Press Release

Laurel Networks' ST200 Service Edge Router Participates in MPLS Interoperability Testing at NetWorld+Interop and COMDEX Atlanta 2002

ST200 Showcases Custom Service Delivery Options For New and Existing Carrier Services

Pittsburgh, PA - September 9, 2002 - Laurel Networks, Inc., the first provider of high-performance service edge routers, today announced its participation in the Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) area of the InteropNet Labs (iLabs) at NetWorld+Interop Atlanta, taking place September 9-13, 2002 at the Georgia World Congress Center.

The iLabs is NetWorld+Interop's test bed addressing advanced protocol development and vendor interoperability. It has been instrumental in the development of MPLS, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and H.323 interoperability, as well as supporting development within the Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), 1000BASE TX, IP multicast and VPN technologies.

Laurel joins leading service provider equipment vendors showcasing scalable, flexible carrier service delivery using MPLS. Specific technologies demonstrated will include MPLS Layer 2 transport (based on IETF Draft Martini) for carrying ATM, Frame Relay and Ethernet traffic, as well as IP VPNs (based on RFC2547bis), multicast and IPv6. This is Laurel Networks' fourth consecutive iLabs participation with its commercially deployed ST200™ Service Edge Router.

"As carriers look to transition to a more efficient, multi-service edge, they require solutions capable of carrying existing Layer 2 services as well as evolving IP-based services with no compromise in service delivery," said Steve Vogelsang, vice president of marketing and co-founder of Laurel Networks. "The iLabs highlights the ST200's industry-leading flexibility and advanced QoS, critical requirements for supporting a broad spectrum of customizable IP, ATM and Frame Relay services in a single platform."

Laurel's unique AnyService on AnyPort at AnySpeed™ capability will form an integral part of iLabs, by enabling demonstration of a wide range of interface speeds, types and encapsulations on a single physical port. ST200 SONET/SDH interfaces support channelization from NxDS-0 to OC-48, along with a variety of encapsulations including Packet over SONET (POS), Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP), High-level Data Link Control (HDLC), Frame Relay, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), X.86 Ethernet, Time Division Multiplexing (TDM), Multilink PPP (RFC 1990) and Multilink Frame Relay (FRF.16). This greatly simplifies capacity planning, reduces operations and sparing costs and eliminates stranded ports.

"The iLabs MPLS demonstration showcases the innovative uses of MPLS-based technology across service provider networks," said Eduardo Pinheiro, technical program manager for NetWorld+Interop. "In this latest demonstration, iLabs highlights the latest technologies deployed by carriers, including Layer 2 transport, IP VPNs, multicast and IPv6."

About the ST200 Service Edge Router
The ST200 was designed from the ground up to create profitable data services at the edge of an IP/MPLS backbone network. With a distributed, edge-optimized architecture combining Internet class routing, full port-by-port multi-service capabilities and a sophisticated service management infrastructure, the ST200 delivers services with unmatched performance, scalability and flexibility to support current and future service provider requirements.

About Laurel Networks
Laurel Networks is the first provider of high-performance service edge routers designed and developed specifically for the edge of IP/MPLS networks. Laurel's flagship ST200 Service Edge Router includes the combination of features required to deliver high-value IP services, including: high-capacity routing and switching; rich bandwidth management functionality; and high-density, multi-service ports. Laurel Networks was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. For more information, visit www.laurelnetworks.com.

About NetWorld+Interop and COMDEX
NetWorld+Interop and COMDEX Atlanta 2002 is the East Coast's premier technology event focusing on today's hottest industry topics. The weeklong event takes place September 9-13, 2002 at the Georgia World Congress Center. For up-to-date NetWorld+Interop and COMDEX 2002 information and to register for free access to the show floor and keynote sessions, please visit http://www.interop-comdex.com. For media registration, please contact Jennifer Clark via email at jennifer.clark@key3media.com.

About Key3Media
NetWorld+Interop and COMDEX Atlanta 2002 is a Key3Media event. Key3Media Group, Inc., is the world's leading producer of information technology tradeshows and conferences, serving more than 5,300 exhibiting companies and 1.3 million attendees through 60 events in 17 countries. Key3Media's products range from the IT industry's largest exhibitions such as COMDEX and NetWorld+Interop to highly focused events featuring renowned educational programs, custom seminars and specialized vendor marketing programs. For more information about Key3Media, visit www.key3media.com.