CIENA CORP

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This annual report contains statements that discuss future events or expectations, projections of results of operations or financial condition, changes in the markets for our products and services, trends in our business, business prospects and strategies, and other “forward-looking” information. In some cases, you can identify “forward-looking statements” by words like “may,” “will,” “would,” “can,” “should,” “could,” “expects,” “future,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “intends,” “potential,” “projects,” “targets,” or “continue” or the negative of those words and other comparable words. These statements may relate to, among other things: our competitive landscape; market conditions and growth opportunities; factors impacting our industry and markets, including macroeconomic conditions and global supply chain constraints; factors impacting the businesses of network operators, their network architectures and their adoption of next-generation network infrastructures; our strategy, including our research and development, supply chain and go-to-market initiatives and our efforts to increase the reach of our business into new or growing product, customer and geographic markets; our order volumes, backlog and seasonality in our business; expectations for our financial results, revenue, gross margin, operating expense and key operating measures in future periods; the adequacy of our sources of liquidity to satisfy our working capital needs, capital expenditures and other liquidity requirements; cybersecurity events; business initiatives including information technology (“IT”) and responsible business initiatives; the impact of changes in tax law and our effective tax rates; and market risks associated with financial instruments and foreign currency exchange rates. These statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, and actual events or results may differ materially from any future results, activity, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, including due to factors such as those set forth below in “Risk Factors Summary.”

For a discussion of additional important factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements, see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Risk Factors” in this annual report. We operate in a very competitive and dynamic environment and new risks and uncertainties emerge, are identified or become apparent from time to time, and therefore may not be identified in this annual report. We cannot predict all risks and uncertainties that could have an impact on the forward-looking statements contained in this annual report. You should be aware that the forward-looking statements contained in this annual report are based on our current views and assumptions. We undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements made in this annual report to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law. The forward-looking statements in this annual report are intended to be subject to protection afforded by the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Unless the context requires otherwise, references in this annual report to “Ciena,” the “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Ciena Corporation.