1992:
Incorporates under the state laws of Delaware

1995:
Closes approximately $40 million in three rounds of private funding

1996:
Introduces 16-channel MultiWave® 1600 Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) system
Sprint is first to deploy CIENA product
CIENA goes international, selling system to Teleway Japan Corporation (KDD)

1997:
Completes IPO, raising $125 million
Adds MultiWave® 1600 Optical Add/Drop Multiplexer (OADM) to product family
Launches next-generation DWDM product - MultiWave Sentry®
Receives ISO 9001 certification
Introduces first metropolitan and short-haul products - MultiWave Firefly™ & MultiWave Metro®
New Customers: Digital Teleport, Japan Telecom, MCI WorldCom, Cable & Wireless

1998:
Acquires ATI Telecom
Introduces the industry’s first 40-channel DWDM system - MultiWave Sentry® 4000
Cisco and CIENA collaborate on switching and routing technologies
Introduces OC-192 capability for long-haul products
Establishes operations in Beijing, China
Cisco and CIENA announce creation of Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF)
New Customers: Bell Atlantic (Verizon), GST, Hermes Europe RailTel, Racal Telecom (Global Crossing), Telecom Developpement, Enron

1999:
Expands into Latin America
Acquires Lightera and Omnia Communications
Launches MultiWave CoreDirector®, the market's first intelligent optical core switch
Launches LightWorks™ intelligent optical network architecture
Announces next-generation long-haul transport system - MultiWave CoreStream™
Joins the Nasdaq 100 Index
Introduces ultra long-haul (ULH) optical transport capability
Announces first 10-gigabit solution for metro optical transport
New Customers: BellSouth, ALLTEL, Williams Communications, Telemonde, Crosswave, IXC, MobilCom, iAxis, Intermedia, RCN, FiberNet, Completel, Telia, TANet

2000:
Introduces first 10G capability for MultiWave CoreDirector™
Adds CoreDirector® CI to intelligent optical switching family
Announces LightWorks ON-Center™ optical network and service management suite
First deployment of MultiWave CoreDirector® intelligent optical switch
Agrees to acquire privately held Cyras Systems for its metropolitan switching technology
CoreStream™ achieves OSMINE certification
New Customers: Korea Telecom, Interoute, Broadwing, HanseNet, Esat, GTS (Ebone), PSINet, Qwest, NEXTLINK (XO Communications), Protel, Genuity

2001:
MultiWave CoreDirector® named Network Magazine's "Product of the Year"
Launches Asia Pacific regional headquarters in Hong Kong
Joins the S&P 500 Index
New Customers: FLAG Telecom, MetroRED, McLeod, Tycom, AFN, Beijing IDN, Zephyr, Sigma, eAccess, AT&T, Teleglobe, Level 3

2002:
Acquires ONI Systems and its ONLINE products
AT&T names CIENA strategic optical switching vendor for its nationwide network
Unveils single-channel granularity Select OADM
Telefonos de Mexico (TELMEX) selects CIENA as strategic supplier
Sprint chooses CIENA as strategic vendor for intelligent optical switching solutions
ONLINE™ products receive OSMINE certification
ONLINE Metro™ (formerly ONLINE Transport) verified by Brocade as interoperable with Brocade-based SAN infrastructure
Opens mainland China representative office in Beijing
New Customers: CEC-IDN, Commonwealth Telephone Enterprises, Telecom Argentina, EPIK Communications, Metromedia Fiber Network, Progress Telecom, Sphera Optical Networks, Storage Networks, Palmetto Net, Telseon, University of Miami, China Telecom, China Netcom, COLT Telecommunications, Internet Initiative Japan, KVH Telecom, Sita Equant, Norfolk Southern

2003:
CoreDirector® receives OSMINE certification
New Customers: THUS plc