STATE COLLEGE, Pa., June 7 -- C-COR.net has reached a tentative agreement with SilCom Technology Inc. Under the plan, the companies would work together to develop a fiber-optic transponder for the C-Cor.net I-Flex(R) II Fiber Node product line that is compatible with Hybrid Management Sub-Layer (HMS) standards. With the hopes of making it the first-to-market HMS-compatible fiber node transponder (Type 3 Classification as defined in the HMS Physical Layer Specification), C-COR has arranged to send a shipment of the new product to Switzerland no later than the third quarter of this year. C-COR and SilCom are original members of the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers Subcommittee (SCTE). And in this capacity they have been involved in drafting the HMS standards that are now under evaluation by the Committee. According to C-COR, a simple firmware upgrade will enable the HMS-compatible I-Flex II Node to meet SCTE standards.