CIR Announces Dates for Fall Conference On Optical Networking and Components Markets.

Business Editors, High Tech Writers

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 7, 2001

CIR and Infocast have teamed up to offer the optics industry a unique event that will address the optical networking and components markets from a demand side slant.

CIROptics 2001 is being hosted in the metro New York area on September 24th and 25th. The conference will enable its attendees to participate in an event that will consist of open-ended debates, roundtable discussion and interactions with the audience as to the state of the industry, where the true opportunities lie for service providers, manufacturers and investors, and CIRs forecasts for the future.

In addition, the conference will address issues such as:

--Service provider strategies and realities of deploying optically

based networks

--How are service providers going to make money in the face of

declining margins on services

--The truth about where the vendors are with respect to their

product and market strategies

--What demand patterns for system deployments are believable and

therefore, how systems and components vendors should plan for

the future

--Wall Street's interest in this technology sector

--Where the true growth opportunities lie and which companies are

in a position to best capitalize on them.

CIROptics 2001 will address the networking sector including long-haul, metro, access, optical switching, DWDM, SONET, last mile and Ethernet, and component markets including switching, DWDM, tunable technologies, amplifiers and integrated optics. Attendees will have an opportunity to hear from companies or individuals with proven track records in building networks, launching successful products and investing in viable companies and technologies, including established firms such as Alcatel, Ciena, JDS, Corning, Nortel, Tellabs and Sycamore, interesting start-ups including White Rock Networks, Optical Switch Corporation, Princeton Optronics and LuxN, leading financial houses such as Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, UBS and Deutsche Bank Alex Brown and service providers such as Verizon, MFN, CityNet, FiberCity Networks, Excite @Home and Everest Broadband.

CIROptics 2001 has obtained two keynote speakers of great renown, Paul Green, considered as one of the fathers of Optical Networking and Gary Smith, CEO of Ciena.

For additional details about the event including venue, the list of speakers or to register, please visit, www.cir-optical.com, e-mail [e-mail] or call [phone].

CIR is a leading industry analyst firm specializing in the areas of fiber optic networking systems, software and components. Through its reports, market advisory services, and custom client engagements, CIR provides insightful research, analysis, and consulting services for the optical market. CIR relies upon service provider activities and "demand side" research as the basis for its opinions and forecasts, so as to provide realistic and credible analysis and insights for both its clients and the industry at large. CIR can be found via the web at www.cir-inc.com .

Infocast's conferences facilitate the development of tomorrow's businesses today. With 15 years experience in designing hundreds of face-to-face educational meetings, Infocast has helped deliver the future to over fifty thousand corporate attendees-delivering powerful insights, the highest quality information and the opportunity to interact with experts and peers. Please visit us at www.infocastinc.com .