Foundry Networks & Spirent Communications Use Picolight Optics to Prove Reality of 10 Gigabit Ethernet Deployment in Live Technology Demonstration

Ten-Gigabit Optical Links Featured In 10 Gigabit Ethernet Alliance s Multi-Vendor Demonstration at NetWorld+Interop

Foundry Networks(R) Inc. (Nasdaq:FDRY), Spirent Communications and Picolight Inc. joined 15 industry-leading network vendors in the 10 Gigabit Ethernet Alliance booth at NetWorld+Interop last week in a live network demonstration that supports the draft IEEE 802.3ae 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10 GbE) standard.

The Picolight Accelar(TM) 10 GbE optical modules interconnected Foundry s BigIron(R) Layer 3 switches, which have 10 GBASE-LR and SR line cards, to a Spirent SmartBits(R) 10 GbE network performance analysis system. This was a milestone demonstration that highlights the readiness of 10 GbE deployment, while proving the viability of extending Ethernet connectivity from the LAN all the way into metro and WAN.

The demonstration provided yet another major milestone in 10 GbE deployment by interconnecting a Picolight 10 Gigabit Attachment Unit Interface (XAUI) optical transceiver, and a 16-Bit Interface (XSBI) module for 10 GbE and OC-192 very short reach (VSR) applications. The ability to achieve interoperability between these XSBI and XAUI architectures was another industry first.

"This was an important 10 Gigabit Ethernet technology demonstration with Picolight and Spirent," said Ken Cheng, vice president of product marketing for Foundry Networks. "Not only did we demonstrate full interoperability between Foundry s high performance switch and Spirent s network performance analysis 10 GbE test module over an optical link enabled by Picolight s 850nm transceivers, but we did so at close to line rate, continuously throughout the show, over a 300-meter link."

"This demonstration proved that 10 Gigabit Ethernet is viable, and already implemented in fully working systems," said Mark Fishburn, vice president of technical strategy for Spirent Communications and vice president of the 10 Gigabit Ethernet Alliance.

"Spirent played a key role with Picolight and Foundry Networks in showing NetWorld+Interop attendees the reality of these multiple cutting-edge 10 Gigabit Ethernet technologies, live in a network demonstration. Spirent was the first company to ship 10 GbE test or system solutions to customers, including the use of the Picolight transceivers featured in the demonstration." In May, Picolight was the first in the industry to announce the availability of a shortwave serial XSBI transponder, based on the 300-pin MSA footprint. In August, the company was also the first to announce availability of a standards-endorsed serial-to-XAUI optical transceiver (XG300).

"Together, Spirent, Picolight and Foundry accomplished this demonstration, which shows that the technologies are maturing rapidly," said Chris Simoneaux, Picolight director of product marketing. "This fully compliant, live demonstration was the first of its kind, and gives the industry confidence that cost-effective, low power links will soon be widely available."

About Picolight

Picolight is a rapidly growing, private, venture-backed company that has been shipping product since 1999. The company designs and manufactures high-speed optoelectronic components and subsystems for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of networking equipment. The company provides transceiver subsystems for short-reach (10-meter to 10-kilometer) optical-networking connections, including optical switch interconnect, optical enterprise and storage area networks (SANs), and optical metro/access networks.

From rack-to-rack and to the network edge, Picolight s fiber link technology is delivering cost-effective bandwidth for capacity-constrained networking equipment. Picolight is located in Boulder, Colo. and employs a staff of 140. For more information, see www.picolight.com or sales@picolight.com.

About Foundry Networks

Foundry Networks is a performance and total solutions leader for end-to-end switching and routing including Internet routers, Layer 2/3 LAN switches, and Layer 4-7 Internet traffic and content delivery switches. Foundry s 3,750+ customers include the world s premier ISPs and enterprises, portals, search engines, e-commerce sites, and universities along with the leading entertainment, pharmaceutical, government, financial, and manufacturing companies.

Some of these customers include: AOL (NYSE:AOL), EarthLink (Nasdaq:ELNK), AT&T WorldNet, MSN, Verio, Cable & Wireless (NYSE:CWP), Yahoo! (Nasdaq:YHOO), Incyte Genomics Inc. (Nasdaq:INCY), The University of Washington, University of Miami, LucasFilm, U.S. Army, Air Force and Navy, NASA and NIH. For more information about the company and its products, call 888/TURBO-LAN or visit www.foundrynetworks.com.

About Spirent Communications
Spirent Communications unites the best in performance analysis technology with network operations expertise. The company s award-winning solutions enable customers to accelerate the development, deployment and assurance of next-generation network equipment and services worldwide. Spirent Communications designs and manufactures Adtech, DLS, Edgcumbe, GSS, Hekimian, Net-HOPPER, SmartBits, TAS and Zarak products.

More than 2,500 of the world s leading network and terminal equipment manufacturers, network service providers, corporate enterprises and test laboratories rely on the company s first-to-market products to verify and measure the performance and services of networks and communications devices. Spirent plc is the parent of Spirent Communications. Spirent plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (ticker:SPT) and on the New York Stock Exchange (ticker:SPM; CUSIP number:84856M209), with one American Depositary Receipt representing four ordinary shares. Further information about Spirent plc can be found at www.spirent.com.

Contact: Picolight Inc., Boulder Lynn Watson Tel: 303/530-3189 lynn.watson@picolight.com or Benjamin Group/BSMG Worldwide Roslyn Whitehurst Tel: 949/260-1300 rwhitehurst@bsmg.com