This year’s Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exposition and the National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference (OFC/NFOEC) introduces a virtual trade show that will simulate the experience of the show while providing attendees with the information they need prior to the show. OFC/NFOEC 2009 will be March 22 to 26 at the San Diego Convention Center. The virtual trade show offers detailed information on exhibitors, including company descriptions, a product search by categories, an advanced look at company product showcases, and company contact information and booth location. With periodically updated information, this interactive tool will help plan your trip and target the exhibitors most beneficial to you and your interests.Photo courtesy of OFC/NFOEC.As the premier international optical communications event, OFC/NFOEC 2009 provides a comprehensive view of the industry through live demonstrations, interactive displays, a plenary session, peer-reviewed technical programming, workshops, short courses, a three-day exhibition of more than 600 companies showcasing new products and technologies, and special focus sessions, including the three-day Market Watch and the daylong keynote Service Provider Summit. Drawing the largest audience of the conference, the plenary session on March 24 will include three veteran speakers in the field of optics and telecommunications, who will address the audience with insights into the state of the optical communications industry, information about cutting-edge technologies, assessments of industry trends and an international perspective of the industry’s future. Speakers include Philippe Morin, president of Nortel’s Metro Ethernet Networks in Canada; Lawrence Lessig, professor at Stanford Law School in California; and Shri Kuldeep Goyal, chairman and managing director of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. in India.“Can the Internet Scale for the Coming Explosion of Media and Mission Critical Applications?” is the title of the Service Provider Summit scheduled by keynote speaker Robert Blumofe, senior vice president of networks and operations at Akamai. His presentation will be followed by two panel discussions. The first, titled “Core Networks – Keeping Pace,” will immediately follow the keynote address. Moderated by Karen Liu, vice president of components and video technologies at Ovum, speakers will include Stuart Elby, vice president of network architecture at Verizon; William Jarr, a consultant in the US; and Matthew Ma, vice president of transport and network engineering at Tata Communications Ltd. The second panel, titled “FTTH – Advancing on Many Fronts,” will take place in the afternoon and will be moderated by Chris Pfistner, vice president of product marketing for NeoPhotonics. Speakers for the panel will include Andrew Odlyzko, professor for the school of mathematics and digital technology center at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis; Bryan J. Rader, CEO and managing principal of Bandwidth Consulting LLC in Chesterfield, Mo.; Ching-Sheu Wang, project manager in the Broadband Network Lab for ChungHwa Telecom in Taiwan; and R.R. Yadava, deputy general manager of optical fiber at Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. in India.The three-day market watch will include panel discussions and presentations on the applications and business communities in the field of optical communications. Topics of discussion include, “State of the Optical Industry,” “More Wavelengths, Higher Bit Rates, More Spectrum … the Path to Harnessing Maximum Fiber Capacity at the Lowest Cost,” “Photonic Integration: Mainstream at Last?” “Optical Switching and Reconfigurable Networks: Balancing Agility, Reliability and Economy as Networks Evolve,” and “100G Standards Update.” Workshops, panel discussions and tutorials will provide attendees with an interactive learning environment on areas of interest in the industry, including fibers for FTTX, optoelectronic devices, digital transmission systems, optical processing and analog subsystems, core and access networks, optical networks and services, and network technologies. A special symposium, titled, “Future Internet and Its Impact on Next-Generation Optical Networks,” will discuss the evolution of the Internet and its impact on the performance and economics of the underlying optical networks. It will explore the future Internet as well as how it will affect the architecture and technology of next-generation optical networks. This event will be hosted by leaders in the field who will present their visions and predictions for the future of the industry.Short courses covering a broad range of topics at a variety of educational levels will be offered. Topics will be taught by industry experts and will include fiber optics, quantum dots, and optical networks and transmission systems. Continuing Education Units are available at these courses.New this year, attendees can participate in the Rump Session to discuss the challenges of the continuing demand for more capacity. “Bandwidth and Applications on the Rise: Will Profits Follow? Strategies for Success in Optical Communications,” is the title of the 2009 Executive Forum, held in conjunction with OFC/NFOEC. Executives will present new business models and emerging technologies that are accelerating change in the optical communications industry.A job fair also will be offered on-site, and a job fair database is offered online. Past employer participants have included Luna Innovations, Northrop Grumman Corp., Digital Lightwave, JDSU and Encore Corp. OFC/NFOEC is managed by the Optical Society of America (OSA) and co-sponsored by OSA, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers/Communications Society (IEEE/ComSoc) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers/Lasers and Electro-Optics Society (IEEE/LEOS). The technical co-sponsor is Telcordia Technologies Inc.For more information, visit: www.ofcnfoec.org.