[CAnet - news] University of Tennessee Selects Ciena for UCLP Research Partnership

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


 

University of Tennessee Selects Ciena for Optical Control Plane Research
Partnership



Research facility deploys CoreDirector and CN 4200 to create solution for
automated configuration and provisioning of lightpaths

 

LINTHICUM, Md. - October 17, 2006 - Ciena(r) Corporation (NASDAQ: CIEND*),
the network specialist, today announced research collaboration with the
University of Tennessee at Knoxville to automate configuration and
provisioning of lightpaths in support of grid computing applications. The
university has purchased Ciena's CoreDirector(r) CI Multiservice Switch and
CN 4200(tm) FlexSelect(tm) Advanced Services Platform, which are being
utilized in the creation of software for development and integration of User
Controlled Lightpath Provisioning
(UCLP) code. This UCLP code will then be available for deployment in optical
networks throughout the nation's research and scientific computing
facilities for automated provisioning of IP lightpaths.

 

The partnership builds on Ciena's longstanding relationship with the U.S.
federal government and research and education institutions worldwide.
Ciena's expertise has been leveraged in multiple capacities, including
participation in the U.S. Department of Defense GIG-BE project, site
deployments in the U.S. Department of Energy's Ultra Science Network led by
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and its enablement of a connection between
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and the StarLight facility on the
Chicago campus of Northwestern University.

Historically known as a routing and switching laboratory, the University of
Tennessee at Knoxville is evolving as a top-flight optical networking test
bed. Through its collaboration with Ciena, the lab is making strides to
contribute to a de facto solution for optical control plane lightpath
provisioning, which would allow groups of research colleagues to create
their own application-specific IP networks optimized for specific grid
application needs. This allows them to reconfigure their own networks with
automation that virtually eliminates the involvement of an optical network
operator. The university is also working on UCLP extensions to O-UNI, ASON,
and GMPLS signaling and control plane technologies. 

Supporting both TDM and Layer 2 Ethernet switching, Ciena's CoreDirector
provides fast, dynamic provisioning and optimized bandwidth management for
research network traffic. Ciena's CN 4200 is the flagship product of Ciena's
FlexSelect Architecture, a standards-based, service-oriented approach to
building next-generation network infrastructures. The CN 4200 delivers the
industry's first universal line card with individual user-programmable
ports, providing transport for any protocol at any speed on any available
port. Together, the CoreDirector and CN 4200 platforms provide the
University of Tennessee a multiservice aggregation, switching and DWDM
transport solution capable of on-demand support for multiple service types
over bandwidth that can be provisioned to fit network requirements. 

 

"Through our experience with other high-profile research facilities and our
leadership in optical control plane technology and automation, Ciena has
proven a strong commitment to and aptitude for providing high-performance
solutions for some of the largest computing applications in existence," said
Steve Alexander, chief technology officer for Ciena. "Our collaboration with
the University of Tennessee at Knoxville toward establishing a standard for
optical control plane lightpath provisioning reinforces our position with
this key group of innovators, and helps further our involvement with the
growing research and education community nationwide." 

 

 "In creating UCLP software that can be used by all research facilities for
high-bandwidth applications, we are empowering networked scientific
computing efforts on a widely distributed scale," said John Lankford, senior
infrastructure architect at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. "In
Ciena, we have an ideal partner for this environment not only because of its
long-standing experience in the research and education community but also
thanks to its platforms' flexibility, dynamic reconfigurability and
automated management - all characteristics we're trying to bring to optical
control plane research with this protocol."

 

By supporting dynamic provisioning of high-bandwidth connectivity, Ciena's
platforms enable computing-intensive research between geographically
separate locations for supercomputing applications, cluster processing and
transfers of large data sets, some in excess of one terabyte. For additional
information on Ciena's government solutions and support in the research and
education community, please visit http://www.ciena.com/government. 

 
*Effective as of 5:00 p.m. EDT on Friday, September 22, 2006, Ciena
completed a one-for-seven reverse split of Ciena common stock.  Ciena's
common stock began trading on a split-adjusted basis when the market opened
on Monday, September 25, 2006.  For a period of approximately 20 days,
NASDAQ will append a "D" to Ciena's stock symbol in order to inform the
investment community of the reverse stock split.  




# # #


 


  

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
<http://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 August 31, 2006. 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.


 

Press Contacts:
Nicole Anderson
Ciena Corporation
(410) 694-5786
<mailto:[email protected]> [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> 



Analyst Contact:
Kelby Johnson
Ciena Corporation
(410) 694-5206
[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> 

Investor Contact:     
Jessica Towns
Ciena Corporation
(888) 243-6223
[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> 



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These news items and comments are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect
those  of the CANARIE board or management.





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