Former Bay Networks CEO Andy Ludwick Joins Atrica Board of Directors; Adds 20+ Years of Networking Experience to Optical Ethernet Leader's Board

Business Wire, August 29, 2001

Business Editors and High Tech Writers

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 29, 2001

Atrica Inc., poised to be the leading provider of Optical Ethernet equipment for the $15 billion Metro networking market, today announced that Andy Ludwick, the co-founder of SynOptics Communications and former chief executive officer of Bay Networks, has joined the company's board of directors.

Ludwick has more than 20 years of experience in the networking industry and has been integral to the success of several key vendors in the networking space. In 1985, Ludwick co-founded SynOptics Communications, the market leader in the LAN hub business and developer of the technology that enabled high-speed networks to be built on copper twisted pair wiring.

Ludwick served as CEO of SynOptics from its founding through 1993, during which time the company grew from a start-up to revenues of $700M per year. When SynOptics merged with Wellfleet Systems in 1994, forming Bay Networks, Ludwick served as the company's CEO and grew the company from $1.2B to $2B in annual revenues. Ludwick holds BA and MBA degrees from Harvard and currently serves on the boards of Foundry Networks, Crossworlds Software and a number of other private companies.

"Atrica has emerged as a leader in the Metro market by being first to deliver true, carrier-class Optical Ethernet technology and by building a world-class management and investment team," said Vivek Ragavan, president and CEO of Atrica. "With his experience in the networking and communications industry, Andy Ludwick is an ideal addition to Atrica's board of directors and we look forward to his participation."

"I have watched the emerging Metro market closely over the past year and have been impressed with how quickly Atrica has gained traction with the service providers," said Ludwick. "Atrica's potential for growth is significant, and I am excited to have the opportunity to play a role in the company's ongoing development."

About Atrica

Atrica's mission is to deliver the most cost-effective, high-performance Optical Ethernet platforms to forward-thinking service providers who are building next-generation Metro networks today. Atrica is a privately held company based in Santa Clara, with R&D facilities in Israel and business development and sales offices in Paris. The company received seed funding from 3Com Corporation, first round financing from prominent Silicon Valley venture funds Accel Partners and Benchmark Capital, and second round financing from five leading global service providers. For more information, visit Atrica on the Web at www.atrica.com.