Optium to Acquire Engana

CHALFONT, Pa. -- Optium Corporation, providers of the most complete line of optical transport solutions in the industry, including 10Gb/s transponders, high performance RF-Over-Fiber and CATV products, announced its acquisition of Engana Pty Ltd., a leading innovator of wavelength selective switch (WSS) modules for Reconfigurable Optical Add/Drop Multiplexer (ROADM) applications. The acquisition of this cutting edge company gives Optium first mover advantage through breakthrough optical technology that delivers improved transmission performance and economics.

Engana’s Dynamic Wavelength ProcessorTM (DWP), widely seen as leading the next generation of WSS devices, provides full colorless and hitless switching functionality along with on-the-fly software reconfigurability for ROADM based applications.

Optium has developed the industry’s most complete suite of optical transport solutions, which features fully wavelength agile DWDM, SONET and 10GE subsystems, board mountable transceivers, 10Gb/s pluggable transceivers, and CATV trunking and distribution subsystems. The addition of the DWP will add to Optium’s dynamic wavelength management portfolio of tunable transponders and DWDM XFP modules. Optium plans to deliver fully integrated subsystems based on the DWP in 2006.

Combined with high performance solutions from Optium, Engana's technology positions Optium to offer the most powerful optical solutions while continuing to reduce costs for customers. Engana targets the development of intelligent optical subsystems for next-generation optical communications networks. This technology reinforces Optium’s mission to provide the highest quality optical transmission products at the most competitive prices in the industry.

“Optium has built its reputation designing and delivering the best performing subsystems for dynamic optical networks. Engana’s Dynamic Wavelength Processor technology builds on this track record by allowing Optium to provide further network element integration and flexibility beyond anything available for use in ROADMs today. We are excited about future product possibilities and look forward to working with the Engana team,” said Eitan Gertel, President and CEO of Optium Corporation.

"The combination of Optium’s market leadership with our expertise in next-gen networks creates a truly formidable leader in the optical transmission arena," said Steven Frisken, CEO of Engana. "Our common commitment to developing market-leading products will create tremendous value for our customers, partners and employees."

Optium Corp. (Nasdaq: OPTM)