Ciena’s converged packet optical platforms increase network resiliency and capacity for Continuum’s content delivery and financial service customers

Chicago-based colocation solutions provider New Continuum Holdings Corporation dba Continuum Data Centers (“CDC”) has selected converged packet optical solutions from  Ciena^® (NYSE: CIEN), the network specialist, to connect its data center in Chicago’s western suburbs to key regional exchange points including 350 Cermak in Chicago. With Ciena’s platform, CDC will provide high-bandwidth, low latency 100G connectivity to support applications like cloud computing, storage networking and big data for service providers, financial service companies, research institutions and content delivery networks. Additionally, CDC will be able to offer carrier-grade connectivity to tier 2 and tier 3 networks as it builds out its peering and Internet exchange community.   The deployment is expected to be completed in July 2014.

Key Facts:

• Continuum      Data Centers is a premier, multi-tenant data center operator in the      western Chicago suburbs. CDC operates an 80,000 square foot purpose built data      center with N+1 configurations of all critical infrastructure.  Employing multiple energy efficiency      technologies, and designed to provide the highest levels of service, the      CDC 603 facility has robust inherent network capabilities and power      resources.  CDC 603 has been      certified OIX2 compliant by the Open-IX Association highlighting      management’s commitment to transparency and connectivity.
• CDC is deploying Ciena’s 6500 Packet-Optical platform equipped with WaveLogic      Coherent Optical Processors and integrated switching      capabilities. With this deployment, CDC will be able to offer high-speed      connectivity and data center interconnect to service providers, large      enterprises and peering partners.

• Using the industry’s latest      and most advanced coherent optical technology, the 6500 enables CDC to      easily upgrade its existing fiber to 100G speeds by adding capacity and      the ability to offer 100G transport. Ciena’s 6500 platform is a key      component of the company’s OPⁿarchitecture      which delivers the most critical network capabilities – scale,      programmability and network-level applications -- to easily direct network      behavior and satisfy user requirements.

• This deployment further      demonstrates CDC’s commitment to enhance its network to accommodate the      changing needs of its customers. New Continuum recently announced that      global Bandwidth Infrastructure provider Zayo Group, LLC, (“Zayo”), has      extended its network into CDC’s 603 Discovery Dr. data center in Chicago’s      western suburbs.

Executive Comments:

• “To meet the demands of      the market and our customers, we knew we needed to enhance our network      with a highly scalable, best-in-class packet optical solution. The      deployment of Ciena’s 6500 platform is a crucial part of our strategy to      provide reliable, cost-effective, high-bandwidth connectivity for data      center Interconnect and carrier-grade services.
  - Eli D. Scher, Chairman and CEO of Continuum Data Centers

• “With a growing portfolio that is increasingly driven by control and application software and a focus on addressing emerging customer segments in addition to service providers, we continue to lead the industry in the shift to virtualize the network for a vastly improved user experience. This deployment with a leading data center operator like CDC is a prime example of our ability to make networks of all kinds more efficient and scalable through openness and programmability.”
  -  Duncan Puller, Vice President of Data Center and Cloud at Ciena

Technology Background:

• The pioneer and market      leader of coherent optical technology, Ciena has shipped 35,000 coherent 40G/100G      line interfaces to over 150 customers across the globe, with more than 35      million coherent kilometers deployed.

• OPⁿ is Ciena’s      approach for building open and programmable next-generation networks with      flexible architectures and service offerings, providing differentiated      network operator benefits for a myriad of applications, including:      wireless backhaul, data center connectivity, cloud networks and private network      builds.

Supporting Resources:

• Product Overview: 6500 Packet-Optical Platform
• Solution Overview: Datacenter Connect

About ContinuumContinuum Data Centers (“CDC”) is a multi-tenant data center operator in the western Chicago suburbs. The team at CDC has been at the forefront of the Chicago suburban colocation market for over 10 years, and has a track record of developing world class assets. The Company is currently re-developing to operate an 80,000 square foot, purpose-built, highly efficient Tier III+ facility in West Chicago, IL. CDC develops or seeks to own assets which are differentiated by their geographic location or other inherent traits. In doing so, the Company aims to consistently provide its customers with superior risk aversion profiles. CDC’s team has the experience and expertise to manage the needs of a diverse customer base, including trading and financial firms requiring high-density, efficient computation, as well as Enterprise and Fortune 1000 companies and retail customers requiring primary colocation. To learn more about Continuum, call 877-432-2656 or please visit www.continuumdatacenters.com.

About Ciena
Ciena (NYSE: CIEN) is the network specialist. We collaborate with customers worldwide to unlock the strategic potential of their networks and fundamentally change the way they perform and compete. Ciena leverages its deep expertise in packet and optical networking and distributed software automation to deliver solutions in alignment with OPⁿ architecture for next-generation networks. We enable a high-scale, programmable infrastructure that can be controlled and adapted by network-level applications, and provide open interfaces to coordinate computing, storage and network resources in a unified, virtualized environment. For updates on Ciena news, follow us on Twitter @Ciena or on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/company/ciena. Investors are encouraged to review the Investors section of our website at www.ciena.com/investors, where we routinely post press releases, SEC filings, recent news, financial results, and other announcements. From time to time we exclusively post material information to this website along with other disclosure channels that we use.

Note to Ciena Investors
Forward-looking statements. This press release contains certain forward-looking statements based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements are based on information available to the Company as of the date hereof; and Ciena's actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied, due to risks and uncertainties associated with its business, which include the risk factors disclosed in its Report on Form 10-Q, which Ciena filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 7, 2014. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding Ciena'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. Ciena assumes no obligation to update the information included in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.