Chromatis Networks Completes First Phase of Trial With Qwest Communications.

Business Editors & High-Tech Writers

HERNDON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 26, 2000

Trial Confirms the Multi-Service Switching and Efficient Optical

Transport Capabilities of Chromatis' Metropolis System

Chromatis Networks, Inc., the leading developer of next-generation optical transport solutions for carriers' metro networks, today announced that it has successfully completed the first phase of a comprehensive lab trial of its groundbreaking Metropolis(TM) platform with Qwest Communications, the broadband Internet communications company.

Qwest designed the trial to facilitate its rapid deployment of an integrated metro transport architecture in support of QwestLink -- Qwest's aggressive initiative to extend next-generation voice, video, and data services to customers in twenty-five Metropolitan Service Areas (MSAs). Metropolis, with its ability to efficiently aggregate and groom multi-service traffic onto optical wavelengths, is an ideal platform for deploying such services over metropolitan optical infrastructures.

"With its aggressive fiber-optic rollout into key metropolitan areas, Qwest is driving innovative Internet-based data, voice, and video services into the metro marketplace," said Bob Barron, CEO of Chromatis Networks. "To be working with such a visionary organization is an endorsement that speaks for itself. The success of the trial with Qwest validates the tremendous capabilities of the Metropolis platform."

During the first phase of the trial, Qwest tested both the Metropolis 2000 and 4000 series systems as well as Chromatis' MetroView(TM) Network Management platform. Each system was equipped with both 1310nm and 1550nm dense wave division multiplexing (DWDM) optical modules and a variety of tributary interface cards. Chromatis demonstrated its integrated switching and optical transport capabilities as well as its patent-pending Selective Wave Division Multiplexing(TM) (SWDM(TM)) capability, by which DWDM wavelengths were activated on a per-node basis. During the second phase of the trial, Qwest will increase both the types and amount of traffic carried over the network as well as test advanced management and provisioning scenarios.

"Voice-optimized metro transport systems represent the most significant bottleneck between customers and core optical networks," said Scott Clavenna, principal analyst, Pioneer Consulting, LLC. "A new generation of optical edge devices is emerging that combines multi-service aggregation with cost-effective, scalable optical transport. Innovative startups, like Chromatis, are removing the traditional metro scalability barriers, creating new revenue streams based on high-value metropolitan services."

The Chromatis Metropolis platform is currently in trials with several leading carriers. The company expects to announce commercial availability of Metropolis later this summer.

About Chromatis

Chromatis Networks (www.chromatis.com), selected as one of UPSIDE's Top 100 Private Companies (May 2000), develops and manufactures next-generation optical transport solutions that provide carriers with dramatic improvements in the cost, efficiency, scale, and management of multi-service metro networks. Chromatis' flagship Metropolis(TM) product family is the first integrated optical transport solution in the market and represents the most complete, scalable, and manageable metro solution available. All Metropolis products incorporate Chromatis' award-winning Selective Wave Division Multiplexing(TM) (SWDM(TM)) technology, allowing service providers to scale network capacity quickly and cost effectively by using DWDM (dense wave division multiplexing) technology on an as-needed, where-needed basis. SWDM received a Category Breaker Award from Network World magazine in November 1999.

Founded in 1997, Chromatis is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia, and is led by a seasoned team of executives with wide experience in transmission systems and data networking from companies such as Nortel, Cascade, Ciena, 3Com, US Robotics, Scorpio Communications, Newbridge Networks, and ECI Telecom. The company has received more than $50 million in funding to date from leading venture capitalists including Crosspoint, ComVentures, Jerusalem Venture Partners, Soros Private Equity, Chase Capital, Lucent Venture Partners, and Eucalyptus Ventures.