XO Communications to Enhance Metro Network Transport Services with Ciena’s CN 4200 FlexSelect Advanced Services Platform

Joins Ciena’s BizConnect program as Managed Services Provider partner to extend service-delivery capabilities

Linthicum, MD — Ciena® Corporation (NASDAQ: CIEN), the network specialist, today announced that XO Communications, a leading provider of communications services for businesses and service providers, has selected Ciena’s CN 4200® FlexSelect™ Advanced Services Platform to support the delivery of on-demand, high-bandwidth optical metro transport services. The platform offers XO the flexibility to deliver a wider range of managed private network services offerings to customers that require scalable bandwidth and expanded reach capabilities for key business applications. In addition, XO Communications is now a designated Managed Services Provider (MSP) partner within Ciena’s BizConnect global partner program.

“Our large enterprise and service provider customers are demanding advanced services with higher bandwidth requirements,” said Randy Nicklas, chief technology officer at XO Communications. “Ciena’s CN 4200 enables us to deliver higher-speed and lower-cost wavelength services to our customers, who can mix and match protocols on any single XO wavelength.”

In response to demand for application scalability and service flexibility, XO Communications will utilize Ciena’s CN 4200 to power a variety of private networks that can support customers’ Ethernet, storage and other managed services applications. Ciena’s CN 4200 platform will be deployed in XO’s metro networks nationwide to support the intelligent aggregation and transport of high-capacity services, furthering XO’s transition to a converged network architecture and providing the company with significant operating efficiencies.

“Network operators continue to face the challenges of evolving networks to provide next-generation services in a manner that is transparent to their customers and cost-effective to their business,” said Mike Aquino, senior vice president of global field operations at Ciena. “Our FlexSelect Architecture is a key differentiator that is designed to enable customers like XO to meet these challenges with the flexibility to change service profiles and redirect bandwidth where needed in a seamless fashion. In particular, our forward-looking approach to Ethernet and OTN enables us to offer the resiliency and manageability necessary to make Ethernet-centric packet transport infrastructures performance-grade.”

About Ciena’s BizConnect Program
With more than 50 elite partners across the globe, the BizConnect program enables partners to tailor every aspect of their relationship with Ciena – including portfolio offerings, promotions, training, incentives and more – customizing participation based on each member’s unique business strategy and revenue objectives. In addition to providing partners a wide portfolio of solutions and support, including access to an interactive online partner community, Ciena’s BizConnect program offers members industry-leading marketing support including targeted lead-generation campaigns, market development funds, co-branded events and seminars, joint collateral development and innovative media vehicles, as well as strong pre-and-post sales support, to maximize market opportunities.

About Ciena

Ciena specializes in the transition to service-driven networks. We provide flexible platforms, intelligent software and professional services to help our customers use their networks to fundamentally change the way they compete. With a growing global presence, Ciena leverages its heritage of practical innovation to deliver maximum performance and economic value in communications networks worldwide. We routinely post recent news, financial results and other important announcements and information about Ciena on our website at www.ciena.com.
Note to Investors

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements are based on information available to the Company as of the date hereof; and Ciena’s actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied, due to risks and uncertainties associated with its business, which include the risk factors disclosed in its Report on Form 10-Q, which Ciena filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 5, 2008. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding Ciena’s expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future and can be identified by forward-looking words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “should,” “will,” and “would” or similar words. Ciena assumes no obligation to update the information included in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.