BUSINESS WIRE

October 22, 2003; McLean, Virginia

Isocore Internetworking Lab, the leading technology validation lab in the next generation IP and optical networking, today announced the successful completion of the industry's first IP-Optical integration testing. The IP-Optical technology validation involved the deployment of multi-vendor IP/MPLS applications including Layer 2 VPNs, Layer 3 VPNs, VPLS, and Fast Reroute applications, over a fully dynamic intelligent optical core built using a GMPLS control plane with routing.

IP-Optical Integration refers to IP-based control and management of optical networks and a tighter coupling between the IP and optical network domains, whereby IP nodes can make requests for optical connection establishment and see optical network routes. When fully deployed, this technology will simplify provisioning of network connections, increase network efficiency by allocating capacity on demand, and significantly reduce the operational cost of optical networks.

The optical core demonstrated the flexibility of the GMPLS protocol suite to support various deployment scenarios such as overlay and peer-to-peer. For the first time this testing demonstrated support for the overlay deployment scenario by implementing interworking between OIF UNI and GMPLS.

The working network will be showcased to the public on October 29, following the MPLS 2003 International Conference, at Isocore headquarters in McLean, VA.

"The ground breaking IP Optical Integration validation by Isocore Internetworking Lab is impressive from both technology perspective as well as its international participation," said Naoaki Yamanaka, PhD, of NTT Innovation Labs. "This effort is consistent with NTT HIKARI network vision of Photonic + IP network with GMPLS capability."

The IP/Optical integration testing and MPLS 2003 staging involved multiple weeks of rigorous testing with an optical core comprised of equipment from Avici Systems (NASDAQ: AVCI), Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO), Juniper Networks (NASDAQ: JNPR), Fujitsu Laboratories LTD, Furukawa Electric (FUWAY.PK), Movaz Networks, Navtel Communications, NEC (NIPNF.PK), Sycamore Networks (NASDAQ: SCMR), and Tellabs (NASDAQ: TLAB). NTT, Japan (NYSE: NTT) also participated and supported the effort with Photonic Internet Lab. The optical control plane used to carry the IP/MPLS layered services featured equipment from Alcatel (Paris: CGEP.PA and NYSE: ALA), Avici Systems, Cisco Systems, Extreme Networks (NASDAQ: EXTR), Foundry Networks (NASDAQ: FDRY), Ixia (NASDAQ: XXIA), Juniper Networks, Laurel Networks, Redback Networks (NASDAQ: RBAK), Spirent Communications (NYSE: SPM), and Tellabs.

Media Contact:
Vincent Dean (703) 556-4939 or vdean@isocore.com