Texas-Based Cirro Energy Enters Telecom Business

Cirro Energy, a competitive electricity provider in Dallas, Texas announced its entrance into the telecommunications market with the launch of its "Cirro NetworX" division. Cirro Energy will now offer local and long distance telephone service, integrated voice and data services, Frame Relay / ATM / VPNs, VoIP and network consulting in addition to electricity. Cirro has acquired Network/nSight, a North Texas based telecommunications services companyhttp://www.cirroenergy.com

• Cirro Energy is headed by Timothy W. Rogers, who previously co-founded and was a board member of CapRock Communications, a regional communications provider offering local, domestic and international long distance, enhanced voice, data and Internet services. CapRock was sold to McLeod USA in December 2000.

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U.S. DoD Awards GIG-BE Contracts

The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) selected Science Applications International Corporation's (SAIC's) to build its Global Information Grid - Bandwidth Expansion (GIG-BE) system.
GIG-BE is designed to enhance the Defense Department's network infrastructure to operate at 10 Gbps in support of voice, data, video, and transport services among more than 100 key locations worldwide. Analysts estimated the cost of the project in the hundreds of millions of dollars.


SAIC has awarded a number of subcontracts under the project: Ciena for optical transport systems; Sprint/Sycamore for optical digital cross connect equipment; Juniper Networks for IP routers; and Qwest Government Services/Cisco Systems for multi-service provisioning platforms. Ciena confirmed that it will supply its CoreStream optical transport and switching platform for deployment in DISA's GIG-BE optical IP terrestrial network. Juniper Networks also confirmed that it has been awarded a multi-year contract for its M- and T- series routing platforms. Deployment is scheduled to commence in early 2004.


DISA is a combat support agency responsible for planning, engineering, acquiring, fielding, and supporting global net-centric solutions and operating the Global Information Grid. http://www.disa.mil/pao/press/

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Agere Acquires TeraBlaze for Gig E Switching Silicon

Agere Systems acquired TeraBlaze, a start-up based in Cupertino, California, for about $21 million in stock. TeraBlaze is developing Gigabit Ethernet switching solutions for SOHO (small office, home office) and enterprise applications. All 16 TeraBlaze employees will join Agere, including TeraBlaze founder and CEO Shankar Mukherjee.


In August 2003, Agere acquired Massana, a privately held provider of GbE physical layer device (PHY) solutions. Based on the TruePHY technology Agere developed through this acquisition, the company is also announcing the availability of its Gigabit Ethernet single port device that uses 0.13-micron technology.


"The acquisition of TeraBlaze advances our strategy to take share in the fast-growing Gigabit Ethernet market," said Sohail A. Khan, executive vice president of Agere's Infrastructure Systems Group. "TeraBlaze together with TruePHY technology is a very powerful combination, which gives us early mover advantage in bringing integrated GbE switch and PHY solutions to this market." Agere expects to deliver switch solutions bundled with multi-port TruePHY products in the second half of 2004. http://www.agere.com

• In August 203, Agere Systems acquired Massana, a start-up developing Gigabit Ethernet-over-copper physical layer device (PHY) technologies, for approximately 9.1 million shares of Agere Class A common stock, valued at about $26.2 million, based on the closing price on 22-August-2003.

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