CoreExpress to Deploy Sycamore Optical Switches to Increase Reliability of Industry's First Multi-ISP Extranet Solution.

Business/Technology Editors

CHELMSFORD, Mass. & ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 19, 2000

Sycamore Networks (NASDAQ: SCMR), a leader in intelligent optical networking, and CoreExpress today announced that the companies have signed a multi-year agreement targeting purchases of up to $100 million to increase the availability of CoreExpress Extranet, the first data communication service to guarantee performance across multiple ISPs. Today businesses typically use private infrastructure for mission-critical data communications, but with CoreExpress Extranet a customer has the confidence to utilize existing Internet connections to deploy these applications over the Internet.

As part of the agreement, CoreExpress will deploy Sycamore's SN 16000 intelligent optical switches to increase availability and provide greater redundancy and network manageability for the CoreExpress Extranet service. In addition to supplying equipment and services, Sycamore will also provide financing to CoreExpress for the purchase of Sycamore equipment to facilitate the rapid deployment of their network.

"Sycamore is helping CoreExpress make multi-ISP guarantees a reality by allowing us to deliver increased reliability and performance to our customers," said Tony Zeis, chief technology officer at CoreExpress. "The level of availability offered by the Sycamore switches combined with the scalability of the Internet enables us to support even the most critical and bandwidth-intensive data applications. For the first time, companies can use their existing Internet connection to receive the performance and availability previously only found in private networks."

The Sycamore SN16000s will increase network redundancy and recovery capabilities for the CoreExpress Internet Data Exchange System (iDESSM), the platform for the CoreExpress Extranet service. This platform consists of a 22,000-mile, fully-redundant, OC-192, fiber optic network utilizing Dense Wave Division Multiplexing and Multi Protocol Label Switching. CoreExpress selected Sycamore's SN16000 because it has been designed specifically for this type of high-performance next generation network environment. Starting early next calendar year, CoreExpress will begin to deploy the SN 16000s in the CoreExpress iDES to minimize or eliminate potential backbone outages that could affect a customer's service. If a segment of the network is not performing properly, the Sycamore switches will automatically re-route the data via the next best path. As a result, CoreExpress Extranet customers can receive the highest level of availability for their mission-critical communications.

With CoreExpress Extranet, customers receive multi-ISP guarantees whereas with standard Internet access they could only receive "best-effort" service for multi-ISP traffic. These guarantees are made possible by the CoreExpress iDES platform, which ensures the fastest, most efficient path by avoiding the bottlenecks of traditional Internet peering. In addition, the CoreExpress iDES platform routes traffic symmetrically, over the same path to and from customer sites, so CoreExpress can continually monitor and manage traffic across multiple ISPs while also providing customers with complete visibility through its CoreExpress Extranet Viewer. This combination of guaranteed performance and visibility across multiple ISPs gives companies the confidence they need to deploy mission-critical applications over the Internet.

"The fundamentals of deploying a next generation public networking infrastructure have changed as service providers deploy intelligent optical switching to help them manage their growing data-centric networks," said Jeff Kiel, vice president and general manager of Sycamore's Core Switching Business Unit. "CoreExpress has developed an innovative approach to building a next generation network and we're pleased they've elected to deploy Sycamore's intelligent optical switching technology as a foundation for their expected growth."

The Sycamore SN 16000 intelligent optical switch combines the BroadLeaf(TM) Network Operating System's robust signaling and routing software with innovative hard optic technologies to create a flexible, intelligent platform for the delivery of high-speed services on demand. Built on an industry-standard combination of OSPF routing and MPLS signaling and Sycamore's soft optics, the SN 16000 IP-centric BroadLeaf software platform is designed to provide the scalability and interoperability required by today's large-scale applications and hybrid environments.

Designed to switch services from STS-1 up to OC-192/STM-64 as well as Gigabit Ethernet, the SN 16000 enables service providers to maximize their networking resources to address new customer demand for high-speed services.

About Sycamore Networks

Sycamore Networks develops and markets intelligent optical networking products that transport voice and data traffic over wavelengths of light. The Company combines significant experience in data networking with expertise in optics to develop intelligent optical networking solutions for network service providers. Sycamore's products are based on a common software foundation, enabling concentration on the delivery of services and end-to-end optical networking. Sycamore's products and product plans include optical transport, access and switching systems and end-to-end optical network management solutions. Contact Sycamore Networks at www.sycamorenet.com

About CoreExpress

CoreExpress is the first company to guarantee multi-ISP, site-to-site performance for data delivery over the Internet. The Company has developed a new Internet core to deliver new premium quality services and provide businesses with the confidence to deploy mission-critical applications over the Internet. At the center of CoreExpress' Internet Core is its revolutionary Internet Data Exchange System (iDESSM). The CoreExpress iDES platform pairs the Company's fiber optic network and proprietary technologies with financial incentives so that ISPs deliver each other's customer traffic in a premium quality fashion. The Company's innovative data communication service, CoreExpress Extranet, is the first of its kind. It provides businesses with the flexibility and ubiquitous access of the Internet combined with the site-to-site performance and reliability of a frame relay or point-to-point network. With this new class of extranet service, CoreExpress will enable the deployment of emerging applications over the Internet and fuel the growth of B2B e-commerce.

Strategic investors include Benchmark Capital and Morgan Stanley Dean Witter. CoreExpress is a privately held company headquartered in St. Louis, MO and Herndon, VA. Additional information can be found at www.CoreExpress.net.

Note: Sycamore Networks and BroadLeaf are trademarks of Sycamore Networks, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All statements about the iDES network are made solely by CoreExpress. For Sycamore: Except for the historical information contained herein, Sycamore Networks wishes to caution you that certain matters, including statements about the value of the agreement, discussed in this news release constitute forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including whether any significant purchases are made by Customer under the agreement and those risks and uncertainties discussed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and the other reports filed by the Company from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward looking statements include statements regarding the Company's expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future and can be identified by forward-looking words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may, "should," "will," and "would" or similar words. The Company assumes no obligation to update the information included in this press release.