Dell'Oro Group reports 14 percent growth in optical transport market for Q2 2025

Dell'Oro Group reported a 14 percent year-over-year increase in the Optical Transport equipment market for the second quarter of 2025. This growth is primarily due to heightened demand for disaggregated Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) and Data Center Interconnect (DCI) solutions.

Market Overview

Jimmy Yu, Vice President of Dell'Oro Group, highlighted this recovery after six quarters of stagnant sales in optical transport, stating, “It was great to see this market recover and post a strong double-digit growth rate.” The increase is largely attributed to cloud and communication service providers favoring a more flexible, vendor-neutral optical infrastructure.

The report shows significant revenue growth in Optical Transport systems, particularly among ZR/ZR+ optical plugs, with disaggregated WDM experiencing nearly 35 percent year-over-year growth. Cloud providers' spending on WDM systems surged by 60 percent.

Cybersecurity Certification Updates

In cybersecurity, ISC2 has updated its advanced certification programs—ISSAP, ISSEP, and ISSMP. The revisions include enhanced exam outlines and the introduction of AI-powered adaptive training to align with industry changes.

Casey Marks, COO of ISC2, mentioned that these updates reflect the organization's commitment to keeping their certification programs relevant. The new AI-driven training aims to tailor content to attendees' progress and reduce costs by up to 66% for members.

Automation Strategies

Gartner's recent report outlines the shift in automation focus from eliminating simple tasks to achieving broader business outcomes. It emphasizes the need for integrated workflows to boost operational efficiency across organizations.

The 2025 Gartner Market Guide indicates that relying exclusively on task-based automation has limitations. The report suggests that orchestration alongside automation enhances business value, improving reliability and risk management.

Organizations contend with fragmentation issues due to the deployment of various automation tools without a unified platform, leading to inconsistent outcomes. Aligning automated strategies with corporate goals can enhance compliance and change processes, allowing IT teams to concentrate on strategic initiatives.

This summary underscores developments in the optical transport market and updates in cybersecurity certifications, reflecting a shift towards integrated approaches driven by market demands. The evolution of automation highlights the necessity for organizations to adapt their workflows in alignment with their operational goals.