Agilent Technologies' New Fiber Optic Transceivers Offer Industry's Lowest EMI Emissions.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 10, 2001

Gigabit Devices for Ethernet, iSCSI and Fibre Channel Also Provide

Maximum Port Density and Flexibility

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A) today introduced three small form-factor pluggable (SFP) fiber optic transceivers for Gigabit Ethernet, iSCSI (Internet protocol small computer system interface) and Fibre Channel applications. These new transceivers offer the industry's lowest electromagnetic interference (EMI) emissions, enabling network equipment manufacturers to employ more than 200 Agilent SFP transceivers in their systems. This transceiver port density is eight times more than other SFP solutions are able to support.

Agilent's SFP fiber optic transceivers are also "hot-pluggable," which allows greater flexibility in system configuration, and eliminates system downtime during upgrades and maintenance. This feature also gives end users the ability to scale their systems when needed without interrupting network services.

"These new devices highlight our strengths in design and manufacturing," said David Knights, worldwide marketing manager for Agilent's Networking Solutions Division. "Our ability to design and build superior products in very high volumes is what Agilent customers have come to expect from the world's leading supplier of fiber optic transceivers."

Agilent's new transceivers -- HFBR-5710L, HFBR-5701L, and HFBR-5730L -- are compliant to the Small Form-factor Pluggable Multi-Source Agreement(1), Gigabit Ethernet and iSCSI, IEEE 802.3 specification, and Fibre Channel, ANSI X3.230 specification.

Agilent's HFBR-5710L, HFBR-5701L, and HFBR-5730L operate at 3.3 volts, and feature 850-nm-wavelength oxide VCSEL (vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser) light sources. As one of the first companies to use oxide VCSELs in commercial products, Agilent provides technological excellence and experience to ensure high VCSEL reliability in a high-density, high-speed and low-power operating environment.

U.S. Pricing and Availability

The Agilent HFBR-5710L supports the 1.25 GBd Ethernet transmission rate and standards, and the Agilent HFBR-5730L supports the 1.063 GBd Fibre Channel transmission rate and standards. The Agilent HFBR-5701L is compliant to the 1.25 GBd Ethernet and 1.063 GBd Fibre Channel transmission rates, as well as meeting requirements for iSCSI. Samples of the transceivers are currently available to select customers, with general availability expected later this month. The devices are priced starting at approximately $50 in high volumes.

Also available is an Agilent reference design that combines the Agilent HFBR-5710L Gigabit Ethernet SFP transceiver and Agilent's HDMP-1687 four channel, 1.25 Gbps serializer-deserializer (SerDes) device. The reference design enables network equipment manufacturers to shorten their design cycle and time to market.

Agilent will continue its fiber optic transceiver development, including pin-through hole (PTH) solutions for host bus adapter card providers, and single mode 1300 nm laser solutions in both SFP and PTH packages, all planned to be available later this year. Information on these products and the reference design is available at www.agilent.com/view/networking.

About Agilent Technologies

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A) is a global technology leader in communications, electronics, life sciences and healthcare. The company's 48,000 employees serve customers in more than 120 countries. Agilent had net revenue of $ 9.4 billion in fiscal year 2000, as restated to reflect the pending sale of its healthcare business. Information about Agilent Technologies can be found on the Web at www.agilent.com.

(1) The Small Form-factor Pluggable (SFP) Transceiver Multisource Agreement (MSA) has been signed by Agilent Technologies, Blaze Network Products, E2O Communications, Inc., ExceLight Communications, Finisar Corporation, Fujikura Technology America Corp., Hitachi Cable, Infineon Technologies Corp., IBM Corp., Lucent Technologies, Molex Inc., Optical Communication Products Inc., Picolight Inc., Stratos Lightwave, and Tyco Electronics.