Riverstone Promotes Interoperable Multi-Vendor Carrier Ethernet Infrastructure Solutions ADVA Optical Networking and BTI Photonic Systems Join Riverstone's Ethernet Edge Alliance Program SANTA CLARA, Calif., May 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Carrier Ethernet pioneer Riverstone Networks (RSTN.PK) has signed agreements with two metropolitan networking equipment vendors to provide joint solutions, marketing, and sales referrals as part of Riverstone's Ethernet Edge Alliance Program. The new members are: ADVA Optical Networking (FSE: ADV), a leading global provider of metro optical networking solutions, and BTI Photonic Systems Inc., a metro edge optical systems provider. Riverstone will team with both companies to offer a pre-tested, joint solution to service providers and municipal network operators. The BTI agreement provides for co-marketing and sales references. The ADVA agreement goes a step further to include a fully tested, certified and interoperable joint solution with integrated network management. Riverstone will work with each of the two companies individually, sharing training, technical support, and demonstration equipment for use at marketing events and in sales engagements. "We're enthused by the spirit of cooperation and innovation these equipment vendors bring to the alliance program," said David Ginsburg, Vice President, Marketing and Product Management, Riverstone Networks. "Our collaboration with these and other alliance members will help Service Providers more easily find and deploy the right solutions for their respective networks." The combination of Riverstone's MPLS-based Ethernet routers with ADVA's Fiber Service Platform (FSP) 150 optical Ethernet access portfolio offers service providers an economically attractive, integrated, and end-to-end solution for the delivery of scalable and reliable E-Line and E-LAN services. The Riverstone/BTI solution will utilize BTI's Netstender to more economically extend, expand and connect Ethernet traffic across large metropolitan areas. Combining the two vendors' products, service providers can significantly lower their network transport costs while generating new revenues based on Ethernet services. "This alliance, and the industry expertise it represents, brings forth a new era of metropolitan networking, providing carriers with greater flexibility and profitability through new Ethernet services," said Glenn Thurston, Vice President, Marketing, BTI Photonic Systems. The Ethernet Edge Alliance program is designed to accelerate the rollout of Ethernet services in the metro. The program pairs Riverstone's MPLS-based Ethernet solutions with complementary, best-in-class products and solutions from around the world to help service providers and municipalities cost-effectively deliver a multitude of residential and commercial voice, video and data services. By working together, the alliance members are able to more affectively address the individual requirements of their potential carrier customers wherein everyone, the service providers and the vendors, win. Riverstone Networks, Inc. is a leading provider of carrier Ethernet infrastructure solutions for business and residential communications services. Riverstone's Ethernet router portfolio uniquely delivers the reliability that allows carriers to meet the triple play -- voice, video and data -- service requirements of their customers in a cost-effective and scalable way. Riverstone allows carriers to offer new services over existing revenue- generating networks permitting them to evolve to a next generation Ethernet infrastructure. Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release, including without limitation statements regarding the objectives of Riverstone's Ethernet Edge Alliance Program, the Alliance members' actual ability to team and deliver the specified coordinated products and services in the future, the ability of service providers to find and deploy such solutions, the manner and extent to which BTI's Netstender and ADVA's FSP 150 optical Ethernet access products will be deployed, and the service providers' ability to be more flexible in their future operations, to control costs and to increase revenues, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include, the inability of Riverstone and other alliance members to collaboratively develop and market MPLS-based Ethernet solutions that service providers want to purchase, the inability or lack of interest of service provides to build networks that include the Alliance members' products, an inability to deploy the BTI Netstender and ADVA FSP 150 optical Ethernet access products as the parties currently anticipate, and the service providers inability to run their business in a manner that generates expected cost savings and additional profits, the failure of the fiber access market to grow as forecasted due to macro- and/or micro-economic factors as well as the risks detailed from time to time in Riverstone Networks' SEC reports, including its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ended November 30, 2002 and subsequent reports on Forms 8-K and 8-K/A. The company assumes no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements. Riverstone Contact: Amy Huitt Riverstone Networks 1-408-878-6918 DATASOURCE: Riverstone Networks, Inc. CONTACT: Amy Huitt of Riverstone Networks, Inc., +1-408-878-6918, or Web site: http://www.riverstonenet.com/

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