John Colton, Leading Expert in DWDM and Optical Networking, Leaves Lucent Technologies to Join Tachion Networks

Business Wire, Jan 10, 2000

Business & High Tech Editors

EATONTOWN, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 10, 2000

Tachion Networks

Prolific Career Spans Invention of the DACS, Development

of the 4ESS and 5ESS Switches, and Strategic Development

of Optical Network Technologies at Lucent

Tachion Networks, innovators of the Collapsed Central Office(TM), today announced that John Colton has joined the company as Sr. Vice President of Engineering and Manufacturing. Colton comes to Tachion from the Optical Networking and DWDM group of Lucent Technologies. At Tachion he will spearhead development of integrated technology for its flagship Fusion 5000(TM), Tachion's revolutionary Collapsed Central Office product.

With a telecommunications career spanning over 35 years at Bell Labs/AT&T/Lucent, Colton was instrumental in the development of a number of key telecommunications technologies and products at the company. These include 4ESS and 5ESS Digital Terminals and digital signal processing along with the invention and development of the narrowband, broadband, and wideband DACS (Digital Access Cross-Connect System). His earlier positions include technical department head for 5ESS hardware and software; managing director for consumer broadband, network infrastructure, intelligent network and application software for Lucent's GTE global business unit; and director of business management for Lucent's North American SONET business unit.

Most recently Colton was Product Management Director for Lucent's Optical Networking business where he was responsible for defining, planning and bringing to market competitive optical networking products including DWDM, metro DWDM, optical add/drop and cross-connection, large capacity terminals and advanced optical signal processing.

"John Colton has been a driving force in the telecommunications industry and will be a valuable addition to the Tachion team both for his specific expertise in optical networking and his vast depth of knowledge spanning the entire telecommunications technology spectrum," said Jeff Matros, president and CEO of Tachion Networks. "Many of the major milestones in telecommunications, from the invention of the DACS, to the development of the Lucent 4ESS and 5ESS central office switches, to Lucent's pioneering work in optical networking and DWDM can, in part, be attributed to him."

"The collapsed central office as a product category is now becoming seen as the future system architecture for next generation service provider networks. To date we have focused our development activities on the service creation, service delivery, and service aggregation aspects of the Fusion 5000," Matros explained. "As we begin to enhance and expand the networking aspects of the product, specifically intelligent optical networking, John is the perfect person to lead the team."

"At Tachion, we expect to be a driving force in the convergence of data networks and optical networks, transitioning to truly integrated networks - from the CPE to the core of the network." About The Fusion 5000 "Tachion's revolutionary Collapsed Central Office, the Fusion 5000, is changing the landscape of the central office by collapsing so many functions into a single integrated network switch," said Colton. "I'm excited to join Tachion and help achieve this exciting integration of data and optical networking with the Fusion 5000. By adding optical networking, Tachion will provide service providers with the single platform they need to develop the next generation central office."

The Fusion 5000 broadband services switch is the first system to truly integrate in a single switch IP (Internet Protocol) routing; Frame Relay, ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) and TDM (Time Division Multiplexed) switching; SS7/C7 signaling, business voice services and SONET transport. The highly intelligent and compact Fusion architecture features several innovations designed to improve service provider's return on investment (ROI):

- Easy migration from circuit- to packet-based networks via

intelligent interworking between Class 4 and Class 5 switches;

- High-profit margins per square foot by virtue of small footprint

for bundled broadband services;

- Pay-as-you-grow investment through the uncoupling of service

profiles from physical line- and trunk-interfaces;

- Efficiency gains from dual TDM/ATM switching matrix allowing

services to be switched in native format;

- IP service engine offers high-margin, differentiated IP services.

- Reduced equipment requirements from integration of SONET ATM/STM

Add Drop Mux (ADM) enabling direct attachment to dark fiber for

regional ring huild-out;

- Cost-efficient growth with ATM, Frame Relay, IP, TDM, Voice

Service support software, selectable on a port-by-port basis.

About Tachion Networks

Based in Eatontown, New Jersey, Tachion Networks builds next-generation networking infrastructure systems enabling communications service providers to achieve higher profits while expanding geographic coverage and packet-based service portfolios. Founded in 1996 by veterans of Lucent/Bell Labs, Tachion unites top talent from industry leaders including Siemens, Cisco, Alcatel and Telecordia. Privately held, Tachion Networks received first-round funding from Walden International Investment Group and Morgenthaler Venture Partners.