Crystal Cube Consulting

AdvancedTCA Grows Up and Joins the Army: A PICMG Look at Federal of Other Verticals

Abstract

It is becoming crystal clear in all of our recent briefings with the Telecommunications Equipment Manufacturers (TEMs), and silicon vendors, that the over whelming preferred open system platform architecture for the evolution of the 3G wireless infrastructure and fixed network is, drum-roll please, AdvancedTCA.

AdvancedTCA continues to win commitments, because it delivers faster time-to-market and price/performance to the TEM industry, allowing them to provide new and innovative solutions to their Telco customers.

Crystal Cube Consulting (CCC) has declared all along that it was not a question of "IF" Advanced Telecommunications Computing Architecture (AdvancedTCA) would win out, but rather when and how fast. CCC believes that our original projections remain valid with AdvancedTCA revenue beginning in 2005. Revenue will then grow rapidly, as shown in the chart below, with total value quickly rising into the billions. Our predictions remain for a $42 billion AdvancedTCA market and a $14 billion AdvancedMC market by year-end 2009.

The growth now occurring in the open system architecture marketplace is on course with expectations from TEMs and suppliers we have interviewed. Important announcements include:

• Radisys introducing the industry's first 10 GBPS packet processing AdvancedTCA module.
• Alcatel declaring AdvancedTCA to be its architecture of choice for mobile and fixed networks. Similar expressions of interest have come from Lucent Technologies, Nortel Networks, Siemens, Hewlett-Packard, Sun Microsystems, and Korea Telecom.
• Freescale Semiconductor expanding the AdvancedTCA ecosystem with modular reference designs.
• Mercury Computer Systems offering its Ensemble2 modular platform built around AdvancedTCA, as well as the Serial RapidIO interconnect
• IBM introducing a new series of telecom blades based on AdvancedMC and MicroTCA (and rejoining PICMG after a long absence)

We are also seeing storage elements, Ethernet NICs, Fibre Channel adapters, fabric switches, and many other basic functions becoming available in the AdvancedTCA and AdvancedMC architectures.

Clearly, ATCA is no longer a "Paper Tiger", but a living and breathing reality. Solutions are being offered to telcos today by the large TEMS and their suppliers. We are also beginning to hear of interest in AdvancedTCA and its companion platforms, AdvancedMC and MicroTCA, in enterprise applications such as routers, multi-protocol switches, and storage switches. The advice we give to users and manufacturers alike is simple, “The AdvancedTCA Express train is leaving the station right now. You had better be aboard or risk being left with horse-and-buggy products in a demanding era.”

Table of Contents

List of Tables

List of Figures

Executive Summary

Methodology

Technical Overview

Standards and SIGs

Chassis Review - VMEbus/CompactPCI/CompactTCA/ATCA

Market Overview - ATCA Applications in Federal & Other Verticals

Five-Year Forecast 2004 - 2009

On the Horizon - A peek at ATCA's Future Companion Products

Appendix A Vendors

Major Telecommunications Network Manufacturers (TEMs)

• Alcatel
• Avaya
• Ericsson
• Fujitsu
• Huawei Technologies LTD
• Lucent
• NEC
• Nortel Networks
• Siemens

Major Chip Companies

• Agere
• AMCC
• Freescale
• IDT
• Intel
• Lattice Semiconductor
• ON Semiconductor
• PMC Sierra
• Potentia Semiconductor
• Tera Chips
• Texas Instruments
• Tundra Semiconductor Corporation
• Vitesse
• XiLinx

Major Suppliers

• Adlinktech
• Adtron
• Advanet
• Advantech
• Agilent Technologies
• Alliance Systems
• Anderson Power Products
• APW Electronics Solutions
• Artesyn Technologies
• AudioCodes Ltd.
• Augmentix
• Aurora Technologies
• Carlo Gavazzi
• Comtel Electronics GmbH
• Continuous Computing
• Elma Electronics
• EMC Corporation
• ESO Technologies
• Fluent
• Ericsson
• FCI Connectors
• Flextronics
• Fortinet
• Forte Design and Development
• Foxconn Electronics
• Fulcrum Microsystems
• GDA Technologies
• GoHead Software
• GE Fanuc
• GNP Computers Inc
• Harting
• Hewlett Packard
• Hybricom Corporation
• IBM
• Interphase
• IP Unity
• Isxratel
• Kaparel Corporation
• Kontron
• Linear
• Marconi
• Mercury Computer Systems
• Meritec
• Molex
• Momentum Computer Embedded Processing
• Motorola
• Nallatech
• National Instruments
• Netapp
• Netinsight
• Nokia
• NMS Communications
• Osa Technologies
• Pentair
• Performance Technologies
• Picor
• Piegon Point Systems
• PLX Technologies
• Pinnacle Data Systems
• Portwell Inc
• Quantum3D
• Radisys
• Radiatron
• Redback Networks, Inc.
• Samsung
• Samtec
• Sanmina SCI
• SBE Inc
• SBS Technologies
• Schroff
• SynQor
• Spectrumsignal
• StarGen
• Summitmicro
• Sun Microsystems Inc
• Tekelectronics
• Tekmicro
• Telesoft Technologies
• Tracewell
• Teradiant
• Tyco Electronics
• Ultacom
• UTStarcom
• Vmetro
• XTech
• Xyratex Ltd
• Zynx Networks