II-VI Incorporated (Nasdaq: IIVI), a market leader in optical solutions for next-generation optical networks, today announced the introduction of an optical monitoring system (OMS) for optical transport and access networks.

The growing trends of equipment disaggregation at the network core and fiber densification at the network edge are driving the demand for unified optical monitoring solutions that enable high-quality of service end-to-end. II-VI’s OMS enables service providers to obtain real-time critical information about the health or disruption of optical transport and access networks, including the integrity of fiber cables, the quality of optical connectors, and the signal strength of optical channels.

“The OMS is a modular, vertically integrated platform that leverages our industry-leading and field-proven optical monitoring modules, namely, our optical time-domain reflectometers and optical channel monitors, and our deep expertise in subsystem development to achieve a versatile, reliable, and cost-effective network-ready solution,” said Dr. Richard Smart, Sr. Vice President, ROADM Business Unit. “The OMS enables telecom, cable, and cloud service providers to obtain a comprehensive view of their optical networks, from the core to the edge, optimizing network uptime and providing differentiated quality of service.”

The OMS can be integrated seamlessly into the network by simply plugging it into the existing optical test ports, enabling service providers to overlay a universal network-level monitoring solution without any service interruption. A single OMS can cycle through up to 48 monitoring ports, thanks to an embedded optical switch designed and manufactured for high reliability by II-VI. The OMS can be connected to cloud-based network management systems through a Gigabit Ethernet port, enabling service providers to leverage the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning to maximize the efficiency of network preventive maintenance and dynamic reconfiguration.

II-VI will showcase its broad portfolio of optical communications products virtually at OFC 2021, June 6-11, 2021.