OSFP MSA Group Announces Form Factor Specification

Octal Small Form Factor Pluggable enables up to 800 Gbps solutions, providing an eight-fold bandwidth increase in network applications

The Octal Small Form Factor Pluggable (OSFP) Multi Source Agreement (MSA) Group has released the electrical and mechanical specifications for the new OSFP form factor. A total of 80 companies have joined the OSFP MSA to create this new standard.

Established in November 2016, the OSFP MSA group has developed a high-performance pluggable optics module form factor that is capable of supporting the full range of 400G optics technologies for datacenter and metro applications. In addition, the OSFP is designed to support the next generation of 800G optics modules that will use eight lanes of 100Gbps, and offers backwards compatibility with 100G QSFP via a simple adaptor.

"The OSFP module form factor has the electrical and thermal performance to not only provide the best solution for 400G optics, but is also forwards compatible with the 800G generation that we expect to see in a few years" said Andreas Bechtolsheim, Chair of the OSFP MSA. "With 800G optics, the OSFP enables switch front panel densities up to 28.8 Tbps per 1U, which is eight times higher than what is available with 100G QSFP today."

The OSFP form factor specification is available for download on the OSFP MSA website at www.OSFPmsa.org

Caution Concerning Forward Looking Statements
The information in this press release contains "forward-looking statements", within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, regarding the benefits of OSFP, future product developments for OSFP and the impact of OSFP on future product transitions. These statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. Any forward-looking statements made by the Companies speak only as of the date on which they are made. The Companies are under no obligation to, and expressly disclaim any obligation to, update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events or otherwise.

Media Contact:
Amanda Jaramillo
Arista Networks,
408-547-5798
Email: amanda@arista.com