ADVA Optical Service and Solutions Announces Establishment of US Subsidiary.

MEININGEN, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 20, 1998--ADVA GmbH Optical Service and Solutions has expanded operations in the US with a sales and support office located in Ramsey, New Jersey. This office will be responsible for sales and marketing, customer service, system engineering, technical training, local inventory, and maintenance for the United States and Canada. Brian McCann, President, formerly with 3M Specialty Optical Fibers will lead the organization.

"The tremendous success we have had in Europe and the demand for Enterprise WDM networking solutions in North America has prompted us to establish the same customer service driven operations for this region," states Claus Mueller, Managing Director for ADVA GmbH Optical Service and Solutions. "ADVA is now a global company. In order to ensure our continued rapid growth, a local support infrastructure is necessary and has been established."

With a focus on WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexing) technology, ADVA Optical Solutions, Inc. is a leading supplier of equipment and customized solutions for fiber optic networks spanning the WAN to LAN spectrum. The ADVA product line of high-speed fiber optic converters, EDFAs (Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifiers), optical switches, and wavelength division multiplexers enable private enterprise and service provider networks to get more from their existing optical fiber infrastructure. Founded in 1994, ADVA has shown strong sales growth and sustained profitability since the release of its first WDM system in 1995.

For more information please visit our web page http://www.advaoptical.com or contact:

CONTACT: ADVA Optical Solutions, Inc., Ramsey, NJ

Donna Gora

Telephone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

or

ADVA GmbH Optical Service and Solutions

Holger Schramm

Telephone: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]