Space saving 24-fiber MPOptimate system

TE Connectivity has announced a new 24-fiber connectivity solution that will enable data center managers to make the transition from 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) to 40 and 100 GbE applications more smoothly and efficiently.

The new system, based on the company’s MPOptimate fiber-optic connector, is the newest addition to TE Connectivity’s data center solution. It offers data center managers a consistent fiber infrastructure that can endure over the next three generations of active equipment, delivering an easier migration path to higher speeds, space-saving benefits and higher utilization of their fiber investment.

Data centers are at the heart of the tremendous amount of data needing to be transmitted, processed and stored in support of the increasingly cloud-based world of applications and services in today’s enterprise environment. Fiber optic links are vital for providing the bandwidth and speed needed to transmit these huge amounts of data within a modern data center, but fiber connectivity hardware consumes valuable space that could otherwise be used to deploy computer and storage resources. Floor space is one of the biggest cost constraints for data center managers, and fiber connectivity in the data center needs to support high bandwidth applications while minimizing the space consumed within and between racks.

“Our system is a commonsense approach,” says Alastair Waite, Head of Data Center Business Line Management at TE Connectivity in EMEA. “Network managers looking to deliver on the promise of high performance, higher bandwidth and excellent service levels to accommodate future applications need to consider the superior economics and simplicity of our 24-fiber MPOptimate based interconnect solution.”

Based on TE’s low loss MPOptimate connectivity family, the new 24-fiber MPOptimate system comprises a range of modular cassettes, 24-fiber trunk cables and patch cords. “The immediate opportunity is for significant space savings in the data center as a single 24-fiber trunk cable can save approximately 50% in containment alone when compared to a traditional 12-fiber solution,” comments Alastair Waite. “By using a modular cassette-based approach, not only can rack space usage be reduced, but future upgrades can be simplified significantly by replacing the cassette while continuing to use the already installed 24-fiber MPO trunk cable. In addition, low loss MPOptimate connectivity consumes less of the optical budget, enabling greater flexibility in the channel design.”

Networks need to be ready to migrate from 10 GbE to 40-100 GbE speeds to support new demand. Data center managers need to be able to manage this migration to maximize efficiency and responsiveness while minimizing cost. Preparing for this inevitable growth today demands a simple yet robust migration pathway.

TE Connectivity’s 24-fiber MPOptimate system enables such a plan, supporting cost-effective migration to the increased data speeds required to support the next generation of servers, storage and switching platforms in an agile data center.