CORNING ACQUIRES OAK INDUSTRIES, EXTENDING ITS PHOTONIC COMPONENTS PORTFOLIO
Corning will acquire Oak Industries Inc., a developer of active fiber-optic devices and communications components, for $1.8 billion in stock.  Oak Industries' Lasertron subsidiary makes pump lasers, which are the key active component in optical amplifiers.  It is also one of the few companies with both internal laser chip making capability and packaging expertise. Lasertron also manufactures transmission lasers and receivers for the metropolitan transmission market.  Oak also makes coaxial connectors and frequency control devices that are used as a timing reference in wireless, wireline and fiber-optic applications.  The deal represents a premium of 51% over the $49.75 closing price for Oak Industries on November 12, 1999.  Corning said the acquisition would augment its entire photonics product line.  http://www.oakind.com  http://www.corning.com/news/news_update1/index.html
Corning, November 14, 1999

FINISAR RISES 357% IN IPO – METRO EXTENSIONS FOR FIBRE CHANNEL, GIG ETHERNET
Shares of Finisar, a developer of gigabit rate optical link extenders, components and network analyzers, rose 357% on their first day of trading to close at 86 7/8 on Friday, November 12.   In August, Finisar announced a DWDM-based aggregation system for extending Fibre Channel SANs and Gigabit Ethernet LANs across metropolitan fiber networks.  Finisar's Opticity 3000 initially will support 8 full-duplex gigabit channels on a fiber ring, with a planned increase to 32 channels in the first half of next year and 128 channels by the second half.  Unlike other DWDM platforms that are designed to be protocol independent, Finisar's system will offer protocol specific capabilities for Fibre Channel and later Gigabit Ethernet.  These added capabilities include network monitoring, link integrity monitoring, digital retiming to reduce jitter and distance buffering.  Finisar's Opticity 3000 will also use both optical and digital multiplexing in order to support for multiple channels per wavelength.  The company is based in Sunnyvale, California.  http://www.finisar.com
ATM News Digest, November 12, 1999

SUPPLIERS AGREE ON SMALL FORM FACTOR CONNECTOR FOR FIBER COMPONENTS
Five leading suppliers of fiber components agreed to with new small form factor (SFF) optical connector format for use in single-mode and multimode fiber applications in both public and private networks.  The LC connector, which was designed by Bell Labs, interfaces with next-generation optical transceivers that measure 1/2-inch wide, as opposed to 1-inch wide a generation ago.  The LC connector will use an RJ-45 telephone-style housing.  Companies supporting the LC connector format include IBM Microelectronics, Lucent Technologies, Methode Electronics, MRV Communications and Sumitomo Electric Lightwave.
http://www.mrv.com/mrv_optical/optical_html/news_html/news991112.html
MRV Communications, November 12, 1999

TENOR NETWORKS RAISES $20 MILLION FOR OPTICAL CORE DEVELOPMENTS
Tenor Network, a start-up based in Acton, Mass., received $20.5 million in a second round financing for the development of optical products aimed at the core of service provider networks.  Tenor is developing a new class of device to harness the power of dynamic lightpath infrastructure.  Specific product plans have not been disclosed.  Investors in Tenor's second round of financing were North Bridge Venture Partners, Matrix Partners, Greylock, and Worldview Technology Partners. Tenor Networks is led by David Tolwinski, formerly Vice President and General Manager, of 3Com's Switching Division.  The company's Board of Directors includes Dan Smith, President and CEO of Sycamore Networks, and Paul Severino, Chairman of NetCentric Corporation (Founder and Chairman of Bay Networks).  http://www.tenornetworks.com
Tenor Networks, November 12, 1999

SIEMENS AND NEC JOIN FORCES FOR 3G MOBILE NETWORKS
Siemens AG and NEC will form a joint venture to develop solutions for the Universal Mobile Telecommunications Systems (UMTS).  The new company will be called Mobisphere Ltd. and headquartered in Reading, England.  Mobilsphere will focus on radio infrastructure and will not include mobile terminals, as both companies will continue to develop and market terminals separately.  Mobilsphere plans to support both Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and Time Division Duplex (TDD) modes in 3G systems.  FDD mode provides wider coverage with full mobility, while TDD mode provides faster data speed in dense areas.  http://www.siemens.com/en/press_service/press_releases/99111201e.html
Siemens, November 12, 1999

ENERGIS PLC ACQUIRES DUTCH TELECOM OPERATOR
Energis plc will acquire EnerTel, a leading alternative fixed line network operator in the Netherlands, for £352 million.  Energis operates an extensive fiber network throughout England and Wales that is largely carried over the electricity pylons of National Grid.  EnerTel's network consists of 1,200 km of fiber connecting most of Holland's largest cities, including Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht and Eindhoven.  The company is also developing a metro fiber network in Amsterdam. EnerTel's customer's base includes 120 corporate customers and 55 ISPs.  http://www.energis.co.uk/releaseframe5.htm
Energis, November 12, 1999