This article previews an exclusive Yole Group briefing at the OFC conference. The focus? How the optical interconnects market is shifting toward integrated photonics platforms and co-packaged optics.
It highlights the link between market drivers—think AI-fueled data center growth, evolving network architectures, and that ever-present power and latency squeeze—and the technology choices shaping transceivers, silicon photonics, and modular packaging. Attendees will hear from top analysts and walk away with real guidance on strategy, investment, and partnerships.
Event Details and Strategic Focus
The briefing is invitation-only. It’s set for March 18, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., at the E-Central Downtown Los Angeles Hotel, 1020 S Figueroa St—just a 10-minute walk from OFC.
This session targets stakeholders who want a no-nonsense look at upcoming shifts in the optical interconnects market. Topics range from high-volume transceivers to the newest integrated photonics platforms and co-packaged optics (CPO).
Analysts will share insights from Yole’s latest reports on Optical Transceivers, Silicon Photonics—including new modulator materials—and Co-packaged Optics.
They’ll connect market drivers like AI cluster expansion, data center networking transitions, and those stubborn power and latency challenges to the technology choices and development paths suppliers, users, and investors need to know about.
The briefing covers platform trade-offs, packaging and assembly strategies, plus how ready the broader ecosystem actually is for next-gen datacom deployments.
Speakers and Organization
The session features Yole analysts with years—sometimes decades—of optical communications experience. Presenters include:
Martin Vallo, PhD (Senior Technology & Market Analyst, Photonics), who dives deep into market dynamics and material-level technology trade-offs.
Lakshman Srinivasan, PhD (Technology & Market Analyst, Photonics), focused on platform architectures and integration strategies.
Axel Clouet, PhD (Product Marketing Manager), who translates technology trends into market-facing guidance.
Amanda Gassé, Business Development Director and General Manager, Yole North America, heads up the event and makes sure the briefing delivers what the industry actually needs—actionable intelligence.
Key Topics, Drivers, and Takeaways
The briefing digs into how market demand and technical feasibility collide to shape the future of optical interconnects. Some of the specifics:
- Platform trade-offs between old-school high-volume transceivers and the new wave of integrated photonics and CPO approaches.
- Packaging and assembly strategies that impact cost, reliability, and how fast datacom products hit the market.
- Silicon photonics innovations—especially new modulator materials—and how they affect performance and power.
- Co-packaged optics (CPO): viability, challenges, and whether the ecosystem is actually ready for wide deployment.
- Market drivers like AI cluster growth and shifting data center networks, which are pushing demand for more bandwidth and lower latency.
- Readiness of the ecosystem—from vendors to system integrators—and how partnerships could shape future product strategies.
Why It Matters for Strategy and Investment
For technology leaders, product teams, and investors, this briefing gives practical advice on where to focus platform development. It also helps with choosing packaging options and figuring out which partnerships might actually pay off in next-gen datacom deployments.
By connecting market momentum to technology readiness, attendees can weigh their options. Should they stick with tried-and-true optical transceivers, or take a risk on integrated photonics and CPO? It’s a real question—one that could shape performance, costs, and supply chain stability well into 2027 and probably beyond.
The event takes place right near OFC activities, so it’s easy to catch up with peers and suppliers afterwards. If you’re interested, just remember it’s invitation-only. You’ll need to go through Yole’s North America office to snag a spot at this timely briefing on the shifting world of optical interconnects and data center optics strategy.
Here is the source article for this story: YOLE GROUP MARKET BRIEFING: Scaling Datacom Optical Technologies for Next Generation Networks