SAN DIEGO -- Sorrento Networks, a leading supplier of end-to-end, intelligent optical networking solutions for metro and regional applications (Nasdaq NM:FIBR - news), announced today that Phillip Arneson, formerly Executive Vice President of Allied Signal and a current Director of the Company, has been named President and Chief Operating Officer. Arneson, who will remain a Director, steps in for outgoing President and COO Jim Dixon.Sorrento Chairman and CEO Dr. Xin Cheng said, "Phil Arneson has a record of managing technology businesses successfully, increasing their sales while at the same time improving overall efficiency and operating margins. His skill and drive are therefore perfectly suited to helping us implement our announced plan to ensure stable growth and accelerate the achievement of positive cash flow and profitability." Along with the addition of Arneson to management, the Company announced that Charles Mao, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing of optical components maker Avanex Corporation (Nasdaq NM: AVNX - news) has joined the Company's Board as an independent Director. Widely known in the optics industry as a key player behind the growth of Avanex, Mao is expected to bring a depth of customer and industry knowledge and to make significant contributions to the Company's long-term strategic positioning. Prior to joining Avanex, Dr. Mao was a senior manager at MCI Telecommunications, where he was involved in the deployment into the MCI network of technologies based on dense wave division multiplexing (DWDM). Sorrento Networks Corp.