John O'Rourke

After the invention of the switch and the early development work at Labs, John O'Rourke, then General Manager of Telecommunications at HP, was quick to realize the importance of the technology and drove the formation of a new division within Agilent, the Optical Networking Division (OND), where he is now the General Manager.

Thanks to John O'Rourke of Agilent Technologies, Bill Ahern and Bruce Horwitz of Axsun Technologies, Steve Eisenberg of Bell Labs/Lucent Technologies, and J Eric Gulliksen of Venture Development Corp for their contributions to this article.

We invested in Novera Optics because we believe that dynamic gain-flattening filters are an important technology for future optical networks , said John O'Rourke , vice-president of Agilent's optical networking division.And we see synergies between Novera Optics' efforts and the direction Agilent is taking in its business..Set up in 1999 , Novera develops dynamic optical signal processors.The company , which was formerly known as Ultraband Fiber Optics , is headquartered in San Jose , California.Agilent Ventures is a recently-formed unit of Agilent Technologies set up to back technology start-ups worldwide.The venture plans to invest up to USD 100 million per year , providing earlier-stage companies in optical communications , wireless communications and life sciences with between USD 2 and 10 million each.

This device will change the way engineers think about next-generation switching elements in the same way Bill Hewlett's first electronic calculator changed the way engineers thought about slide rules in the early 1970s, asserts John O'Rourke, general manager of Agilent's Optical Networking Division.Network equipment manufacturers must focus on the move to all-optical networks now or be surpassed by their competition..

Agilent's switch uses no mirrors – instead, light is redirected via an array of permanently aligned waveguides.Light is transmitted along horizontal pathways from input to output until a switch command is issued.At that point, an inkjet bubble is created, reflecting the light on a vertical path to the switched port.The lack of mirrors and moving parts makes Agilent's photonic switching platform incredibly reliable.

This device will change the way engineers think about next-generation switching elements in the same way Bill Hewlett's first electronic calculator changed the way engineers thought about slide rules in the early 1970s, said John O'Rourke, general manager of Agilent's Optical Networking Division.Network equipment manufacturers must focus on the move to all-optical networks now or be surpassed by their competition..

The simplicity of the Agilent Photonic Switching Platform design is the key to its reliability.The new photonic switches are based on Agilent technology that uses an innovative combination of reliable inkjet and planar lightwave circuit (PLC) technologies.They accomplish the task of re-directing light without the help of mirrors or any other moving parts.This switch is composed of a vertical and horizontal array of permanently aligned waveguides.

John J. O'RourkeAgilent Technologies

John O'Rourke, general manager of the Agilent Optical Networking Division, said: "With STMicroelectronics providing the silicon components, we will be able to assure our customers that Agilent will have a reliable, secure and capable supply chain, as well as strong development capabilities for future versions of the photonic switch."

STMicroelectronics actively contributed to the implementation of the micro-machined section of the optical switch, refining the process steps for etching thru-silicon channels and the application-specific metallization technique.ST and Agilent are working together on long-term research to develop future enhancements to the photonic switch.

About Agilent TechnologiesAgilent Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: A) is a diversified technology company, resulting from Hewlett-Packard Company's plan to strategically realign itself into two fully independent companies.With 42,000 employees serving customers in more than 120 countries, Agilent Technologies is a global leader in designing and manufacturing test, measurement and monitoring instruments, systems and solutions, and semiconductor and optical components.

John O'Rouke , General Manager , Optical Networking Division

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John O'Rourke, Agilent Technologies (Chairman)