Press Release

Laurel Introduces New ST200 Service Edge Router Interface Cards

12-port Clear Channel and Channelized DS-3/E3 Cards Further Expand ST200 Flexibility

March 16, 2004 - Pittsburgh, PA - Laurel Networks, Inc., the first provider of high-performance service edge routers, today announced the availability of 12-port channelized and clear channel DS-3/E3 electrical physical interface (PHY) cards for the ST200™ Service Edge Router. The new PHYs are ideal for carriers requiring electrical-based dedicated access connections, and complement ST200 optical interfaces supporting speeds from 64 Kbps to
OC-192.

The 12-port channelized DS-3 card provides physical DS-3 connectivity and supports a combination of up to 1,024 NxDS-0, 336 T1 and 12 DS-3 channels. The 12-port clear channel DS-3/E3 card supports 12 clear channel DS-3 or E3 ports.

ST200 Electrical PHYs Provide AnyService on AnyPort @ AnySpeed™
Both new cards feature Laurel's industry-leading QoS (quality of service) capabilities and the flexibility to configure AnyService on each channel including Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP), High-level Data Link Control (HDLC), Frame Relay, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), Multilink PPP (RFC 1990), Multilink Frame Relay (FRF.16), Inverse Multiplexing over ATM (IMA), Bridging Control Protocol (BCP) and broadband (PPPoX). This flexibility reduces sparing costs, eliminates stranded ports and enables interface reuse as access network technologies change and bandwidth demands increase.

"With the introduction of electrical DS-3 interfaces, we continue to expand the capability of our ST200 Service Edge Router," said Steve Vogelsang, VP of marketing and co-founder of Laurel Networks. "Like our other multi-service cards, the DS-3 cards leverage the flexible ST200 architecture to deliver AnyService on AnyPort @ AnySpeed, resulting in reduced initial and ongoing costs for service providers."

Availability
ST200 12-port clear channel and channelized DS-3/E3 cards are available in Q2, 2004.

About Laurel Networks
Laurel Networks is leading the creation of The New Service Delivery Architecture to enable profitable delivery of data and IP services at the edge of carrier IP/MPLS networks. Laurel's service edge routers and service management software are evolving carrier architectures from multiple data networks to a single packet-switched architecture with minimal capital investment. Combining carrier-class routing, data switching, advanced QoS and high availability, Laurel service edge routers support both routed and switched services. This unmatched service agility allows carriers to evolve their service portfolio to meet changing market requirements. Laurel Networks was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. For more information, visit www.laurelnetworks.com.