Daniel,
Who has time for a vacation?
Welcome back, Daniel. Hope your moves in and out of the stock have done well.
There are three key players in the metro arena, plus a zillion wannabes. Nortel, ONI Systems, and Ciena are the segment leaders. Both Nortel and Ciena are using DWDM solutions that have been ported down from long haul applications. As such, they tend to be a bit on the expensive side, but they are backed by strong companies that will be around for a while.
ONIS, on the other hand, offers a low cost DWDM transmission solution that was specifically designed for the metro market. As such it is smaller and cheaper, and it is gaining some traction. This in spite of the fact that ONIS is largely a one-trick pony company. Check them out. They are doing very well in a perceived weak market. (I personally believe that the perception of the next generation systems market is way off base.)
Nortel, as you know, has its hands full with the legacy albatross, extended product delays, executive flight, options underwater etc. But they do offer a nice metro solution that reportedly claimed major market share, FWIW.
Ciena's solution is right in there along with a host of other compatible systems that complement their metro DWDM transmission equipment. These include long haul DWDM, the CoreDirector, the K2, and the CoreDirector CI, the latter being switching solutions. This is the synergism factor lacking by ONIS.
AT&T recently announced that they have adopted Ciena's metro system and installed it in the LA area with other cities to follow, (and beat out Nortel for the contract). Unannounced is a contract award from AT&T for the CoreDirector which is currently being installed nationwide per Kevin Slocum at Wit Soundview. Slocum also reported that T is using Cisco's Cerent box.
Jack |
