"For decades now, Ethernet has provided the flexible connectivity foundation on which application innovation and the bandwidth explosion have been based, " said Brad Smith, senior vice president and chief analyst at LightCounting.com, an optical transceiver and high-speed interconnect market research firm.

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Metro networks have phone gear like digital cross-connects, which manage high-and low-speed traffic, and synchronous optical network (Sonet) systems, which come from fiber-optic phone networks.

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Silicon photonics made with inexpensive silicon rather than expensive and exotic optical materials provides a distinct cost advantage over older optical technologies in addition to providing greater speed, reliability and scalability benefits.

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Besides speed, the core switch, which is said to collapse optical and high-performance multiprotocol switching, is being positioned as a better way for companies to manage peak demand, as well as the different types of mobile, video, and landline traffic that must be managed efficiently.

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HCD-14 Genesis uses optical recognition to identify the driver and initiate the starting sequence, while gear selection for the 8-speed automatic transmission is performed via paddle shifters.

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