Ciena Announces CN 4200 FlexSelect Advanced Services Platform with Bre

Ciena Announces CN 4200 FlexSelect Advanced Services Platform with Breakthrough 'Any Service, Any Where, Any Time' Technology

    Business Editors/High-Tech Editors

    LINTHICUM, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 16, 2005--

    First Optical Platform to Offer Software Programmable Ports with Remote Configuration to Support Ethernet, SONET/SDH, Video and Storage
    Protocols On-Demand

    Ciena(R) Corporation (Nasdaq:CIEN), the network specialist, today announced the CN 4200(TM) FlexSelect Advanced Services Platform, the first multiservice transport and service aggregation platform to enable a flexible, cost-effective transition from TDM to service-selectable packet networks. With Ciena's breakthrough FlexiPort technology, the CN 4200 is capable of supporting voice, data and video services on any port of any line card at any network location using completely remote service provisioning and management. The CN 4200 addresses multiple applications for telco and cable service provider, enterprise and government customers. Generally available today, the CN 4200 is currently being certified for deployment by Swisscom and is in trials with other customers.
    A key element of Ciena's new FlexSelect(TM) Architecture (see related announcement: "Ciena Unveils FlexSelect Architecture"), the CN 4200 eliminates the cost and complexity of deploying and sparing service-specific line cards. Each port on the platform's FlexiPort line card can be remotely programmed on-demand to support nearly any transport service including SONET/SDH, ESCON, Fibre Channel, Gigabit Ethernet, Digital Video and Optical Transport Unit (OTU) services at any speed up to 10 gigabits per second (Gbps). In addition, each port can be programmed to function as a transponder, muxponder, ADM, or cross connect, which provides an additional layer of flexibility and optimization of traffic on a wavelength. Ciena's FlexiPort technology provides long-range investment protection by supporting current industry standards as well as new services and protocols as they come to market with simple downloadable upgrades. The CN 4200 also features Ciena's FlexSelect OS, the industry's most advanced control plane technology, to offer network automation and optimization that drives network efficiencies and OPEX reductions.
    "The migration from TDM to packet services can potentially drive customer churn for service providers, so creating networks that can quickly adapt to changing service requirements and reduce service provisioning times is critical," said Sterling Perrin, research manager, Optical Networks, IDC. "Flexible, software-programmable multiservice cards - such as those offered in the Ciena CN 4200 - address service provider concerns about investment protection and cost reduction as they migrate toward more packet-based services."
    Swisscom, Switzerland's largest telecommunications provider, is currently certifying to deploy Ciena's CN 4200, to offer storage area networking services, including ESCON, Fibre Channel and 2 Gbps Fibre Channel in regional applications, to its large enterprise customers.
    "Ciena's any port, any service capabilities on the CN 4200 will bring new flexibility to our network," said Stephan Mueller, marketing manager, Swisscom. "Not only does the CN 4200 FlexSelect deliver low initial capital and minimal sparing costs, the platform's software programmable FlexiPort technology will make it possible for us to migrate our customers' services to higher speeds or even change the service type as demand changes - all in-service without requiring onsite interventions."
    As part of the FlexSelect Architecture, the CN 4200 maximizes network flexibility to create compelling service and economic advantages for customers. Pluggable or tunable DWDM and CWDM optics address a variety of transport applications and the platform can be deployed from a single line card and chassis for an enterprise location up to large central office locations with stackable scalability up to 400 Gbps per node. The CN 4200's FlexSelect OS intelligent control plane improves customer satisfaction by automating the provisioning process and optimizing network utilization. Now when a network operator needs to provision a new service, FlexSelect OS knows the available network capacity and can automatically provision the service, allowing the network to adapt in real-time to changing service requirements to ensure full network utilization and drastically reduce time to revenue.
    "The CN 4200 and broader FlexSelect Architecture shift the focus of networking from investing in service-specific equipment and manually provisioning networks to simply having one network that can be remotely programmed to handle multiple services on-demand," said Gary Smith, president and CEO of Ciena. "The CN 4200 and FlexiPort technology are innovation milestones for Ciena and proof of our commitment to solving our customers' real-world challenges by developing application-driven products."
    The CN 4200 offers FlexSelect Management features enabled by ON-Center, Ciena's network management system, that combine point-and-click ease of use and network management automation with industry-leading customer and service management capabilities, including detailed service level agreements (SLAs), user-defined thresholds and sophisticated reporting. Based on an analysis of a service provider network, the CN 4200 can drastically reduce the cost of service delivery with faster service provisioning, optimal network utilization and lower sparing expenses, including:

--	95 percent reduction in new service provisioning and/or service migration times from an average of more than 45 days down to two. Customer adds, moves and changes can be done remotely.
--	Up to 78 percent reduction in wavelength usage based on the CN 4200's efficient sub-wavelength grooming as compared to competing ROADM-only solutions.
--	66 percent reduction in line card spares, based on having one programmable line card that can support multiple services and speeds versus individual service cards for each.

    The CN 4200 immediately supports the most critical services for the transition from TDM to packet networks, but additional services will be added and available to existing customers via software download. Ciena also plans to extend the CN 4200's current sub-wavelength ROADM capabilities with "Dynamic Wavelength Routing" reconfigurable OADM technology for full 10G wavelength services, giving transport networks the utmost in flexibility. Further product information about the CN 4200 FlexSelect Advanced Services Platform and FlexSelect Architecture can be found on Ciena's web site at http://www.ciena.com/FlexSelect.

    ABOUT CIENA

    Ciena Corporation is the network specialist, focused on expanding the possibilities for its customers' networks while reducing their cost of ownership. The company's systems, software and services target and cure specific network pain points so that telcos, cable operators, governments and enterprises can best exploit the new applications that are driving their businesses forward. For more information, visit www.ciena.com.

    NOTE TO INVESTORS

    This press release contains certain forward-looking statements based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements are based on information available to the Company as of the date hereof; and Ciena's actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied, due to risks and uncertainties associated with its business, which include the risk factors disclosed in its Report on Form 10-Q, which Ciena filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 3, 2005. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding Ciena's expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future and can be identified by forward-looking words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "should," "will," and "would" or similar words. Ciena assumes no obligation to update the information included in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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CONTACT: Ciena Corporation Press Contact: Nicole Anderson, 877-857-7377 pr@ciena.com or Investor Contact: Jessica Towns, 888-243-6223 ir@ciena.com

KEYWORD: MARYLAND INTERNATIONAL AFRICA/MIDDLE EAST INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORKING HARDWARE SOFTWARE PRODUCT SOURCE: Ciena Corporation

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