ELKRIDGE, Md. -- Optinel Systems, a privately held provider of optical communication systems for the cable market, announced today that cable industry icon Alex Best has joined the Company's Board of Directors. Mr. Best, who is highly regarded within the cable industry for his technical savvy and product development experience, served as the Executive Vice President of Engineering at Cox Communications prior to his retirement in late 2000. He joined Cox in April 1986 after nearly 20 years at Scientific-Atlanta, where he influenced the strategic development of the Company's cable television products and business applications. "As the industry's leading technology guru, Alex Best is a very welcomed addition to Optinel's Board of Directors. His depth of experience will add tremendous value to our organization as we introduce Optinel's all-optical transport solutions to the broadband cable industry," said Sandeep Vohra, President and Co-founder of Optinel Systems. "In particular, we look forward to tapping Alex as a resource to ensure that our product development plans meet the industry's transport needs while reducing their operating costs and helping cable operators generate incremental revenue." Optinel Systems