Fujitsu no. 1 in key North American optical markets: Ovum

RICHARDSON, USA: Fujitsu Network Communications announced that according to data from Ovum, Fujitsu has strengthened its top position in Aggregation (MSPPs/OEDs) and achieved market leadership for Metro WDM and ROADM in North America for 2008. Together, these sectors comprise nearly 60 percent of the $4.7B optical networking market.

“By continuing to make substantial inroads at major carriers and becoming the #1 metro WDM and ROADM vendor in North America, Fujitsu is clearly the leader in 2008,” said Ron Kline, Research Director of Optical Networks: North America at Ovum. "The company posted its fifth consecutive year of growth and outperformed the market, with 2008 revenues rising 14 percent as compared to a market decline of 4 percent. Fujitsu increased its North American overall optical networking share by nearly 2.5 points, capitalizing on metro network growth and its strong incumbent positions with Tier 1 carriers, which drove metro ROADM and MSPP/OED sales."

Ovum segregates the North American optical networking market into four main segments -— Aggregation, Bandwidth management (DCS/OCS), Metro WDM, and Backbone DWDM.

Aggregation, which includes legacy ADMs, MSPPs/ OEDs, and converged non-ROADM Packet Optical systems, is the largest segment and accounts for nearly 30 percent ($1,395M) of the overall $4.7B optical networking market in North America. Fujitsu has been the leading Aggregation equipment supplier every year since Ovum began measuring this market in 2002. In 2008 the company increased its share in this segment by nearly 3 points to 31.5 percent, which is more than 10 percentage points higher than its closest competitor.

The Metro WDM segment, includes ROADM and non-ROADM DWDM equipment deployed in metropolitan and regional applications. North American spending on Metro WDM equipment in 2008 increased 11 percent year-over-year, reaching $1,358M. Ovum believes that metro WDM will become the largest North American optical networking segment in 2009. Fujitsu's metro WDM revenue grew 77 percent on strong sales of its FLASHWAVE 7500 platform, which far outpaced 2008 market growth of 11 percent. Consequently, its metro WDM market share rose nearly 8 points to 21.4 percent and placed Fujitsu in the #1 market position.

At $793M, the ROADM market is now 58 percent of the total metro WDM spending and 17 percent of the total optical networking spending, up from 14 percent in 2007. Fujitsu has 32.9 percent of the ROADM market and became the market leader with a share change of 11 points versus its nearest competitor, which gained 1 point.

“Despite the challenging economic environment, Tier 1 and Tier 2 carriers, as well as Cable/MSOs, CLECs and Enterprise customers continue to rely on Fujitsu to meet their optical networking solutions needs,” said Doug Moore, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Fujitsu Network Communications. “Fujitsu offers the right combination of market-leading MSPP and ROADM products, along with experienced employees and financial strength that position Fujitsu to continue to grow our share of the optical networking market.”

Fujitsu controls 15.5 percent of the overall optical networking market in North America. The company participates in the two largest segments, Aggregation and Metro WDM, and has the #1 market position with a 26 percent share in this combined $2,753M sector.

Welcome to PC's Telecom Blog!

Welcome to PC's Telecom Blog!

Hi friends, I've been thinking about adding a telecom blog to my network for a very long time! The reason being, I started my career in electronics and telecom back in 1989.

I had the privilege of being part of Asian Sources Telecom Products -- a site, which I managed and built, with the help of my team and colleagues at Asian Sources Media, and later, Global Sources. Later, I moved on to Wireless Week, USA, as Asia Pacific Editor for the Asian Edition.

Back in India, I managed Convergence Plus for a short while, before launching four sites for CIOL in 2004 -- Mobility, Networking, Storage and Security.

Given this background in telecommunications, it is apt for me to start a blog on this subject as well. Telecom has been my forte, and well, it is a subject that has also won me four awards in technology journalism, while at Global Sources.

Again, this blog has been spun out off my award winning blog! That blog remains unchanged, and will continue to carry top-quality, world class content!

This blogs will now include specific blog posts related to telecommunications, as well as press releases, industry updates, new products, features, statistics, etc. It will cover wireless, wireline, broadband, networking, optical networking, Test & Measurement, etc.

Thanks for your kind support as always. Suggestions for improvements are always welcome! :)

IPTV in Latin America: Not so fast!

DUBLIN, IRELAND: Research and Markets has added the "IPTV in Latin America: Not So Fast" report to its offering.

IPTV will take a backseat to other pay-TV platforms as telcos seek alternative strategies to meet the significant market demand, according to this latest report.

IPTV in Latin America: Not So Fast examines the market for pay-TV services in general and IPTV in particular in Latin America. The 18-page report analyzes the regulatory hurdles faced by IPTV and the progress telcos are making in introducing various pay-TV services, as well as the various strategies they employ to make the most of the opportunity in the face of significant challenges.

The report cites more than 23 examples of pay-TV services and contains case studies of Telefónica and Telmex/América Móvil that investigate their respective pay-TV strategies across the region. In recent years, telcos around the world have developed an attraction to the idea of IPTV as a new revenue source and competitive instrument.

However, IPTV is simply not living up to expectations in Latin America. "Fewer than 0.1 percent of households in Latin America subscribed to IPTV at year-end 2008 and the technology had very few net additions during the year," notes Derek Medlin, analyst at Pyramid Research and author of the report. "As the market has evolved, it has become evident that there is significant demand for pay-TV, which is pushing telcos to seek alternative strategies to meet this demand," he says. "However, the reality is that the struggles on the front end have severely crippled adoption so far; regulatory issues are blockading IPTV altogether, or at least leading to deployment delays," he adds.

Although pay-TV penetration remains anaemic relative to the adoption of pay-TV in other regions, the author believes this is due to a lack of supply rather than a lack of demand. "Recent initiatives from telcos and cable companies are catalyzing the market by thrusting a variety of pay-TV services into underpenetrated areas and market segments," says Medlin. "As a result, adoption is taking off, making the low penetration levels an indicator of the growth potential, especially when gauged against the levels of adoption reached in other regions," he explains.

"IPTV will have to take a backseat to other pay-TV platforms for the rest of the forecast period, becoming part of a lineup of pay-TV offerings rather than the sole telco service," Medlin adds. In the future, the author does not expect IPTV to break out of its niche until around 2012, when it will be approaching a 5 percent share of total pay-TV subscriptions. "Pyramid estimates that by 2014, the region will be home to more than 4.4 million IPTV subscriptions, which will reach 2.6 percent of all households," he says.

Farnell looking to convert 3,500 prospects this year in India!

Now that's what I call aggression!

Last July, I had the pleasure of meeting Ms Harriet Green, CEO, Farnell Electronics, a part of the Premier Farnell group of companies. It is soon going to be a year since the company set up presence in India. Farnell has aggressive plans for India, with the company likely to look at converting at least 3,500 prospects this year.

I met up with Nader Tadros, Commercial Marketing Director APAC, Premier Farnell (see picture here), and Navin Honnavar, marketing manager, Farnell Electronics India Pvt. Ltd to get an update on Farnell.

According to Tadros, Farnell is said to be the number 1 small-order high service multi-channel distributor in the world. "We carry obver 3,500 leading suppliers and 450,000 product stocks globally. We have 36 transactional websites in 23 languages," he added.

Farnell currently has six warehouses -- one in America, and two in Europe and three in Asia -- Sydney, Shanghai and Singapore. In India, it now has nine branch offices, and one contact center and one global tech center (GTC) -- in Bangalore. The GTC provides live chat and board level support, which also translates into global support.

Tadros said that Farnell is aggressively are supporting the EDE (electronic design engineers) community and MRO (maintenance, repair, operatoinal) marketplace. "We have taken particular focus on developing the EDE space, providing support, services and relevant products. We want to make sure the value proposition is mapped on to the EDE needs," he said. Elaborating on the value proposition, he cited an example of x-ray machine manufacturers.

Global business strategy
Farnell has a four-pronged global business strategy. This includes:
* Focusing on global EDE customer segment.
* Increase business via the Web.
* Internationalization
* Continue to develop profitable MRO business.

Tadros believes that the power of the Web is tremendous. "It is very useful for customers to search and transact. Another area is customer demand. They are looking for efficiencies," he added. "An important aspect that can help us is that we are able to understand customers; needs. The data that the web search is able to provide gives us the critical information. If a customer searches for a part, and we track that, we are able to service their needs better."

Hasn't Farnell been affected by the recession? Tadros said: "We are not immune to the recession. The volatlity is higher, and it is also at the customer level." Honnavar added: "Our strategy seems to be working for us. We are maintaining our base in the MRO space. We are still pulling in customer requests and still growing."

So, what else is Farnell doing, besides these activities? Well, it has adopted a multichannel approach for the Asia Pacific region. It has 154 staff in eight call centers, besides being involved in direct and e-marketing. The company has nine local websites -- simplified chinese for China, thai for Thailand, and English for India, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Philippines, Australia and New Zealand. Besides, it has 103 field sales engineers in 29 sales offices.

Aggressive plans
I started this post by saying I liked Farnell's aggressive plans. It currently has 2,500 active customers and 9,000 prospects in India alone. The company has a target to reach $25 mn by 2010. It is also a walue added distributor offering products to leading suppliers such as Texas Instruments, Molex, and 3,500 other leading brands.

Touching on Farnell's clients in India, Honnavar said: "We have independent design houses, resellers, R&D centers, educational centers, government organizations (such as BEL, HAL), etc., among our customers. The prospects includes a huge list of people. We have touched the top layers in tier 2 cities -- such as Coimbatore and Ahmedabad. We are looking at converting 3,500 prospects this year."

More focus on components, SMEs
The components industry isn't exactly in the pink of health right now. Giving his views on the electronics and components space, Tadros said: "Customers themselves are not able to anticipate the demand for the next quarter or periods. We are seeing that there is still growth in the EDE space and inquiries are still coming in. During a recession, you have an opportunity to distinguish yourself from competition. There is pressure on teams as they have to continually innovate. Customers require more even support, more technical documentation, and look for faster turnaround times."

Farnell is in a position to help those SMEs who are in the electronics and components spaces. Tadros said that the company can support such SMEs by helping them to build their markets in a timely fashion.

Honnavar added that Farnell is focusing on building a product and purchasing team, sitting out of Singapore and Hong Kong. "Moving forward, you will probably get to see more buying happening in the Asia Pacific region. Going ahead, a lot of sourcing will also be done from India." The company intends to be extremely close to suppliers, especially in the Greater China region.

Infineon on India's e-passport and semicon industry

If you have ever been a resident of Hong Kong, you'd know what an e-passport looks like! You would have even used it! For example, if you were crossing over into Shenzhen, China, from Lo Wu, which is on the borders of Luohu district within Hong Kong and the city of Shenzhen in Guangdong province, China, [having reached there via the KCR (Kowloon-Canton Railway)] -- you can easily use your Hong Kong e-passport to get past the immigration point and enter China!

It is really easy! Simply drop your e-passport into the e-passport reader slot and place your finger on the fingerprint reader for it to scan and read. Once your e-passport comes out, move over to the other side to another e-passport reader, repeat the same exercise, and you're done! All it takes is less than a minute!

All Indians could soon have e-passports!
Well, such an e-passport can become a reality in India soon! If you haven't heard it, Infineon Technologies recently supplied contactless security microcontrollers (MCUs) for India's electronic passport (e-passport) program! The Indian e-passport rollout started with Indian diplomats and officials being issued e-passports -- around 30,000 to be issued in phase one. It is likely that by September 2009, the e-passports will be extended to the general public.

The rollout has started with the issuance of electronic passports to Indian diplomats and officials. It is expected that in this first phase, up to 30,000 electronic passports shall be issued. By September 2009, the program is likely to be expanded to include passports used by the general public. Today, around 6 million passports are being annually issued in India. I believe, the government of India has invited a new tender for interested stakeholders to bid for 20 million e-passports.

So, being a Hong Kong e-passport holder, I was interested in knowing whether the Indian version is as smart as that particular one? By the way, Hong Kong's e-passport also doubles up as your Hong Kong ID (HKID) card. If you don't have one, you simply cannot do business in Hong Kong! Your HKID number is unique and remains unchanged!

Dr. Rajiv Jain, Vice President and Managing Director, Infineon Technologies India Pvt Ltd, said that both Hong Kong and India are using the same product family from Infineon. "The security levels of both e-passports are based on the Common Criteria EAL 5+, the highest possible security certification for MCUs. In addition, both comply to ICAO requirements, the international standard for e-passports."

Infineon’s SLE 66CLX800PE security MCU provides advanced performance and high execution speeds, and was specifically designed for use in electronic passports, identity cards, e-government cards and payment cards. Sounds very interesting!

Highlights of Infineon's security MCU
The security MCU features a crypto-coprocessor and can operate at very high transaction speeds of up to 848kbits/s even if the elevated encryption and decryption operations have to be calculated.

The SLE 66CLX800PE offers all contactless proximity interfaces on a single chip: the ISO/IEC 14443 type B interface and type A interface, and both used for communication between electronics passports and the respective readers; and the ISO/IEC 18092 passive mode interface, which is used in transport and banking applications. The SLE 66CLX800PE features 80 kilobytes (kb) of EEPROM, 240kb of ROM, and 6kb of RAM.

The SLE 66PE contactless controller family, which includes the SLE 66CLX800PE, is certified according to Common Criteria EAL 5+ high (BSI-PP-0002 protection profile) security certification. Infineon’s security in MCUs used in e-passports builds on the underlying hardware-based integral security, with data encryption, memory firewall system and other security mechanisms to safeguard the privacy of data.

The SLE 66PE product family comprises a whole product portfolio designed for use in basic-security to high-security smart card systems, with the EEPROM sizes ranging from 4kb to144kb, and covering different applications including government ID, transportation and payment.

Infineon's perception of Indian semiconductor industry
So much about the e-passport! I can't wait to get my hands on one! Since I was in a discussion with Infineon, it naturally turned toward the Indian semiconductor industry and what needs to be done!

Dr. Jain said: "The Indian semiconductor industry has seen its share of successes and misses. The in-depth technical talent required for design and development is omni-present (TI, Intel, Infineon, Wipro, etc., to name a few). For example, we are doing critical R&D in the areas of automotive electronics, broadband, mobile communications and secured ID solutions at Infineon India, and the fact that it is one of the largest centres in Infineon’s global R&D network, is a testimony to India’s importance as the destination for cutting edge research. This has also led to creation of home-grown design houses offering services to the larger companies.

"We are also seeing in some small, but growing numbers, products and ideas for local markets. As the local markets evolve, so will the ability of these companies to deliver innovation for these local markets, which can then be taken globally."

He added that an area of debate has been the need for semiconductor manufacturing in India. For example, having fabs, test and packaging plants, and EMS. "There have been government initiatives with a few successes. However, financial, tax-related and custom-related investment in these areas needs to come together and be centrally driven from a long-term perspective, as these institutions, which can provide a stable manufacturing base, need larger efforts to be successful."

Hopefully, we will finally get to see some action on all of these areas post the Indian general elections due shortly.

PS: Just to let all of my friends know, I am no longer associated with either CIOL or its semiconductors web site.

Top 10 telecom predictions for 2009: Deloitte

Deloitte recently came out with its TMT (telecom, media and technology) predictions for 2009. Here are some bits from the telecom predictions for 2009. May I also take this opportunity to thank V. Srikumar, partner, Deloitte Haskins & Sells, for sharing this study. Thank you, sir!

1. Smart phones: how to stay clever in the downturn.
Mobile phone manufacturers should focus on developing smart phones features consumers want to use and are willing to pay for. They should work closely with operators to create easy-to-use services based on specific functionality that users value, says Deloitte. Smart phone manufacturers could also consider selling devices as price-competitive replacements for laptops. For some workers a smart phone may address all their communications, connectivity and applications requirements.

2. Data ascends from the basement to the boardroom.
Indeed! Data on customer information has been residing with telcos since ages. It is time now for the telcos to recognize that the data or information assets could become as significant to value creation as physical assets. Deloitte recommends that this customer information be integrated, and not appended or archived. It suggests that telcos should consider how to structure their activities to utilize their full spectrum of information. Having a CIO on the top management team and further, implementing a data governance framework, may become essential.

3. Digital communication loses its message.
In 2009, employees are likely to communicate digitally with each other in more ways, and in greater volumes, than ever before, says Deloitte. However, email may become obscure. The success of instant messaging was based on its greater immediacy and lesser formality. Growth of services like text messaging, has been driven by similar benefits. Companies should consider discouraging email for one day a week. Even not making indiscriminate use of the ‘reply-all’ function could save them time and money. Also, social networks may find that the best approach is to offer ‘white-label’ solutions to corporations, advises Deloitte.

4. The joys of disintermediation: why operators should embrace the application store.
According to Deloitte, in 2009, mobile phone users are likely to download over 10 billion applications to their mobile phones. A majority of applications are likely to be sourced from sites managed by mobile device manufacturers, consumer electronics firms and software houses. Although some operators may launch their own application stores38, the majority are likely to see no alternative to allowing their customers to access third parties’ stores. As the consumer awareness of mobile applications increases, the number of voice subscribers that add data subscriptions may well rise, boosting revenues. Applications could be used to drive operator loyalty and reduce retention costs.

5. Integration unleashes mobile phone convergence, finally.
Deloitte advises that while mobile handset manufacturers are getting better at convergence, they would still need to proceed with care. They should not assume that the mere addition of more features would guarantee success. Operators should study the consumers’ use of converged products in detail. It may help them identify revenue opportunities relating to converged functionality. The mobile phone may soon come to be regarded as the most successful converged product of all time.

6. Farewell mobile phone, welcome the wireless device.
All players in the mobile industry should understand how they are affected, for better or worse, by the emergence of the low-cost, multiple-standard chipset. The business case for the integration of wireless technology into a range of devices may be stronger. Mobile operators should consider their positioning -- whether to remain focused on the provision of long-range cellular mobile standards, or to become the aggregators of multiple wireless standards. Similarly, companies in other sectors should consider what low-cost integrated chipsets could enable.

7. The mobile broadband accident in slow motion.
As per Deloitte's study, data now exceeds voice volume on some mobile networks68, and with data traffic growing by several hundred percent on others, the cost of carrying data traffic could rapidly erode margins. Where possible, operators should try to divert heavy data traffic from cellular networks, and route it via other networks, such as WiFi-hotspots or home-broadband connections, at structured data tariffs. The operators need to focus marketing attention on managing customer expectations. They should examine the business model for mobile broadband carefully as well. With PC manufacturers increasingly integrating mobile broadband connectivity into their devices, diversification may soon be necessary.

8. The third screen goes dark: mobile television loses its reception
Deloite's study points out that everyone involved in the mobile TV industry -- an operator, a handset developer or a creative -- should take a long, hard, look at the demand for mobile television so far. The downturn could be a perfect opportunity to call time on a format that has too many fundamental challenges to work. It does not mean there's no space for mobile TV! Mobile telephony could provide an efficient payment mechanism for VoD -– delivered to the home set-top box, particularly for smaller VoD players. They can also be used to control the DVR. TV broadcasters can use mobile as part of their CRM strategies. Lots can be done, actually!

9. One for all and all for one: fiber networks change the shape of competition.
Shared ownership may reduce fiber's cost and risk, but may also require a new, unfamiliar approach to competition. Telcos and other companies should determine which skills they may need to hire to be able to compete on basis of services, or service levels, alone. Also, fiber-to-the-node (FTTN) or street-side cabinets may provide more than enough capacity for consumer and small business broadband, at a quarter of the cost of fiber-to-the-home (FTTH). Further, governments should complement their commitment to fiber deployment with campaigns to encourage adoption.

10. Mobile termination rates in Europe: a cut too far or a cut too fast?
Mobile operators in Europe, especially, have acknowledged that mobile termination rates (MTRs) must decline. However, 2009 is likely to see them push for a less drastic descent than the EC proposes. Consumer groups should monitor progress very carefully. Operators' knee-jerk reactions to sudden cuts could disadvantage millions of consumers, particularly those on low incomes. It may be better to call for a more moderate approach, from both operators and regulators. The local regulators should consider developing MTR glide paths that respect operators’ costs and market conditions.

Top 10 technology predictions for 2009: Deloitte

Deloitte recently came out with its TMT (telecom, media and technology) predictions for 2009. Here are some bits from the technology predictions for 2009. May I take this opportunity to thank V. Srikumar, partner, Deloitte Haskins & Sells, for sharing this study.

1. Making every electron count: the rise of the SmartGrid.
Major manufacturers and utilities should explore partnerships with, and consider acquisitions of smart energy companies, advises Deloitte. SmartGrid technologies have the potential to reduce up to 30 percent of electricity consumption and dramatically reduce the need to construct new power plants or operate environmentally harmful sources of generation. They also bring computer intelligence and networking to the electrical network. SmartGrid also allows for more efficient use of the existing infrastructure. Is there room for nuclear power? Possibly, yes!

2. Gadgets for free* (*subject to contract)
According to Deloitte, bundling products and services together may prove essential in 2009 to stimulate an otherwise nervous, stalled market. This approach may well become pervasive in 2009, and likely be extended to a wide range of devices, including TV (bundled with subscriptions), music equipment (bundled with music), and high-end computers (bundled with everything -- from technical support to remote back-up services).

3. Disrupting the PC: the rise of the netbook.
Even since the introduction of the Intel Atom processos, netbooks and mobile Internet devices have gained momentum -- at least, in print and web. Sony's pocket device only adds to the glamour. According to Deloitte, the appeal of netbooks has been categorized as making 'great second computers for normal people, third computers for techies, and the first computer for children.' Even carriers should consider adding netbook subsidies into their current cash-flow estimates. They should also analyze the impact of wireless data usage on their networks -- driven by netbooks.

4. Moore's Law and risk.
A corollary to the famous law is applied to the falling prices for digital storage and the rise in the types and speeds of communication networks. However, these have combined to add to the corresponding risk associated with information leakage and data theft. Even a small memory stick can hold volumes of data! Companies could probably never realize that their data has gone missing or that intruders were regularly accessing their networks. Loss of analog data and need to secure analog copies should not be overlooked as well.

5. The common sense of green and lean IT.
Green IT, perhaps, the most misused IT term of this year and the past! Nevertheless, the Deloitte study, in 2009, the aggregate volume of the world’s data centers is likely to continue to grow, albeit possibly at a slower pace than in previous years. The efficiency of data centers is, however, likely to vary considerably. The latest, purpose-built data-centers should attain a power-unit effectiveness (PUE) rating of 1.2 or better. A typical enterprise data-center is likely to achieve a PUE of 2.0 or worse. Energy consumption for IT should be linked to the overall approach to energy for a company. All departments can have a role to play in making technology more efficient, by applying some common sense.

6. Downsizing the digital attic.
The ever growing danger of digital storage is the fact that users continue to assume that storage space is infinite (just as we do with our possessions). Companies should assess whether their total cost of storage is growing faster than revenues, and if so, whether this is beneficial to them and enterprises should review all aspects of digital data use and management, advises Deloitte. An option could be off-site storage. However, companies would also need to monitor both costs and regulatory implications.

7. Generic becomes the 'IT' brand.
In 2009, we could well find companies and consumers actively seeking out unbranded or relatively unknown technology brands on the basis that they are good enough and, more importantly, significantly cheaper! For the established brands, dropping prices may increase sales in the short-term, but might cheapen a brand’s image in the long term. How good would these alternative suppliers be? Deloitte feels that using alternative suppliers is likely to require users to become familiar with a new interface, perhaps causing a drag on productivity. Enterprises should look at approaches of minimizing this disruption, for example through the use of digital skins that mimic interfaces and appearances that users are more familiar with.

8. The digital ambulance chaser gets supercharged.
According to Deloitte, digital litigation may prove recession proof, or even counter-cyclical, in 2009. All companies involved with digital products and services should be wary of unwittingly being caught out by the legislation related to digital infractions -- whether committed against a consumer, an employee, an acquisition, a partner or another business. Even technology companies should constantly monitor how consumers actually use their digital products and services and whether this may create legal issues, advises Deloitte.

9. Social networks in the enterprise: Facebook for the Fortune 500.
Again, on social networks and the enterprise. According to Deloitte, it seems as though 2009 could be the breakout year for social networks in the enterprise. Internal and external spending on social networking solutions from IT providers and carriers may approach $500 million. Social networks are likely to be considered an inexpensive solution in what is likely to be a financially constrained IT spending environment. Perhaps, telcos and IT solutions providers also need to invest in ESN and develop the expertise and credibility to deploy these solutions if or when they become more broadly adopted, and start becoming a more significant source of revenues.

10. Sinners become saints.
This is an interesting observation, where Deloitte looks at genetically modified (GM) foods. The need to feed people, coupled with the need to conserve water, is likely to prompt a re-evaluation of GM foods. Nevertheless, it advises that governments should take a lead on investigating, understanding and communicating the various solutions available for addressing the world’s key sustainability challenges. "In 2009 it may even be considered virtuous to create dishes comprising GM ingredients, packaged in plastic, in kitchens powered by nuclear fuel," adds Deloitte.