Ciena Corporation : Verizon Honors Ciena as Network Supplier of the Year for Outstanding Performance

Commitment to excellence has earned Ciena^® Corporation (NASDAQ: CIEN), the network specialist, recognition as a 2011 Verizon Supplier Award winner. Honored by Verizon Communications, a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services, Ciena received the Supplier Recognition Award for Outstanding Performance in the Network Products Category.

Key Facts:

• Ciena was one of only thirteen suppliers to receive a 2011 Verizon Supplier Award for its work in helping Verizon deliver outstanding service to its customers during the past year. Verizon's annual award program recognizes suppliers that not only meet their performance objectives but exceed them.
• Ciena was selected for this prestigious award based on a broad range of attributes including:
  
  • consistently demonstrating technology innovation and leadership;
  • providing high quality of service;
  • strong teamwork; and,
  • enhancing the customer experience.
• Ihab Tarazi, Verizon Vice President of Global Network Planning, presented the award to Ciena on March 26, 2012 at Verizon's Annual Supplier Summit and Recognition Program event.

Executive Comments:

• "We are incredibly honored to be named Networking Supplier of the Year for Verizon, a long-standing strategic partner of Ciena. We have been collaborating with Verizon for more than a decade in the areas of high-speed transmission, intelligent mesh switching and data networking, and we look forward to continuing to support Verizon's efforts to be at the forefront of technological innovation while meeting the demands on their network efficiently, intelligently and with superior performance."
  
  - Gary Smith, president & CEO of Ciena

About Ciena

Ciena is the network specialist. We collaborate with customers worldwide to unlock the strategic potential of their networks and fundamentally change the way they compete. With focused innovation, Ciena brings together the reliability and capacity of optical networking with the flexibility and economics of Ethernet, unified by a software suite that delivers the industry's leading network automation. 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

Forward-looking statements. 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 March 8, 2012. 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.

Press Contact:
Jamie Moody
Ciena Corporation
(214) 995-8035
jmoody@ciena.com
or
Investor Contact:
Gregg Lampf
Ciena Corporation
(410) 694-5700
ir@ciena.com

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