Work will focus on fundamental research in computing and communications software for global, high-speed, highly reliable multimedia networks

Bangalore, India -- Lucent Technologies (NYSE: LU) today announced the establishment of a Bell Labs Research centre in India which will pursue the kind of basic and applied research in communications software that has made the R&D laboratory famous around the world.

Dignitaries on hand to inaugurate the new center were Karnataka Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh, Mr. Sam Pitroda, telecom industry expert and member of India's National Advisory Council, and the U.S. Consulate General for Southern Region, Michael Thomas.

The Bangalore based facility will be an integral part of Bell Labs, Lucent's world-renowned research and development arm. Bell Labs scientists have received six Nobel Prizes in Physics, nine US Medals of Science and eight U.S. Medals of Technology. Bell Labs earns at least two patents a day and was granted its 30,000th US patent on March 10, 2003.

The scientists at Bell Labs Research in India will focus on developing state-of-the-art software systems for enabling the world's leading wireline and wireless service providers to deploy and manage high-speed, highly reliable networks. Example focus areas include:

• Computer algorithms: This includes complexity theory, approximation algorithms, graph algorithms, linear programming, game theory.
  
  
• Networking: This includes switch architectures for routing packets at high speeds, and protocol design for data, optical and wireless networks.
  
  
• Network management: This includes software for configuring network parameters to improve resource utilization, monitoring end-to-end performance, isolating the root cause of faults, and detecting security violations.
  
  
• Data management: This includes software for integrating data from diverse sources, reconciling discrepancies among the data, and mining/analyzing massive network data streams.

Dr. Jeff Jaffe, President, Research and Advanced Technologies, Bell Labs said: "Establishing a Bell Labs Research center in India signifies Lucent's commitment to creating a long-term presence here. The scientists at this facility will be members of the elite Bell Labs research community. We expect them to contribute fundamental advances to our understanding of how to build, monitor and manage the most complex and interactive global communications networks."

Dr. Rajeev Rastogi, Executive Director, Bell Labs Research in India said, "Our focus will be on conducting fundamental and applied research in scientific fields related to computing and communications software. We will also partner closely with Lucent's customers as they deploy new technologies (e.g., wireless data, EVDO), and devise innovative solutions to their challenges." He added, "In the tradition of Bell Labs, we intend to attract and excite the best and brightest minds produced by India's world-class educational institutions." Rajeev Rastogi will report to Krishan Sabnani, Sr. Vice President of Networking Research at Bell Labs, who also attended today's ceremony.

Mr. C S Rao, President and CEO of Lucent Technologies in India said, "Bringing Bell Labs Research to India is a major accomplishment. It is a welcome development of Lucent's presence in India that takes us to an exciting world of research to deliver a continuous stream of software innovations to Lucent's products and services portfolio."

In addition to conducting scientific research, Bell Labs Research in India will support the work done in Lucent's development labs in Bangalore and Hyderabad and assist as needed in meeting the needs of Lucent's customers. With over 1,300 software engineers already on staff, India is already a major hub for research & development activities for Lucent. The Indian R&D team supports Lucent's customers not only in India but across the globe.

About Bell Labs
Bell Labs, the R&D division of Lucent Technologies, is the leading source of new communications technologies. It has generated more than 30,000 patents since 1925 and has played a pivotal role in inventing or perfecting key communications technologies, including transistors, digital networking and signal processing, lasers and fiber-optic communications systems, communications satellites, cellular telephony, electronic switching of calls, touch-tone dialing, and modems. Bell Labs scientists have received eleven Nobel Prizes in Physics, nine U.S. National Medals of Science and eight U.S. National Medals of Technology®. For more information about Bell Labs, visit its Web site at www.bell-labs.com. Bell Labs Research, India, is located in Bangalore, India's silicon city. Bell Labs Research in India is an integral part of Bell Labs.

About Lucent Technologies
Lucent Technologies designs and delivers the systems, services and software that drive next-generation communications networks. Backed by Bell Labs research and development, Lucent uses its strengths in mobility, optical, software, data and voice networking technologies, as well as services, to create new revenue-generating opportunities for its customers, while enabling them to quickly deploy and better manage their networks. Lucent's customer base includes communications service providers, governments and enterprises worldwide. For more information on Lucent Technologies, which has headquarters in Murray Hill, N.J., USA, visit www.lucent.com.

Richard Wright
Lucent Technologies
9378-3800 (mobile)
2506-8043 (office)
Email:rjwright1@lucent.com

Dick Muldoon
Lucent Technologies
908-582-1616 (office)
908-930-9391 (cell/pager)
Email:rpmuldoon@lucent.com