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Ciena Finalizes BT 21CN Supplier Agreement

Ciena® Corporation (NASDAQ: CIEN), the network specialist, today announced successful completion of contract negotiations with BT confirming Ciena’s participation as a preferred supplier to the operator’s revolutionary 21st Century Network (21CN). The commercial agreement, signed today, formalizes Ciena’s involvement with BT for the multi-year project designed to enable the cost-effective delivery of next-generation converged, multimedia communications across a single multiservice network.

BT plans to deploy Ciena’s CN 4200™ FlexSelect™ Advanced Services Platform, CoreDirector® Multiservice Switch and CoreStream® Agility Optical Transmission System as it moves its entire customer base from the existing UK public-switched telephone network (PSTN) to an Internet Protocol (IP)-based network. Ciena’s products will help form the transmission domain of 21CN, connecting all network nodes via a simplified, cost-effective architecture.

All three selected platforms are part of Ciena’s FlexSelect Architecture, a standards-based, service-oriented approach to building next-generation network infrastructures, which includes Ethernet-enabled solutions for a smooth transition from TDM to IP. Ideal for BT’s network transformation, FlexSelect offers BT the flexibility, adaptability and manageability required to help deliver a complete mix of services and speeds while driving down the total cost of network ownership through practical convergence and automation.

“BT’s selection of Ciena for this project highlights Ciena’s commitment to the innovation exemplified by 21CN,” said Gary Smith, president and CEO, Ciena. “An important milestone in the communications industry, this enormous and ambitious network transformation embodies Ciena and BT’s shared vision for next-generation converged architectures and service flexibility.”

BT Wholesale chief executive Paul Reynolds said: "With 21CN, BT and our suppliers are leading the world in next generation networks. Where we go with 21CN, others will follow and the experience gained and expertise developed in this transformation of BT's network will set the standard for other NGN deployments. We're moving forward strongly with world class suppliers and the first customers in the UK will start enjoying services over 21CN within 12 months."

Ciena’s CN 4200, the flagship product of Ciena’s FlexSelect Architecture, is ideally suited for BT’s network transformation as the first and only multiservice transport and service aggregation platform to enable a flexible, software-defined transition from TDM to service-selectable packet networks. Additionally, CoreDirector’s embedded software intelligence will allow automation, network optimization and service differentiation while improving service operations for BT. CoreStream Agility, with its open architecture and Select OADM feature, will provide the scalable capacity, reconfigurable design flexibility, and network automation needed by BT to meet the unique requirements of 21CN.

BT’s 21CN, a global IP infrastructure that carries voice, data and Internet services on a single network, aims to enable BT customers to access any communications service from any device, anywhere at broadband speed. The 21CN will deliver more choice, control and accessibility, as well as increased flexibility, reliability and security for BT’s business and residential customers. 

Today’s announcement from BT is available at www.bt.com/newscentre. BT enquiries to BT Group Newsroom 24-hour number: 020 7356 5369. From outside the UK dial + 44 20 7356 5369.