Chiaro Networks' Enstara Platform Demonstrates High-Reliability Techniques in Isocore Leading-Edge MPLS Testing.

RICHARDSON, Texas -- Test Serves as Third-Party Verification of Interoperability of MPLS Signaling with High-Availability Protection

Chiaro Networks, developer of true infrastructure-class IP/MPLS routing platforms, today announced the participation of its Enstara(TM) IP/MPLS core router in an interoperability trial sponsored by Isocore. Results of Isocore's "Leading-Edge Code Testing" trial, which preceded the 7th Annual MPLS 2004 International Conference, are to be presented on October 20 at the Isocore facility in McLean, Va.

"Our Enstara platform interoperability was verified for all unicast and multicast routing protocols, and is now extended to include MPLS," said Carey Parker, vice president of marketing for Chiaro Networks. "The purpose of the interoperability trial is to demonstrate the interoperability of leading-edge MPLS features that will be deployed in next-generation networks."

In addition to the Chiaro Enstara IP/MPLS platform, the interoperability trial included routers from Cisco and Juniper. The trials highlighted the Enstara control plane, which is optimized for next-generation IP/MPLS networks. Chiaro's control plane -- consisting of routing and signaling protocols -- is the only commercial offering that delivers "stateful" protocol protection. Such stateful protection is crucial for enabling the exceptional reliability, scalability and resiliency demanded of IP control planes as today's converged networks move beyond "best-effort" Internet functionality to providing business-critical services. Stateful protocol protection is the key to the oft-discussed "five 9's" (i.e., 99.999 percent) reliability.

The MPLS 2004 International Conference is the premier event on the subject of Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS), Generalized MPLS (GMPLS) and emerging Internet technologies. MPLS 2004, sponsored and supported by Isocore and other leaders of the Internet industry from both the service provider and vendor communities, will showcase the latest IP/MPLS and optical products and services during three days of conference and exhibits from October 17-19.

Chiaro also announced that it has joined Isocore, an organization providing cutting-edge research, development and testing in next-generation Internet technology and wireless networking. Membership in Isocore allows Chiaro to validate interoperability of its routing and signaling protocols with numerous venders that is required to be deployed in carriers' networks. It also provides Chiaro with additional verification of the importance and ease with which the Enstara platform's Stateful Protocol Protection can benefit and be deployed in multi-vendor networks.

Enstara: the First Infrastructure-Class IP/MPLS Platform

The Chiaro Enstara router, the world's first highly available infrastructure-class IP/MPLS platform, defines infrastructure-class with the ultra reliability, versatility and product longevity required to alleviate telecommunications carriers' "crisis of cost." Integrating a number of Chiaro technological breakthroughs -- and the result of applying expertise in the fields of networking, supercomputing, telecommunications and photonics -- the intelligent, carefully architected Enstara platform results in no less than the transformation of IP networks.

Key to the Enstara platform's ability to deliver infrastructure-class capabilities is Chiaro's STateful Assured Routing (STAR) technology, which enables 99.999% (five nines) availability with seamless, transparent protection of hardware and software during switchover following failures and maintenance activities, including "hitless" upgrades. With STAR protocol protection, the impact of equipment failures and maintenance events is not only minimized, it is unnoticed by other parts of the network.

The Enstara platform's modular distributed software architecture provides automatic fault detection and recovery, intelligent fault monitoring and network stability, with software modules added or upgraded as needed. Rapid and early detection of software failures and imminent failures provides fast switchover and recovery. The Enstara platform features a "no single point of failure" architecture, designed from the ground up with internal redundancy, which eliminates the need to deploy multiple routers.

Available in configurations for different applications and system sizes, the Enstara portfolio offers telecommunications service providers a powerful new way to achieve unprecedented cost savings.

About Chiaro Networks

Chiaro Networks is the provider of the Enstara(TM) router, the industry's first highly available infrastructure-class IP/MPLS platform. The company, with headquarters in Richardson, Texas, has developed the Enstara portfolio with the goal of solving the "crisis of cost" issues facing service providers, reducing capital expenditures per PoP by more than 60 percent. With strong support from the venture capitalist and technology communities, Chiaro has secured $210 million to date from backers such as Intel Capital, Siemens Ventures, Sevin Rosen Funds and STAR Ventures. The company also boasts a Technology Advisory Board that comprises business leaders and academics from MIT and Stanford University. For more information on the company, visit www.chiaro.com.

Chiaro Networks and Enstara are trademarks of Chiaro Networks. Chiaro Networks disclaims any proprietary interest in the marks and names of others.