Lucent Reorganizes Optical Networking Business

MURRAY HILL, N.J., Aug. 7 -- Lucent Technologies announced that it has split its optical networking business into core and metropolitan networking units. The separate focus on long-distance and metropolitan fiber optic networks comes on the heels of three disappointing quarters and is designed to give a quick boost to optical network revenues.
Jeong Kim, the current COO of Lucent's Optical Networking Group, has been named group president of the company's core Optical Networking business. Kim is the former head of start-up Yurie Systems. Bob Barron has taken the helm of the company's Metropolitan Optical Networking business, which is now part of Lucent's InterNetworking Systems Group. Barron was also the head of a start-up company called Chromatis Networks.
By focusing on the core and metro markets, we expect to see more rapid growth across our entire optical networking business and realize a greater convergence with our data networking business, said Rich McGinn, chairman and CEO of Lucent. The metro market is where optical and data will converge first, and this alignment should accelerate the deployment of integrated networks for leading-edge customers.