twitter.