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OIF Advances Interoperability at OFC 2025 with Live Demos, Expert Insights and Cross-Industry Collaboration

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35 members will demonstrate the future of optical and electrical networking for AI, cloud and disaggregated architectures

Fremont, Calif. – As network demands grow more complex, OIF is set to showcase interoperability breakthroughs with live demonstrations and expert discussions at OFC 2025 in San Francisco, April 1-3.

With participation from 35 member companies, OIF’s interoperability demos at OFC in booth 5745 will showcase seamless multi-vendor integration driving high-performance networking, energy efficiency and AI infrastructure.

Highlights include the latest 800G technology in the pluggable coherent optics demonstration; a live Common Electrical I/O (CEI)-448G, 224G and 112G demo advancing next-gen data center connectivity; Common Management Interface Specification (CMIS) plug-and-play interoperability; and cutting-edge Energy Efficient Interfaces (EEI) and co-packaging solutions for AI compute and external laser integration.

OIF will also lead and participate in expert panels on AI networking, optical interconnects, scalable architectures and what’s beyond 200 Gb/s signaling.

“OIF’s live interoperability demonstrations at OFC 2025 are the result of months of dedicated collaboration among our member companies, reflecting the immense effort required to bring these cutting-edge technologies to life in a real-world, multi-vendor environment,” said Jeff Hutchins, OIF Physical & Link Layer (PLL) Working Group EEI Vice Chair and Secretary/Treasurer (Ranovus). “Interoperability isn’t just a goal—it’s a necessity for scaling next-generation networks. These demos provide the industry with a firsthand look at the progress being made to ensure seamless integration across coherent optics, electrical interfaces, next generation EEI, ELSFP, CMIS and beyond.”

Live Interoperability Demonstrations
With AI, cloud expansion and disaggregated architectures reshaping connectivity, OIF’s demo in Booth 5745 will provide an in-depth look at the technologies that will define the next decade of networking:

800ZR, 400ZR and Multi-Span Optics – Optical Breakthroughs: Better Than Before
The pluggable coherent optics demonstration will showcase progress in the latest advancements in pluggable coherent optics interoperability, offering a comprehensive view of their capabilities and applications. The single-span demo highlights include even more 800ZR multivendor DSP interop as well as OIF’s foundational 400ZR application. Multi-span connections include OpenZR+, 100ZR and 800G OpenROADM (PCS) over multiple networks, including booth-to-booth collaborations with the Ethernet Alliance and OpenROADM MSA.

CEI-448G, 224G and 112G – Driving Innovation and Collaboration for Future-Oriented Data Centers
OIF is uniting interoperability and innovation at the electrical interface with a suite of 224Gbps and 112Gbps CEI multi-vendor demonstrations spanning a variety of applications, enabling next-generation electrical and optical connectivity. OIF’s live 448G demo will highlight the opportunities and challenges of hyperscalers to scale AI networks as it continues to build upon its previous CEI-224G demonstrations, which include a growing diversity of link types from Very Short Reach (VSR) to Long Reach (LR) and Linear interfaces. A joint demonstration with the EEI track will display the breadth and depth of retimed, half-retimed (RTLR) and Unretimed (Linear) pluggable optics with interoperability from multiple vendors over various link types.

CMIS – Enabling Multi-Vendor Interop
OIF members will demonstrate physical layer management interoperability, enabled by CMIS, across diverse network equipment and pluggable modules including transceivers and cables. The demonstration includes the CMIS industry-standard management interface for a common network control platform, showing interoperability among different plug types, switches/routers and test-measurement equipment, all from different vendors and all operating using the CMIS family of specification documents.

EEI and Co-Packaging – Revolutionizing Connectivity
OIF members will present both live and conceptual demonstrations of next-generation EEI solutions for AI compute, along with live External Laser Small Form-Factor Pluggable (ELSFP) demos highlighting advancements in external laser sources critical for co-packaged architectures.

OIF members participating in the demo include Accelight Technologies, Inc., Adtran, Alphawave Semi, Anritsu Corporation, AOI, Astera Labs, Cadence Design Systems, Inc., CICT/Accelink, Ciena, Cisco, Coherent Corp., Eoptolink Technology, EXFO, HGGenuine, Hisense, Infinera (now part of Nokia), Juniper Networks, Keysight Technologies, Lessengers, MACOM Technology Solutions, Marvell, Molex, MultiLane, Nubis Communications, Inc., O-Net Technologies, Precision Optical Technologies, Inc., Samtec, Semtech, Senko Advanced Components, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Synopsys, Inc, TE Connectivity, TeraHop US, US Conec and Wilder Technologies.

OIF at OFC 2025: Show Floor Program Panels
In addition to its live in-booth demonstrations, OIF will lead and participate in expert panel sessions featuring discussions on coherent optics, AI-driven networking and what’s beyond 200 Gb/s signaling:

Coherent Optics Unleashed: 400ZR Success to 800ZR/LR Advancements and 1600ZR/ZR+ Kick-off – An OIF Update
Date: Wednesday, April 2
Time: 4 pm – 5 pm PT
Location: Theater I
Moderator: Karl Gass, OIF PLL Working Group Optical Vice Chair
Panelists: Josef Berger (Marvell), Doug Cattarusa (Cisco), Sebastien Gareau (Ciena), David Hillerkuss (Nokia) and Jason Wang (Google)

Optical Interconnects for AI
Date: Thursday, April 3
Time: 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm PT
Location: Theater II
Moderator: Tom Issenhuth, OIF Market Awareness & Education Committee Co-Chair PLL (Huawei Technologies, Inc.)
Panelists: Ashkan Seyedi (Nvidia), Chris Cole (Coherent), Jeff Hutchins, OIF PLL Working Group EEI Vice Chair and Secretary/Treasurer (Ranovus) and Tom Palkert, OIF Editor (MACOM)

Moving Beyond 200 Gb/s Signaling and the Future of AI Systems
Date: Thursday, April 3
Time: 1:45 pm – 2:45 pm PT
Location: Theater I
Panelist: Nathan Tracy, OIF President (TE Connectivity)

For more details about OIF at OFC 2025, please visit: https://www.oiforum.com/meetings-events/oif-ofc-2025/.

About OIF
OIF is where the optical networking industry’s interoperability work gets done. With more than 25 years of effecting forward change in the industry, OIF represents the dynamic ecosystem of 150+ industry leading network operators, system vendors, component vendors and test equipment vendors collaborating to develop interoperable electrical, optical and control solutions that directly impact the industry’s ecosystem and facilitate global connectivity in the open network world. Connect with OIF on LinkedIn, on X at @OIForum, on Bluesky and at https://www.oiforum.com/.

PR Contact:
Leah Wilkinson
Wilkinson + Associates for OIF
leah@wilkinson.associates
703-907-0010

OIF Unites Interoperability and Innovation at OFC 2025: Driving Industry Progress in Performance, Efficiency and Capacity for Future-Oriented Data Centers

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Fremont, Calif.  – OIF continues to lead the charge in advancing interoperability, with 35 member companies uniting at OFC 2025 to showcase groundbreaking solutions that redefine performance, efficiency and capacity. This year’s demonstrations will highlight advancements in interoperability tailored to address the growing demands of future-oriented data centers, AI/ML technologies and disaggregated systems.

OIF’s live interoperability showcase will feature key developments across technologies, including:

  • 800ZR, 400ZR, OpenZR+ and Multi-Span Optics — Enhancing multi-vendor interoperability in high-capacity, long-distance optical networks.
  • Energy Efficient Interfaces (EEI) and Co-Packaging — Driving sustainability and energy efficiency in data center interconnects.
  • Common Electrical I/O (CEI) CEI-448G, CEI-224G and CEI-112G — Advancing electrical interfaces for next-generation systems.
  • Common Management Interface Specification (CMIS) — Standardizing the management of optical and electrical devices to simplify scalability.

Interoperability in these technologies is shaping the next decade of network specifications and laying the foundation for hyperscalers to scale AI networks seamlessly across interconnected data centers.

“As an organization, OIF is focused on driving innovation and collaboration to meet the demands of hyperscalers and other stakeholders in the rapidly evolving data center ecosystem,” said Mike Klempa, OIF Board and Physical & Link Layer Interoperability Working Group Chair (Alphawave Semi). “Our members’ commitment to advancing interoperability is paving the way for seamless scaling of AI networks and robust data center interconnects. Through collaborative innovation, OIF is enabling an interconnected future.”

OIF members participating in the OFC 2025 demo include Accelight Technologies, Inc., Adtran, Alphawave Semi, Anritsu, AOI, Astera Labs, Cadence Design Systems, Inc., CICT/Accelink, Ciena, Cisco, Coherent Corp., Eoptolink Technology, EXFO, HGGenuine, Hisense, Infinera, Juniper Networks, Keysight Technologies, Lessengers, MACOM Technology Solutions, Marvell Semiconductor, Inc., Molex, MultiLane, Nubis Communications, Inc., O-Net Technologies, Precision Optical Technologies, Inc., Samtec, Semtech, Senko Advanced Components, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Synopsys, Inc, TE Connectivity, Terahop US (PTE Ltd.), US Conec and Wilder Technologies.

Visit OIF at Booth #5745 during OFC 2025 to experience these solutions live and connect with the experts driving the future of networking. For more information, visit: https://www.oiforum.com/meetings-events/oif-ofc-2025/.

About OIF

OIF is where the optical networking industry’s interoperability work gets done. With more than 25 years of effecting forward change in the industry, OIF represents the dynamic ecosystem of 150+ industry leading network operators, system vendors, component vendors and test equipment vendors collaborating to develop interoperable electrical, optical and control solutions that directly impact the industry’s ecosystem and facilitate global connectivity in the open network world. Connect with OIF on LinkedIn, on X at @OIForum and at https://www.oiforum.com/.

PR Contact:

Leah Wilkinson

Wilkinson + Associates for OIF

leah@wilkinson.associates

703-907-0010