What is Open Standard Networking?
Open standard network connectivity products are designed to be used across a range of vendor’s infrastructure as they have no specific vendor compatibility coding in the firmware. They are often used in multi-vendor or vendor agnostic platforms and can serve as efficient spares that have wide applications in case of a fault.
Open standard infrastructure usually integrates standardised equipment like “white-box” switches that allow for the decoupling of network hardware and software for increased flexibility and independence from vendor lock-in.
As in any network, transceivers and cabling solutions like DACs and AOCs play an integral role in communication. Open standard transceivers don’t have specified vendor coding in the firmware’s EEPROM, allowing them to be used in hardware from many different vendors. Strict compliance to industry standards like Multi-Source Agreements (MSAs) and IEEE guarantee interoperability between multi-vendor systems through standardised module design and functionality.
Advantages of Open Standard
Utilising open standard networking enables greater flexibility in system design and helps to safeguard against potential project changes, system redesigns or procurement challenges associated with specific vendors. With component shortages becoming more common, considering these scenarios is now an essential step in any planning phase.
This technology gives the freedom to find what works best with your requirements. It allows organisations to shop around for cheaper vendors, better technical support or longer product lifecycles within unique system specifications. Procurement of hard-to-source modules is simplified with wider availability and compatibility than if you were locked into a specific vendor.
- Eliminate vendor lock-in – Freedom to pick and choose best parts for your requirements
- Cost-effective – Not constrained by expensive brands for entire networks
- Lead times – Bypass extended lead times of OEM original equipment that can be unpredictable with market fluctuations and demands
- Simple and cost-effective network growth – Enables incremental upgrades when it suits you with guaranteed compatibility between branded devices
- Flexibility and customisation freedom – react fast to new technologies and business requirements without limits of vendor specific compatibility and features
- Independent hardware and software – Ability to choose hardware and network operating system (NOS) separately for efficient adaptability to new software features or hardware without complete system overhauls
Challenges of Open Standard
Running fully open standard networks requires more advanced knowledge and skills from technical teams as they are entirely responsible for integration and ensuring compatibility between hardware and software elements. This may require new training or outsourcing support to implement and maintain the system.
However, utilising open standard networking hardware like transceivers, DACs, AOCs or NICs within multi-vendor infrastructure remains a solid option for maximising flexibility while reducing costs and lead times.
Compatibility & Compliance
Many clients are hesitant when it comes buying compatible or open standard parts due to concerns over quality, reliability and warranty. This leads to them purchasing ‘original’ products for peace of mind and significantly overspending, especially with large scale projects.
Industry standards like the Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) and IEEE provide guidelines for structural, functional and safety characteristics. This means that compliant products are standardised in how they are designed and manufactured, allowing compatible vendors like ATGBICS to produce hardware that is structurally and functionally identical to that of the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM).
At the core of this is MSA which defines a module’s form factor as well as mechanical, electrical and optical interfaces. All our products are MSA compliant and manufactured with equivalent quality, specifications and performance as OEM parts but with cost savings of up to 90%. These products also comply with the same sustainability and safety guidelines including RoHS, CE/UKCA, FCC, REACH and more. Head to our compliance page for more information on this.
Obsolete technology remains a significant market in network connectivity. Host equipment is often far from end of life when OEMs move away from older tech. In fact, many industrial sectors find obsolete devices are better suited to demanding operating environments due to their simpler and more robust design. As obsolescence specialists, ATGBICS can provide this technology for both open standard and compatible applications. We manufacture them as new through compliance with MSA standards, helping clients avoid costly system upgrades or redesigns that outpace their requirements.
Warranty
It’s a common myth that using third party modules in OEM hardware invalidates the warranty for that product. The warranty statements of most OEMs state that in the unlikely event that a hardware fault is proven to be caused by a third party product, they may withhold, not invalidate warranty support until the part has been replaced. If the third party product is deemed not responsible, the OEM warranty remains unaffected.
All current and voltage parameters are specified in the MSA standard, ensuring the transceiver can support the power requirements for each port regardless of whether it is an original, open standard, or compatible part.
The ATGBICS Difference
ATGBICS offers a wide range of open standard MSA compliant network transceivers, direct attach cables (DACs), active optical cables (AOCs) and network interface cards (NICs) alongside our compatible range. We are a trusted partner to many clients, providing custom built products designed and manufactured to bespoke specifications from low power legacy modules all the way up to the latest 800G and 1.6T technologies.
All our products come with a compatibility guarantee and lifetime warranty with flexible return options for additional peace of mind. We are happy to provide evaluation units to ensure the device is the perfect fit for your requirements, and, for larger projects, we also offer buffer stock along with complete configuration and technical support from our experienced team. Additionally, each of our products is uniquely serialised for full date codes and BOM traceability.
Explore our full open standard range or get in touch with your requirement, we are always happy to help.
