Innovation and Utility in Engineered Solutions - The Cerent Story

R.K. Koslowsky
Consultant

Cerent Engineering Science Complex, Salazar Hall 2009A
4:00 PM

Abstract –Multi-service Provisioning Platforms (MSPPs) became a market-changing innovation, introduced to the transmission segment of the telecommunication network in 1998. The first company to introduce the MSPP was Cerent Corporation, based in Petaluma, California. The utility of Cerent’s product, as viewed by telecom operators, made it both a market success and a new standard to which all manufacturers adhered by 2001. Multi-service connectivity enabled the aggregation of numerous service interfaces to be transported across optical networks. The use of Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) was key to saving space and lowering power consumption. Adhering to current telecom standards and leveraging leading edge Graphical User Interface (GUI) software ensured the network element would fit into existing telecom operating environments. We will review how MSPPs, designed in Sonoma County, were a catalyst for innovation in the telecommunications network and how its utility won acceptance from telecoms on a global scale.

Mr. Robert K. Koslowsky spent more than 30 years in the high-technology field of optical fiber transmission systems and energy development. His degree in electrical engineering from the University of Manitoba enabled him to work at large telecom manufacturers such as Nortel and Cisco and innovate with a number of startups including Cerent, Caeren Systems, Enphase Energy, e- Locate, and Cyan. Rob served as an officer of the Redwood branch of the California Writers Club in the mid-2000s and has written on numerous technology and engineering topics. His second book, The Upstart Startup: How Cerent Transformed Cisco (2014), captures the story about the rise of an innovative telecom startup based here in Sonoma County. Rob is a member of the IEEE and the Northern California Science Writers Association and he serves on the board of the University of Manitoba USA Foundation.