9/16/98 Dow Jones News Serv. 16:48:00
Dow Jones News Service
Copyright (c) 1998, Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Wednesday, September 16, 1998
Ciena-Rival's Tactics -2:Ciena Says Anonymous Message False
On Wednesday afternoon Ciena confirmed the Washington Post's report that it
had traced to a Lucent facility an anonymous e-mail alleging, among other
things, that Ciena had falsified the results of tests on its equipment.
Daniel McCurdy, Ciena vice president for marketing and strategic transitions,
stopped short of alleging that the e-mail, which went out at 3:47 a.m. on Aug.
28, was sent by Lucent or a Lucent employee. He declined to comment on whom the
company might suspect of sending it.
"We have some suspicions," he said.
He said the allegations in the e-mail are "categorically false."
Lucent has not yet been contacted by Ciena about the e-mail, said Bill Price,
a spokesman for the Murray Hill, N.J., telecommunications equipment giant.
Lucent is "looking into it," Price said. "We would obviously not condone such
conduct."
McCurdy said the e-mail, which was sent to Tom Scottino, a spokesman for
Tellabs, was so sophisticated that it is unlikely a lay person could have
written it.
Ciena said two sources have verified that the e-mail came from a Lucent
address in New Jersey, which he wouldn't identify.
He said Ciena is looking into "other activities that we believe cannot be
coincidental," but again declined to give details.
He said the company currently has no reason to think companies other than
Lucent might have been involved, but added that the investigation is far from
complete.
"I hope the conclusion we come to is that there was no ill intent," he said.
(MORE) DOW JONES NEWS 09-16-98
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