CHATSWORTH, Calif. -- Optical Communication Products, Inc. (Nasdaq: OCPI), a manufacturer of fiber optic subsystems and modules for metropolitan area, local area and storage area networks, today announced that it has acquired the parallel optical module assets and intellectual property of Gore Photonics, the fiber optics business unit of W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. Gore Photonics is an industry leader in the research and development of VCSEL parallel optical modules for fiber optic communication networks.Gore Photonics 850nm optical module technology will allow OCP to accelerate the introduction of parallel optical modules. These parallel array optical modules offer the advantages of high data transfer and low power consumption, which are required for the next generation of equipment interconnect. OCP will continue to manufacture Gore's new parallel fiber optic modules including the nLIGHTEN™ 2300 product which conforms to the SNAP-12 multi-source agreement for 12 x 2.7 Gb/s modules."We believe that the Gore Photonics 850nm VCSEL parallel optical module technology will allow OCP to provide our customers with an enabling building block for the next generation of optical systems. This acquisition complements our recent acquisition of the technology of multichannel optical modules based on 1300 nm VCSEL arrays from Cielo Communications", said Dr. Muoi V. Tran, Chairman and CEO of OCP. "Furthermore, we are pleased that the core technical team will join OCP. We believe they will make a significant contribution to our success in the future.""We are pleased with the divestiture of our fiber optic business to OCP," states Russell Shaller, General Manager of Gore Photonics. "It will provide the environment for the business to continue to grow, and it will allow Gore the opportunity to refocus our electronic components business on high performance electrical interconnects and materials, our core technology."Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. The purchase price includes the acquisition of all capital equipment, inventory and intellectual property in the Gore Photonics module development and manufacturing facility at Elkton, Maryland. In addition, OCP has hired the core technical team of Gore Photonics and will continue to operate a development center in the Elkton / Newark area. Gore retains the VCSEL chip technology and Intellectual Property assets that are part of the Gore Photonics Lompoc, CA operation. The transaction was completed on January 31, 2003.Optical Communication Products Inc. (OCPI)