Cisco sees optical interconnects using silicon photonics as a way to make routers and switches handle more data at lower costs

Phil Harvey, Editor-in-Chief

February 24, 2012

1 Min Read
Cisco to Buy Lightwire for $271M

Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO) said Friday it will pay about US$271 million in cash and retention-based incentives for Allentown, Penn.-based Lightwire Inc. , which makes optical interconnects for high-speed networking applications. (See Cisco Shells Out $271M for Lightwire .)

The technology allows for routers and switches to connect at higher densities using silicon photonics technology, which lowers the overall cost of the devices.

For a more thorough explanation of what Lightwire does and how its technology works, see Craig Matsumoto's story: Lightwire Debuts Its Silicon Photonics.

Why this matters
In a prepared statement, Ned Hooper, Cisco's chief strategy officer, said Lightwire fits in with Cisco's other optical ambitions: "The Lightwire acquisition builds on Cisco's existing optical networking expertise and complements Cisco's 2010 acquisition of CoreOptics, a designer of coherent digital signal-processing solutions and application-specific integrated circuits for high-speed optical networking applications."

For more

  • Intel Detects More Silicon Photonics

  • Cisco Renews Optical Focus With CoreOptics

  • The CoreOptics Story



— Phil Harvey, Editor-in-Chief, Light Reading

About the Author(s)

Phil Harvey

Editor-in-Chief, Light Reading

Phil Harvey has been a Light Reading writer and editor for more than 18 years combined. He began his second tour as the site's chief editor in April 2020.

His interest in speed and scale means he often covers optical networking and the foundational technologies powering the modern Internet.

Harvey covered networking, Internet infrastructure and dot-com mania in the late 90s for Silicon Valley magazines like UPSIDE and Red Herring before joining Light Reading (for the first time) in late 2000.

After moving to the Republic of Texas, Harvey spent eight years as a contributing tech writer for D CEO magazine, producing columns about tech advances in everything from supercomputing to cellphone recycling.

Harvey is an avid photographer and camera collector – if you accept that compulsive shopping and "collecting" are the same.

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