Infinera's Radha Nagarajan Named IET Fellow

Recognition of Photonic Integration Contribution

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SUNNYVALE, CA – September 28, 2009 – Dr. Radhakrishnan “Radha” Nagarajan, Senior Director of Optical Component Technology at Infinera (Nasdaq: INFN), was named a Fellow of the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) in recognition of his pioneering work in photonic integrated circuit design.  Dr. Nagarajan is one of the key architects in the development of Infinera’s large-scale photonic integrated circuits (PICs). He is also a fellow of the Optical Society America (OSA) and a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Infinera’s commercial PICs integrate more than 50 optical components on a single chip less than 5 mm across. Infinera’s next generation devices have demonstrated monolithic integration levels of well over 400 components. These devices are at the heart of Infinera’s Digital Optical Networks architecture, which has delivered breakthrough improvements in density, scalability, reliability, and power consumption. Infinera has won 62 customers worldwide including many of the world’s largest service providers with its innovative PIC-based optical networking systems. Dr. Nagarajan has been a member of the engineering team developing Infinera PICs since the company’s founding in 2001. Infinera’s PICs are manufactured and extensively tested at its own fab facility in Sunnyvale, California, one of the very few new semiconductor fabrication facilities opened in Silicon Valley this decade.

The Institute of Engineering and Technology is one of the world’s leading professional societies for the engineering and technology community, and has a presence in 127 countries. According to the IET, Fellowship may be awarded to members who have demonstrated superior individual responsibility, sustained achievement and significant professionalism during their careers. In order to achieve Fellowship, applicants must clearly demonstrate successful leadership or outstanding service to the profession over an extended period. IET membership worldwide numbers 150,000.

“This award by the IET is a great honor,” Dr. Nagarajan said. “It is also recognition for the very talented PIC engineering team at Infinera. It has been a pleasure working in such an environment, from the days when there were two dozen of us in one building, up to and including the present, when Infinera is a company with nearly 1,000 people around the world.”

Dr. Nagarajan obtained his undergraduate degree at the National University of Singapore where he graduated with First Class Honours in Electrical Engineering. He obtained a Masters in Electronic Engineering at the University of Tokyo, and came to the U.S. to study at the University of California at Santa Barbara, where he obtained a Ph.D. After further work as a research faculty at UCSB, he joined the optical components manufacturer SDL, where in 2000 his team won the Photonics Circle of Excellence award for the design of a high power, single mode pump module for EDFA applications. In 2006, he was awarded the IEEE/LEOS Aron Kressel award in recognition of breakthrough work in the development and manufacturing of large scale photonic integrated circuits.

“Radha’s individual contributions and leadership have been essential to the realization of the world's most advanced indium phosphide PICs,” said Infinera Vice President for Optical Integrated Components Dr. Fred Kish.

“The technical excellence of our people, and their willingness to take risks and pioneer new solutions that others in the industry did not think possible has been a key factor in Infinera’s success,” said Infinera Chief Operating Officer Tom Fallon. “Radha Nagarajan epitomizes those qualities and this award is well-earned recognition of that.”

For media and analysts:

Media: Jeff Ferry Tel. (408) 572-5213 jferry@infinera.com

Investors: Bob Blair Tel. (408) 716-4879 bblair@infinera.com

 

About Infinera
Infinera provides Digital Optical Networking systems to telecommunications carriers worldwide. Infinera's systems are unique in their use of a breakthrough semiconductor technology: the photonic integrated circuit (PIC). Infinera's systems and PIC technology are designed to provide customers with simpler and more flexible engineering and operations, faster time-to-service, and the ability to rapidly deliver differentiated services without reengineering their optical infrastructure. For more information, please visit http://www.infinera.com/.

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 Infinera as of the date hereof; and actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied, due to risks and uncertainties.  Forward-looking statements include statements regarding  Infinera’s expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including that Infinera’s Digital Optical Networks architecture, which has delivered breakthrough improvements in density, scalability, reliability, and power consumption and that Infinera has realized the world's most advanced indium phosphide PICs. Such forward-looking statements can be identified by forward-looking words such as "anticipated," "believed," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "should," "will," and "would" or similar words. The risks and uncertainties that could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements include aggressive business tactics by our competitors, our dependence on a single product, our ability to protect our intellectual property, claims by others that we infringe their intellectual property, our manufacturing process is very complex, product performance problems we may encounter, our dependence on sole or limited source suppliers, our ability to respond to rapid technological changes, our ability to maintain effective internal controls, the ability of our contract manufacturers to perform as we expect, a new technology being developed that replaces the PIC as the dominant technology in optical networks, general political, economic and market conditions and events, including war, conflict or acts of terrorism; and other risks that may impact Infinera’s business are set forth in our annual report Form 10-K, which was filed with the SEC on February 17, 2009, as well as subsequent reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission.  These statements are based on information available to us as of the date hereof and we disclaim any obligation to update the forward-looking statements included in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

© 2010 Infinera Corporation.