Agility Communications' Widely Tunable Laser Selected by Siemens ICN for Next-Generation Optical Transmission System.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 8, 2003

Industry Leader Adopts Agility's Tunable Laser to Significantly

Reduce Carriers' Operating and Inventory Management Costs

Agility Communications, Inc., the award-winning manufacturer of widely tunable components for metro, switching, and long-haul markets, today announced that Siemens Information and Communications Networks (ICN) has chosen the Agility 3105/3106 CW Widely Tunable Laser Assembly (TLA), a high-powered 10-mW Widely Tunable Laser that can rapidly tune to all channels in C-band/L-band, for use in its newest transponder card for optical data transmission. Siemens ICN, the largest telecommunications equipment supplier in Germany and one of the top suppliers worldwide, selected Agility's Single Chip, 10-mW Widely Tunable Laser as a component in its core product line, the Siemens' SURPASS hiT 75xx-er Series for Next-Generation Optics. The new transponder card, introduced this year at CeBIT, one of the world's most important telecommunications trade shows, supports Siemens' multifunctional dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) system with modular and scalable architecture which enables it to be deployed in applications ranging from regional to ultra-long haul.

Prior to the first commercially viable, solid-state widely tunable laser from Agility, transponder cards offered only fixed wavelength technology. Now, however, a single Agility tunable laser can be used to tune all C/L- band channels for network expansion and repair replacements, saving carriers operation and inventory management costs and enabling them to offer additional services over available wavelengths.

"We are delighted that Siemens has selected Agility's tunable laser to enrich its SURPASS product line said Ron Nelson, chief executive officer and president of Agility Communications. "Agility continues to gain new global customers, demonstrating the viability of and the developing demand for our tunable lasers."

About the Agility 3105/3106 CW Widely Tunable Laser Assembly

The Agility 3105/3106 TLA is designed for use in dense wavelength division multiplexer (DWDM) systems where the capability to change wavelengths on demand over the entire C-band with 50-GHz spacing is essential. The Agility 3106 offers the same capabilities over the L-band. The Agility 3105/3106 is available in a 24-pin industry-standard package. Agility's patented SG-DBR laser is monolithically integrated with a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA). The SOA can operate as a variable optical attenuator (VOA) to pre-emphasize output power for optimum system performance, thereby reducing system cost. The Agility 3105/3106 also incorporates a wavelength locker, beam blanking to eliminate spurious emissions during switching, and self-contained microprocessor control and monitoring of electronics.

About Agility Communications, Inc.

Agility Communications, Inc., the leader in pioneering widely tunable components for metro, switching, and long-haul markets, provides the lowest total cost of ownership and dramatically reduces the costs and complexity of supporting agile networks. The company has been named one of Light Reading's Top 10 Privately Held Companies, won the Technologic Partners' Optix 2001 Investors' Choice award, and was listed in UPSIDE Magazine's "Hot 100" private companies for 2001. Agility has also been highlighted in several "Hot Companies to Watch" lists, including ones in Business Week and Lightwave Magazine.

Founded by a team of optical networking and semiconductor veterans in October 1998, Agility is headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, and has manufacturing facilities in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Agility investors include Alliance, Amerindo Investment Advisors, CIENA Corp., Comdisco Ventures, Dell Ventures, General Bank, GM Investment Management Corp., Global Strategic, Granite Global Ventures, London Pacific Assurance Limited, Meritech Capital Partners, Mitsubishi International Corp., Morgenthaler Ventures, Mustang Ventures, Nissho Electronics Corp. (Nissho Iwai American Corp.), Siemens Venture Capital, Tellabs, U.S. Venture Partners, and Worldview Technology Partners. For more information about Agility solutions, visit www.agility.com, send email to [e-mail], or call 805-690-1700.

Agility Communications and the Agility logo are trademarks of Agility Communications, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other company and product names mentioned are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.