SOUTHERN COMPANY CHOOSES CIENA’S MULTISERVICE NETWORK SOLUTIONS FOR DEPLOYMENT ACROSS REGIONAL RINGS
CIENA to Help Leading U.S. Utility Lower the Cost of Network Ownership With MetroDirector K2 and ONLINE Metro Multiservice Platforms
Linthicum, MD — 01/08/2004Ciena® Corporation (NASDAQ: CIEN), a leading global provider of innovative network solutions, today announced that Southern Company (NYSE: SO), the premier electric and gas utility in the Southeastern United States, has selected Ciena’s metro networking solutions for deployment in key regional rings of its internal fiber network. Southern Company has chosen Ciena’s MetroDirector K2™ and ONLINE Metro™ multiservice platforms to meet its evolving requirements for converged, high-bandwidth applications, while lowering the cost of network ownership.
Ciena’s MetroDirector multiservice provisioning platform (MSPP) and ONLINE Metro dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) transport platform will enable Southern Company to support both voice and data traffic, including ATM, 10/100 Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet (GbE), over a single network infrastructure with seamless scalability up to OC-192 (10Gbps). Initial deployment plans will upgrade Southern Company’s network with four SONET rings using Ciena’s MetroDirector and ONLINE Metro platforms.
“Ciena’s solutions enhance the reliability, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of Southern Company’s network to help our business units provide reliable energy services to our customers,” said Rusty Williams, Manager – Network Planning and Engineering at Southern Company. “By converging Layer 1 and Layer 2 functionality, the innovative architecture of Ciena’s platforms provides us with a scalable, flexible solution that improves the underlying economics of our network.”
“Ciena is helping Southern Company gain significant operational and economic advantages by supporting voice and data traffic over a single network infrastructure,” said Gary Smith, Ciena’s president and CEO. “We are excited to help this distinguished utility company evolve its network with scalable, multiservice solutions to better serve its customers.”
Ciena’s metro networking solutions are designed to improve the economics of converged networks carrying voice, data, and storage traffic across the metropolitan area network. Ciena’s multiservice platforms easily integrate into existing SONET/SDH network environments to provide greater performance, scalability, cost efficiency, and service flexibility. MetroDirector K2 and ONLINE Metro are designed for both enterprises and service providers who want to offer a variety of managed services over a single optical infrastructure.
Ciena specializes in network transition. We provide the flexible platforms, intelligent software and professional services to build converged networks for enhanced services and applications. With a growing global presence, Ciena leverages its heritage of practical innovation to deliver maximum performance and economic value in communications networks worldwide. For more information, visit www.ciena.com.
With 4 million customers and nearly 39,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier super-regional energy company in the Southeast and a leading U.S. producer of electricity. Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states, a growing competitive generation company, an energy services business and a competitive retail natural gas business, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and retail electric prices that are 15 percent below the national average. Southern Company has been named two consecutive years No. 1 on Fortune magazine's "America's Most Admired Companies" list in the Electric and Gas Utility industry. Southern Company has been ranked the nation's top energy utility in the American Customer Satisfaction Index four years in a row, and in the latest survey tied for the highest score among all service industry companies. Southern Company has more than 500,000 shareholders, making its common stock one of the most widely held in the United States. Visit the Southern Company Web site at www.southerncompany.com.
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions of Ciena (the Company) that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this release, including but not limited to the features and benefits of Ciena’s products, are based on information available to the Company as of the date hereof. The Company’s actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied in such forward-looking statements, due to risks and uncertainties associated with the Company’s business, which include the risk factors disclosed in the Company’s Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 11, 2003. 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, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Nicole Anderson
Ciena Corporation
(877) 857 -7377
pr@ciena.com
Marie Downing
Ciena Corporation
(888) 243-6223
ir@ciena.com
