Basis of Presentation	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Description of Business and Basis of Presentation	Description of Business and Basis of Presentation Description of Business MRV Communications, Inc. ("MRV" or "the Company"), a Delaware corporation, is a global supplier of communications solutions to telecommunications service providers, enterprises and governments throughout the world. MRV's products enable customers to provide high-bandwidth data and video services and mobile communications services more efficiently and cost effectively. MRV markets and sells its products worldwide, through a variety of channels, which include a dedicated direct sales force, manufacturers' representatives, value-added-resellers, distributors and systems integrators. MRV conducts its business along two principal segments: the Network Equipment group and the Network Integration group. MRV's Network Equipment group designs, manufactures and sells equipment used by commercial customers, governments, aerospace, defense, and telecommunications service providers. Products include switches, routers, physical layer products and out-of-band management products, specialized networking products and other applications including voice and cellular communication. The Europe-based Network Integration segment provides network system design, integration and distribution services that include products manufactured by third-party vendors as well as products developed and manufactured by the Network Equipment group. Basis of Presentation MRV's fiscal year is based on the calendar year ending on December 31. The accompanying financial statements include the accounts of MRV and its subsidiaries required to be consolidated in accordance with the Accounting Standards Codification, or ASC, 810-10 Consolidations ("ASC 810"). All significant intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated. MRV consolidates the financial results of less than majority-owned subsidiaries when it has effective control, voting control or has provided the entity's working capital. When others invest in these enterprises reducing its voting control below 50%, MRV discontinues consolidation and uses the cost or equity method of accounting for these investments, unless otherwise required by ASC 810. As of December 31, 2011, all of the Company's subsidiaries were wholly-owned. On December 24, 2009, MRV entered into an agreement to divest its 90% ownership in EDSLan, a communication equipment distribution company located in Milan, Italy, that was part of the Network Integration segment. On October 26, 2010, the Company sold all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of its wholly-owned subsidiaries Source Photonics, Inc. and Source Photonics Santa Clara, Inc. (together “Source Photonics"). On May 6, 2011, the Company sold all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of three wholly-owned operating subsidiaries, TurnKey Communications AG, TurnKey Services AG, and Elcoma AG (together “TurnKey"). The historical financial results of EDSLan, Source Photonics, and TurnKey have been reclassified as discontinued operations for all periods presented in this Form 10-K. Accordingly, the related assets and liabilities of Source Photonics and TurnKey have been classified as assets and liabilities from discontinued operations in the Consolidated Balance Sheet. Cash flows from discontinued operations are presented combined with the cash flows from continuing operations in the accompanying Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. See Note 3 "Discontinued Operations" for further discussion.

Description of Business and Basis of Presentation

Description of Business

MRV Communications, Inc. ("MRV" or "the Company"), a Delaware corporation, is a global supplier of communications solutions to telecommunications service providers, enterprises and governments throughout the world. MRV's products enable customers to provide high-bandwidth data and video services and mobile communications services more efficiently and cost effectively. MRV markets and sells its products worldwide, through a variety of channels, which include a dedicated direct sales force, manufacturers' representatives, value-added-resellers, distributors and systems integrators. MRV conducts its business along two principal segments: the Network Equipment group and the Network Integration group. MRV's Network Equipment group designs, manufactures and sells equipment used by commercial customers, governments, aerospace, defense, and telecommunications service providers. Products include switches, routers, physical layer products and out-of-band management products, specialized networking products and other applications including voice and cellular communication. The Europe-based Network Integration segment provides network system design, integration and distribution services that include products manufactured by third-party vendors as well as products developed and manufactured by the Network Equipment group.

Basis of Presentation

MRV's fiscal year is based on the calendar year ending on December 31. The accompanying financial statements include the accounts of MRV and its subsidiaries required to be consolidated in accordance with the Accounting Standards Codification, or ASC, 810-10 Consolidations ("ASC 810"). All significant intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated. MRV consolidates the financial results of less than majority-owned subsidiaries when it has effective control, voting control or has provided the entity's working capital. When others invest in these enterprises reducing its voting control below 50%, MRV discontinues consolidation and uses the cost or equity method of accounting for these investments, unless otherwise required by ASC 810. As of December 31, 2011, all of the Company's subsidiaries were wholly-owned.

On December 24, 2009, MRV entered into an agreement to divest its 90% ownership in EDSLan, a communication equipment distribution company located in Milan, Italy, that was part of the Network Integration segment. On October 26, 2010, the Company sold all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of its wholly-owned subsidiaries Source Photonics, Inc. and Source Photonics Santa Clara, Inc. (together “Source Photonics"). On May 6, 2011, the Company sold all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of three wholly-owned operating subsidiaries, TurnKey Communications AG, TurnKey Services AG, and Elcoma AG (together “TurnKey"). The historical financial results of EDSLan, Source Photonics, and TurnKey have been reclassified as discontinued operations for all periods presented in this Form 10-K. Accordingly, the related assets and liabilities of Source Photonics and TurnKey have been classified as assets and liabilities from discontinued operations in the Consolidated Balance Sheet. Cash flows from discontinued operations are presented combined with the cash flows from continuing operations in the accompanying Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. See Note 3 "Discontinued Operations" for further discussion.