Agilent Technologies to Play Key Role in Telecommunications Industry's First Optical Networking Interoperability Demonstration

Business Wire, May 29, 2001

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 29, 2001

Agilent's Test Solutions and Expertise to Help OIF Members

Validate Progress Towards Intelligent All-Optical

Services at SUPERCOMM

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A) announced today that it has successfully completed qualifying interoperability trials for participation in the Optical Internetworking Forum's (OIF) upcoming User Network Interface (UNI) demonstration event at the SUPERCOMM 2001 trade show. The achievement of UNI interoperability is the first step toward allowing carriers to offer advanced optical network services across multi-vendor, multi-technology networks.

Agilent's Optical Routing Test Solutions were utilized at the pre-show event to test and validate interoperability between multi-vendor optical networking equipment. Agilent also chaired the ad-hoc OIF Interoperability Technical Group responsible for developing the test methodology, plan and implementation for the trials and SUPERCOMM demonstration.

"Agilent Technologies' state-of-the-art tools have enabled ONI to test standards compliance of our equipment and to verify interoperability with other vendors' products. The UNI demonstration at SUPERCOMM will give attendees the opportunity to see this standards-based interoperability across a range of optical network topologies. With 25 participants, it will be the most significant optical interoperability effort to date," said Teresa Engelhard, vice president of software solutions, ONI Systems.

Agilent test equipment and software were used by numerous participating network equipment companies prior to the qualifying event to develop and verify conformance of their implementation of the OIF UNI protocol specification. Agilent introduced the industry's first system for testing optical switching and routing functions in network equipment and networks in 2000 and delivered the industry's first software package for UNI conformance testing earlier this year.

The Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF) is sponsoring its first User Network Interface Interoperability Demonstration at SUPERCOMM in booth No. 150D in the Georgia Dome. This demonstration highlights OIF's UNI Protocol that allows client devices to dynamically establish and tear down optical circuit connections. Agilent has been a principal member of the OIF since 1998.

Agilent's Optical Routing Test Solution family is the first to focus on testing the "optical control plane," including in-band and out-of-band testing of UNI signaling and Generalized Multiprotocol Label Switching (GMPLS) extensions. Additional product information is available at www.agilent.com/comms/opticaltest.> About OIF

The OIF is a rapidly growing non-profit organization with 350 member companies to date, including many of the world's leading carriers, component and system vendors. The purpose of the OIF is to accelerate the deployment of interoperable, cost effective, and robust optical internetworks and their associated technologies. More information on the OIF and the interoperability demo can be found at www.oiforum.com.

About Agilent Technologies

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A) is a global technology leader in communications, electronics, life sciences and healthcare. With 48,000 employees serving customers in more than 120 countries, Agilent had net revenue of $10.8 billion in fiscal year 2000. Information about Agilent can be found on the Web at www.agilent.com.