Agility Communications Enters Japanese Market Through Strategic Partnership With Nissho Electronics Corporation

Business Wire, Feb 26, 2002

Business Editors and High Tech Writers

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 26, 2002

Widely Tunable Laser Leader Broadens Distribution into

Asia-Pacific Market

Agility Communications(TM), Inc., the leader in providing widely tunable lasers for the metro-core, switching, and long-haul markets, announced today a strategic partnership with Nissho Electronics Corp. that will give Agility entry into the Japanese marketplace. Under the partnership, Nissho will serve as Agility's distribution partner in Japan, increasing Agility's market leadership position as it continues to ramp up production volume of its award-winning widely tunable lasers. Nissho is also a participant in the additional closing of Agility's Series C round of funding, which was announced in a separate release today.

Agility is the first and currently the only tunable laser company to ship production quantities of widely tunable lasers to multiple customers and samples to more than 40 customers. Providing breakthrough integrated solutions in optical networking infrastructure, Agility meets the price and performance requirements of the metropolitan-core, switching, and long-haul markets while dramatically reducing the cost and complexity of providing agile networks. Optical equipment manufacturers utilize Agility's solutions to help service providers deliver high bandwidth and maximize their existing network resources at the lowest cost.

Headquartered in Tokyo, Nissho Electronics in corporation with Nissho Iwai American Corp. (NIAC) has distribution and partnership agreements with some of the world's leading optical networking companies, including Avici Corp., Ciena, Juniper Networks, and OMM Inc. Nissho's expertise encompasses the marketing and development of advanced technology in a range of fields combining information, telecommunications, and electronics.

"Partnering with a leader such as Agility mirrors Nissho's mission to provide the domestic Japanese market with advanced products incorporating new technologies, as well as to offer new approaches. The market for optical networking components that address the overwhelming deployment of bandwidth on demand is increasing and will continue to grow," said Takashi Fukuda, director and board member of Nissho Electronics Corp. "Agility has all the ingredients of a world-class organization, and we are delighted to add them to our growing portfolio of bellwether companies to deliver leading-edge technologies that best meet our customers' current and future needs."

"Working with a company like Nissho will enable us to rapidly expand Agility's optical networking components presence in the Asia-Pacific market," said Ron Nelson, president and CEO of Agility Communications. "A strong relationship with Japanese distributors and service partners is a key success factor in this critical market. Nissho has successfully navigated new markets in Japan, and we're pleased that those markets now have access to Agility's optical networking components."

About Agility Communications, Inc.

Agility Communications, Inc., the leader in pioneering widely tunable lasers for metro, switching, and long-haul markets, provides the lowest total cost of ownership and dramatically reduces the costs and complexity of supporting agile networks. The company has been named one of Light Reading's Top 10 Privately Held Companies, has won the Technologic Partners' Optix 2001 Investor's Choice award, and was listed in UPSIDE magazine's "Hot 100" private companies for 2001. Agility has also been highlighted in several "Hot Companies to Watch" lists including ones in Business Week and Lightwave magazine.

Founded by a team of optical networking and semiconductor veterans in Oct. 1998, Agility is headquartered in Santa Barbara, Calif., and has manufacturing facilities in Allentown, Penn. Agility investors include Alliance, Amerindo Investment Advisors, CIENA Corp., Comdisco Ventures, Dell Ventures, General Bank, GM Investment Management Corp., Global Strategic, Granite Global Ventures, London Pacific Assurance Limited, Meritech Capital Partners, Mitsubishi International Corp., Morgenthaler Ventures, Mustang Ventures, Nissho Electronics Corp. (Nissho Iwai American Corp.), Siemens Venture Capital, Tellabs, U.S. Venture Partners, and Worldview Technology Partners. For more information about Agility solutions, visit www.agility.com, send email to info@agility.com, or call 805-690-1700.

Agility Communications and the Agility logo are trademarks of Agility Communications, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other company and product names mentioned are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.