Astral Point Joins Optical Domain Service Interconnect --ODSI-- Coalition; Plans to Develop an Open Infrastructure for Handling Growth of Data Traffic.

Business/Technology Editors

CHELMSFORD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 12, 2000

Also Plans to Support Interoperability with other

Signaling Interfaces, such as ATM and IP

Astral Point Communications today announced its participation, along with more than thirty-five leading networking vendors and service providers, in the newly formed Optical Domain Service Interconnect (ODSI) initiative. ODSI is an open, industry-wide coalition formed to define a practical framework for interoperability between electrical and optical network service domains. This initiative represents a collaborative effort to enable service providers and their customers to deploy networks that can handle the explosive growth of data traffic over the public network.

In addition to support for ODSI, Astral Point today also announced plans to support interoperability with other signaling interfaces and protocols, including those for ATM and IP (Internet Protocol). By enabling interoperability between existing infrastructure investments and next-generation optical networks, Astral Point will enable service providers to best facilitate the provisioning of network services.

"Our goal is to enable network operators to rapidly activate services with minimal human intervention," said Astral Point CEO Raj Shanmugaraj. "In addition to our full support of the ODSI initiative, we also plan to support a broader set of interfaces and protocols. Based upon discussions with the major carriers, it has become clear that they need to both protect and grow significant ATM and IP investments. In response to this market need, our plans call for delivering a managed, scalable network environment that not only leverages existing infrastructure but also supports multi-vendor interoperability."

The ODSI coalition consists of networking vendors and service providers, including:

Advanced Switching Comms. Aerie Alidian Networks Appian Communications Astral Point Communications Atmosphere Networks Avici Systems Cabletron Chromatis Networks Convergent Networks CrossKeys Systems Ellacoya Networks Ennovate Networks Enron Communications Equipe Ficon Technology, Inc. Harris and Jeffries Intermedia Communications International Wire Comm. ION Networks IronBridge, Inc. Quantum Bridge Comm. Redback Networks Siemens Sirocco Systems, Inc. Spring Tide Networks Sycamore Networks Tachion Networks Tellium Tenor Networks Terawave Communications Unisphere Solutions, Inc. UUNet Valiant Communications Williams Comm. Group Xros

About Astral Point

Privately held and located in Chelmsford, MA, Astral Point Communications is a pioneer of optical networking equipment for the metropolitan carrier market. The company has developed a new generation of optical access transmission systems based on its patent pending Optical Services Architecture(tm). These systems enable carriers to provide profitable, network-based services and efficiently aggregate traffic from low-speed networks to high-speed optical networks. Additional information can be found on the Astral Point web site at www.astralpoint.com.

About ODSI

Optical Domain Service Interconnect (ODSI) is an industry-wide coalition of networking professionals with a common interest in selecting, applying and promoting open interfaces and signaling protocols that will allow higher-layer service networks to effectively interoperate with an evolving and dynamic optical network core. Responding to industry needs, the ODSI coalition represents a collaborative effort to open the interface to the next generation optical network and help drive innovation in service creation and delivery. The ODSI coalition will collaborate on a technical specification, utilize interoperability testing to validate and confirm technical solutions, then promote agreed-upon recommendations within relevant standards bodies and industry consortiums.