JOZEF

 

Welcome to all of you listening in this afternoon. I am very excited to discuss with you today a new phase in the Company's strategy: the extension of our product breadth and technological expertise for storage area and local area networks. As you read in our announcement, we are acquiring IBM's optical transceiver business that immediately positions us as a leader for fiberoptic solutions in the large and growing data communications markets. Before we get into the details, let me ask Tony Muller, our chief financial officer, to review the safe harbor statement and then I will discuss the pending acquisition in more detail before Tony covers the financial aspects of the transaction. Finally we will open the call to your questions and I would like to add that Don Scifres, our co-chairman and chief strategy officer and architect of the transaction, is also available to answer questions.

 

TONY

 

FORWARD LOOKING LANGUAGE

We would like to advise you that our report and the discussions we will have today include "forward looking statements," as that term is defined under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are all statements we make, other than those dealing specifically with historical matters (that is our historical financial results and any statements we make about the conduct of our business, operations and finances up to this moment). Our forward looking statements include any information we provide on future business operations and guidance regarding the future financial performance of the Company and any information regarding any benefits or synergies to be gained through the acquisition of IBM's transceiver business. All forward looking statements mentioned are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ, possibly materially, from those projected in the forward looking statements. Some, but not all, of these risks and uncertainties are discussed from time to time in the press releases and securities filings of the company with the SEC, particularly the "Risk Factor" section of our Form 10-Q filed for the quarter year ended September 29, 2001.

We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

 

JOZEF

Thank you Tony.

 

TONY

 

JOZEF