Sixteen Suppliers To Work On Common Design Interface For Next-Generation 10 Gigabit Pluggable Fiber-Optic Transceivers

Las Vegas, NV. A group of sixteen companies today announced a new initiative for next-generation 10 Gigabit Pluggable (XGP) fiber-optic transceivers that will offer their customers maximum configuration flexibility, resulting in quicker time to market. These XGP member companies include: Blaze Network Products, E2O Communications, Finisar Corporation, Ignis Optics, Infineon Technologies, Intel, Molex Incorporated, Optical Communication Products, Inc. (OCP), Picolight, Samsung, Sigma-Links (a joint venture of Fujikura and OKI) and Tyco Electronics. You ll find most of these members companies exhibiting at the NetWorld + Interop 2001 conference May 8 - 10 in Las Vegas, NV. Members of the XGP group will independently develop 10-gigabit transceivers based on this Multiple Source Agreement (MSA). The XGP group will leverage off much of the work that was done by last year s Small Form factor Pluggable (SFP) MSA to ensure a quick market-ready design. For information on specific product development, pricing and availability, contact the individual companies aforementioned.

The XGP covers five 10-gigabit transceiver types, including 850 nanometers (nm) serial, 850nm coarse wavelength division multiplexing (CWDM), 1310nm serial, 1310nm CWDM and 1550nm serial. The companies intend to work on a common design interface for multiple protocols in 10-gigabit networking and storage applications. The Z-axis pluggable XGP is targeting a size that is approximately the same as the standard GBIC to maximize the potential for system designers to pack more ports on a line card.
"The intent of the XGP group is to bring to market a 10-gigabit pluggable solution that provides maximum port density and configuration flexibility for system designers. Recent pluggable options being announced to the market are much larger and therefore limit the number of ports that can be implemented within a networking piece of gear. We aren t just looking at the early adopters but the market as a whole, as equipment requirements for 10 gigabit start to mimic the route that gigabit board designs took over the past few years," said Bill Wiedemann, chairman of the XGP MSA.

Fiber-optic system designers using the XGP transceivers can take advantage of postponement manufacturing, configuring the host just prior to shipment, allowing flexibility and just-in-time cost and inventory advantages. This effort is intended to establish a common design among several manufacturers, giving the designer multiple sources of suppliers for 10-gigabit transceivers.

The components of the MSA include the front-panel mounted transceiver, the card edge mating connector, the electrical pin-outs and mechanical dimensioning to make the overall solution available from multiple sources. The XGP group is cooperatively targeting a finished design by June of 2001 and expects to be shipping products before the end of 2001.

For further information about XGP, please refer to the web site at www.xgpmsa.org.

About Blaze Network Products
Blaze Network Products develops and manufactures cost-effective, next-generation optical networking products. Using innovative Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing (CWDM) technologies, Blaze redefines networking performance at the critical interface between electronic and optical components. Blaze has developed precision manufacturing processes that reduce the costs of premises and metro WDM solutions and enable widespread deployment of optical solutions in premise and metro area (MAN) networks. More company information is available at www.BlazeNP.com.

About E2O Communications Inc.
E2O Communications Inc. (Calabasas, Calif.) is a leading provider of optical transceivers for use in high performance optical communication networks. E2O delivers superior performance at a significant cost advantage by combining advanced manufacturing technology, global infrastructure, and unmatched production capacity. E2O is backed by leading venture capital firms and private investment. E2O is headquartered at 26679 W. Agoura Road, Calabasas, CA 91302. Visit E2O at www.e2oinc.com; phone: 818-466-2800.

About Finisar
Finisar Corporation (Nasdaq: FNSR - news) is an innovative developer of fiber optic subsystems and network performance test systems which enable high-speed data communications over Gigabit Ethernet local area networks (LANs), Fibre Channel storage area networks (SANs), metropolitan data network applications (MANs), and CATV. The Company is focused on the application of digital fiber optics to provide a broad line of high-performance, reliable, value-added optical subsystems for networking, storage and telecommunications equipment manufacturers. The Company s headquarters are located at 1308 Moffett Park Drive, Sunnyvale, CA 94089. For more information, visit the Company s web site at www.finisar.com.

About Ignis Optics
Ignis Optics, IO, is a Silicon Valley start-up dedicated to developing optical sub-systems for next generation optical networks. Their goal is to utilize their proven expertise in low-cost design and automation to create low-cost solutions that will allow system developers to dramatically lower the costs associated with deploying metro, edge, and access networks such as Ethernet-to-the-First-Mile, (EFM).

About Infineon Technologies
Infineon Technologies AG, Munich, Germany, offers semiconductor and system solutions for applications in the wired and wireless communications markets, for security systems and smartcards, for the automotive and industrial sectors, as well as memory products. With a global presence, Infineon operates in the US from San Jose, CA, in the Asia-Pacific region from Singapore and in Japan from Tokyo. In the fiscal year 2000 (ending September), the company achieved sales of Euro 7.28 billion with about 29,000 employees worldwide. Infineon is listed on the DAX index of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and on the New York Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: IFX). Further information is available at www.infineon.com.

About Intel
Intel, the world s largest chipmaker, is also a leading manufacturer of computer, networking and communications products. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom.

About Molex
Molex Fiber Optics, a division of Molex Incorporated (NASDAQ: MOLX and MOLXA), is a leading global supplier of quality fiber optic products, offering a full range of active and passive solutions serving the telecommunication and datacommunication markets. Products include optoelectronic modules, optical flex circuitry, optical backplane solutions, most fiber optic connector standards, and standard and custom cable assemblies. Additional information is available at www.molex.com.

About Optical Communication Products
Optical Communication Products, Inc. (OCP) designs, manufactures and sells a comprehensive line of high performance, highly reliable fiber optic subsystems and modules for metropolitan area networks and high-speed premises networks. OCP s subsystems and modules include optical transmitters, receivers, transceivers and transponders that convert electronic signals into optical signals and back to electronic signals, enabling high-speed communication of voice and data traffic over public and private fiber optic networks.

OCP was founded in 1991 with the initial funding from Furukawa Electric Co. in Japan and has its headquarters in Chatsworth, California. Please visit our web site for more information at www.ocp-inc.com.

About Picolight
Picolight is a rapidly growing, private, venture-backed company that has been shipping product since 1999. The company designs and manufactures laser-based, fiber optic transceiver components and subsystems that deliver multi-Gigabit bandwidth to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of telecom switch, storage area network and enterprise network equipment. Picolight s fiber optic transceivers serve as network interconnects from backplane and short distance switching centers to points of presence (PoPs), central offices and data centers. Picolight is located in Boulder, CO and employs a staff of 140. For more information, sales@picolight.com.

About Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., with 2000 sales revenue of US$30 billion is a world leader in the electronics industry. The Korea-based concern has operations in about 50 countries with 54,000 employees worldwide. The company consists of three main business units: Digital Media, Semiconductors and Information & Communications Businesses. For more information, please visit our website, http://www.samsungelectronics.com.

About Sigma-Links
Sigma-Links, Inc. (Tokyo, Japan) is a joint venture of Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. and Fujikura Ltd. established on April 1,2001. The company is specialized in the development, manufacture, and sales of high-speed Small Form Factor and Next Generation optical transceivers with transmission speeds of 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) and higher, 10Gbps or so for example. This new company is targeting not only the telecom but also datacom markets.

About Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. founded more than a century ago in 1881, is Japan s first telecommunications manufacturer headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. With more than 21,000 employees worldwide, Oki Electric provides customers with top-notch products and technologies for telecommunication systems, information systems and electronic devices.

About Fujikura Ltd.
Fujikura Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan) established in 1885, is one of Japan s foremost manufacturers of electric wire and cables. Today the Company also offers a growing range of products for the information and communications industries, notably optical fibers and fiber-optic components, and such electronic materials and components as electronic wires, flexible printed circuits and so on.

About Tyco Electronics
Tyco Electronics is one of the major business units of Tyco International Ltd. Headquartered in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA, Tyco Electronics is the world s largest passive electronic components manufacturer, and a world leader in cutting-edge wireless technologies, fiber optic active components, and complete power systems. The company has facilities located in 56 countries serving customers in the aerospace, automotive, computer, communications, consumer electronics, industrial and power industries. Tyco Electronics provides advanced technology products from over thirty well-known and respected brands, including Agastat, Alcoswitch, AMP, AMP Netconnect, AXICOM, Buchanan, CoEv, Critchley, Elcon, Elo TouchSystems, HTS, M/A-COM, Madison Cable, OEG, Potter & Brumfield, Raychem, Schrack, Simel and TDI Batteries. For more information, please visit our web site, http://www.tycoelectronics.com or call 800.522.6752.