Cisco Systems will also acquire InfoGear Technology Corporation, a developer of information appliances and screen phones, for $301 million in stock.  InfoGear offers the iPhone Internet screen phone, which combines an advanced telephone with a touch screen, keyboard and software.  The $399 iPhone has a corded handset, a full duplex speakerphone, 2-line capability (1 voice, 1 data), a 56k built in modem, a digital answering machine and an Internet browser and email system.  The company is also developing an Internet appliance services program in which it provides network operators with a comprehensive software platform to deliver and manage services to multiple types of information appliances.  This would allow service providers to remotely manage and upgrade information appliances from a central location, deliver customized content to any information appliance.  InfoGear has 74 employees and is based in Redwood City, California.  http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/146/pressroom/2000/mar00/corp_031600b.htm
Cisco Systems, March 16, 2000

BELL LABS TESTS OC-768 OVER 82 DWDM CHANNELS
Bells Labs demonstrated 3.28 Tbps transmission over a single fiber.  The experiment transmitted 40 Gbps rates over each of 40 wavelengths in the conventional C-band frequency range and 40 Gbps over each of 42 channels in the long-wavelength L-band range.  The test used three 100 km fiber spans of an experimental Lucent TrueWave optical fiber and distributed Raman amplification, a technique that allows optical fiber to amplify the signals traveling through it.  Bell Labs said the demonstration proves the practicality of 40 Gbps systems with repeater spacing typical of today's networks.  http://www.lucent.com/press/0300/000316.bla.html
Bell Labs, March 16, 2000

GTS TO DEPLOY CIENA'S OC-192 MULTIWAVE CORESTREAM -- $100 MILLION CONTRACT
Global TeleSystems (GTS) will deploy CIENA's MultiWave CoreStream OC-192 equipment in its trans-European network.  The deal is worth a potential $100 million.  Ciena's CoreStream platform is capable of up to 48 channels at 10Gbps and is scalable up to 96 channels at 10 Gbps over a single fiber pair.  http://www.ciena.com/news/archive/2000/03/03.16.2000pr.html
GTS, March 16, 2000

• GTS currently has 16,000 route kilometers of fiber in operation across Europe, including city networks in Paris, Berlin, Prague and Budapest.  The company is a joint partner in FLAG Atlantic-1, a terabit capacity trans-Atlantic undersea dual-cable system now under development. It is also building high-density fiber networks in Frankfurt, London, Vienna, Amsterdam, Madrid, Stockholm and other cities.

REDC OPTICAL NETWORKS SPINS OFF FROM ISRAEL'S EL-OP ELECTRO-OPTICS
El-Op Electro-Optics Industries Ltd., the largest electro-optics group in Israel, will spin-off its DWDM group into a separate company.  RedC Optical Networks will offer a line of optical components including optical amplifiers, Fiber-Bragg add/drop modules with 1nm wavelength tuning, protection and restoration modules and DWDM monitoring products.  MRV Communications has made an undisclosed equity investment in the company.  http://www.mrv.com/press_releases/press_frame_031500a.html
MRV Communications, March 16, 2000

GIGANET ENTERS THE LMDS EQUIPMENT MARKET
Giganet Ltd. will expand its FibeAir broadband wireless product to include frequency markets in the US, Canada and Europe.  The Giganet platform will operate across multiple licensed frequencies (18, 23, 26, 28 and 38 GHz), delivering SONET/SDH, ATM, Fast Ethernet and IP at up to 155 Mbps.  The company is based in Tel Aviv, Israel and is a member of the RAD Group.  http://www.giganet-corp.com/
Giganet, March 16, 2000

CIDERA FILES FOR IPO – SATELLITE CONTENT DISTRIBUTION
Cidera (formerly SkyCache), which offers satellite-based delivery of Internet content to ISPs in North America and Europe, filed SEC registration papers for an initial public offering (IPO).  http://www.cidera.com/
Cidera, March 16, 2000

REDBACK NETWORKS TO SELL $500 MILLION IN CORPORATE BONDS
Redback Networks announced plans to issue $500 million in corporate bonds to finance its growth, product development and capital expenditures.  http://www.redback.com/
Redback Networks, March 16, 2000

• Earlier this month, Redback Networks completed its acquisition of Siara Systems and announced plans for a family of multi-service platforms for aggregating traffic onto metropolitan optical networks. Redback's forthcoming SmartEdge products, which handle TDM and IP-based services, use several custom ASICs to provide optical cross connects, add/drop multiplexing, and deep packet processing functionality.  Redback offers a Subscriber Management System used to aggregate traffic from DSL, cable, and wireless service POPs onto a carrier network. 

ISHONI NETWORKS RAISES $9 MILLION FOR BROADBAND GATEWAY
ishoni Networks, a start-up developing a broadband gateway platform for OEMs, raised 9 million in a second round of funding from Lucent Venture Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, Infinity Capital L.L.C./Information Technology Ventures and Invesco.  The Santa Clara, California based company is developing a silicon and software platform that will allow OEMs to combine the functionality of multiple networking systems into one gateway device.  Ishoni said its platform would enhance xDSL, cable modems, voice over IP, home networking over phone lines (using HomePNA specifications) and wireless technologies.  http://www.ishoni.com/
ishoni Networks, March 16, 2000