Ciena^® Corporation (NASDAQ:CIEN), the network specialist, today announced the industry’s first Carrier Ethernet Certification Program focused solely on Carrier Ethernet technology as opposed to specific vendors or products. Carrier Ethernet is the first of multiple training and certification programs that will be offered by Ciena Learning Solutions, the company’s new group focused on the technology certification and continuing education market. Courses are offered in traditional classrooms, online and on-site at customer locations through an international network of partner educational institutions.

Ciena Learning Solutions has established multiple partnerships to expand the reach of its technology certification program. Global Corporate College (GCC) is an association of more than 100 colleges and universities worldwide that has partnered with Ciena to offer the new Carrier Ethernet Certification Program in select markets through its member schools. Through the affiliation with GCC, member schools get access to standardized, vendor-independent courses on advanced Carrier Ethernet technologies to address the growing market demand for knowledgeable professionals to design, build and manage next generation networks. In addition, IEEE, the world’s leading professional association for the advancement of technology, has named Ciena Learning Solutions an IEEE Education Partner, an important resource for IEEE members. Ciena Learning Solutions partnered with NIIT, a leading global talent development organization, to develop the certification program.

“Technology certification programs today essentially represent a live version of a specific vendor’s product manual, so we see a real opportunity to offer increased value by focusing on the fundamental technology building blocks of advanced networks,” said James Caprara, vice president, global human resources development at Ciena. “This approach enables us to extend our Carrier Ethernet and optical technology and network design expertise into new knowledge-based products that deliver vendor-independent training and education to a wide range of sales, engineering, technical support and IT professionals from service providers, large enterprises, research and education institutions, government, military and other organizations as well as college students in the early stages of their networking careers.”

To address the needs of beginners to skilled professionals, the Carrier Ethernet Certification Program is led by Ciena Carrier Ethernet experts and is available in four tiers, with each requiring completion of the previous course as a prerequisite:

• Carrier Ethernet Associate – students gain a firm foundation in Carrier Ethernet standards, terminology, concepts and applications. This course is designed for people in or entering sales, general management and executive positions and is the foundation for all subsequent programs.
• Carrier Ethernet Professional – in a lab-based environment, students gain skills and knowledge required to configure and troubleshoot Carrier Ethernet networks. This course is designed for customer service technicians, deployment engineers and technical support engineers.
• Carrier Ethernet Consultant – using case studies, students develop analytical skills required to design Carrier Ethernet solutions for real-world applications. This course is designed for systems engineers, network planners and advanced technical support engineers.
• Carrier Ethernet Expert – students analyze and propose solutions for high-level Carrier Ethernet service provider issues. This course is designed for network architects and design engineers.

For more details on the Carrier Ethernet Certification Program and curriculum content for each level, please visit: http://www.ciena.com/support.htm.

“As networks transition from legacy to new technologies, so too must the professional training resources, which is why we’ve partnered with Ciena Learning Solutions to offer this unique Carrier Ethernet Certification Program to our members,” said Dr. Laura Weidner, Dean, Workforce Development, Anne Arundel Community College and GCC Board Liaison. “With colleges in 12 markets across the U.S. already signed up to offer the courses, and potentially expanding up to 100 markets worldwide within the next year, we’re enthusiastic about the response and the ability to bring in-depth, multi-tier technology education to our members to help them address the demand for emerging technology education much faster than if they tried to develop it on their own.”

Anne Arundel Community College in Maryland, a founding member of the GCC, has already begun offering Ciena Learning Solutions courses at its Hanover, Md. campus. The GCC is currently offering classes in multiple locations, including: Chicago, Denver and Washington, DC. To register for one of these classes or the others offered by other GCC members or virtual classes online, please visit: http://www.ciena.com/support/carrier_ethernet_certification_registration.htm.

About Ciena

Ciena specializes in practical network transition. We offer leading network infrastructure solutions, intelligent software and a comprehensive services practice to help our customers use their networks to fundamentally change the way they compete. With a global presence, Ciena leverages its heritage of practical innovation to deliver maximum performance and economic value in communications networks worldwide. We routinely post recent news, financial results and other important announcements and information about Ciena on our website. For more information, visit www.ciena.com.

Note to Ciena Investors

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements are based on information available to the Company as of the date hereof; and Ciena's actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied, due to risks and uncertainties associated with its business, which include the risk factors disclosed in its Report on Form 10-Q, which Ciena filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 3, 2009. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding Ciena's expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future and can be identified by forward-looking words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "should," "will," and "would" or similar words. Ciena assumes no obligation to update the information included in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.