LightRiver and Smartoptics Align to Deliver Industry-Leading Optical Disaggregation Solutions and Multi-Vendor Network Automation

LightRiver^®, the premier optical network integration solution provider for next generation, multi-vendor, Factory Built Networks^® and netFLEX^® Optical Domain Control Software solutions, announces today its new partnership with Smartoptics to accelerate the design, delivery and automation of its leading open line, Optical Disaggregation Networking Solutions.

Smartoptics provides innovative optical networking solutions and devices for the new era of open networking, and the DCP family of open line systems allow for unprecedented flexibility in configuring optical point-to-point, ring and mesh networks at the lowest possible cost. In combination with the LightRiver Factory Built Network, the relationship has already sped production network delivery to content delivery network, online gaming and game creation system customers.

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With enrollment into LightRiver’s Optical Domain Controller, netFLEX, the Smartoptics DCP-M series DWDM open line systems, designed for Data Center Interconnect (DCI) and cloud use cases, will be even more consumable in the marketplace. The unique plug-and-play nature of the Smartoptics DCP-M family of products is now aligned with netFLEX to better manage and control all that is connected, with multi-vendor visibility throughout the LightRiver netFLEX ecosystem of customers and vendors.

“With an open architecture, the functionality of optical transport systems can be disaggregated, using embedded transceivers, Open Line Systems and Optical Domain Control. This results in a much better price and performance for customers,” states Per Burman, Chief Marketing Officer of Smartoptics. “We are extremely pleased to partner with LightRiver, thus being able to provide customers with our DCP-M family of truly Open Line Systems, managed by netFLEX, which can help break vendor lock-in. We understand that even with the significant advantages that disaggregated networks provide, there are also challenges, such as controlling the optical domain end-to-end. netFLEX addresses this challenge and gives customers control over their optical network.”

For transport, the combination of Network Disaggregation and Optical Domain Control is required to address these new networking paradigms to support the increased capacity demands and stringent quality of service requirements of end-user applications including 5G, the Internet of Things, Network-as-a-Service, and Enterprise Cloud Computing.

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“Plug-and-play is only effective if your software driven controls enable life-cycle network and service automation of the disparate, interconnected network elements,” comments Dean Campbell, Chief Technology Officer for LightRiver. “As network disaggregation continues to grow in importance for network operators of all sizes, LightRiver has expanded the product portfolio around engineering and design, Factory Built Networks, equipment sourcing, and network automation to accommodate a growing base of disaggregation use cases. Our Network Disaggregation Development Labs now reflect a vast plug-and-play ecosystem of products with Smartoptics as one of the core solutions and netFLEX orchestrating and managing all of the unique combinations.”