Calient Networks Enables Dynamic Networking with Standalone GMPLS Controller and `Zero Loss' Integrated Optical Amplifier Module.

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- New products enhance carrier ability to overlay dynamic optical switching onto existing networks

Calient Networks, a leading provider of intelligent, carrier-class photonic switching systems and software, today introduced two new feature sets for use with its flagship DiamondWave(R) PXC and PX switching systems: the GMPLS Controller and the 'zero loss' integrated Optical Amplifier Module, or OAO Module.

Calient's GMPLS Controller is an add-on controller module that enables carriers to extend GMPLS intelligence and optical control plane technology to the network edge, for use not only with the PXC and PX, but also with complementary transport elements from core to edge.

"Carriers need to be able to offer new dynamic services, but are often limited by the equipment they have deployed in their networks today," said Calient Networks chief marketing officer Ron Mackey. "With our GMPLS Controller - one of the first such elements in the industry -- we can extend a dynamic GMPLS control plane to encompass DWDM, SONET/SDH and IP networking equipment. Today these devices do not natively support a control plane, and the GMPLS controller opens up the possibility for carriers to more quickly deploy dynamic end-to-end networking."

"While the DiamondWave optical switches have had control plane capabilities since 2001, now carriers and OEMs can add control plane capabilities in line systems and edge routers, as well, with the full confidence of interoperability and end-to-end manageability across the control plane," Mackey continued. "These new end-to-end solutions will be able to offer rapid provisioning and restoration, dynamic call set-up, standards-based routing and reconfigurable edge-to-core connections."

The new OAO Module enables carrier migration to photonic switching, even in networks not originally designed for all-optical switching, at "zero insertion loss". The OAO Module adjusts the amplification of an incoming signal to compensate for optical loss, or to balance power levels as wavelengths traverse between rings. The module can also be used on banded groups of wavelengths, minimizing the number of ports needed to support interconnections of rings or add-drop networks at the band level, and provides dynamic gain equalization between different wavelengths

"Calient is committed to making it as easy as possible for carriers to be able to deploy new optical networking services," said Mackey. "By creating an optical switching solution that has no insertion loss, optical switching can be overlaid onto almost any existing network without re-engineering. This opens the door for supporting new services such as bandwidth-on-demand. "

"As we pledged to the industry, we are helping to lower the proprietary barriers preventing vendors' management elements from interoperating with other elements in the network," stated Charles Corbalis, Calient CEO. "The GMPLS Controller lets carriers benefit from one common set of management semantics and software. Such unified signaling software and the selective amplification capability of the OAO Module dramatically open up today's optical networks, unleashing performance, cost-effectiveness and carrier freedom to choose best-in-class elements."

The company will demonstrate these products at Supercomm 2004 in Chicago, Illinois, in booth 10240, June 21 - 25.

About Calient Networks

Calient Networks is a leading provider of intelligent, carrier-class photonic switching systems and software that help service providers scale their networks for expanding bandwidth demands and deliver new wavelength services. Calient's DiamondWave(TM) switching system and GMPLS-powered networking innovations provide a seamless, 'opto-electronic-to-photonic' migration path that is non-disruptive to legacy operations, highly cost-effective, and an enabler to revenue-generating optical services. Calient is shipping its DiamondWave PXC systems and PX switching subsystems to production networks, labs and OEMs worldwide. The company is headquartered in San Jose, California. Additional engineering and manufacturing operations are located in Santa Barbara, California, while MEMS design and fabrication operations are located in Ithaca, New York. For additional information about Calient, visit http://www.calient.net .

Calient, the Calient Networks logo, the DiamondWave logo and "Where Innovation Comes to Light" are registered trademarks of Calient Networks, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. Calient Networks and DiamondWave are trademarks of Calient Networks, Inc. All other marks used in this press release are the property of their respective owners.