Optimum Lightpath Wins 2009 Best Marketing Americas Award from the Metro Ethernet Forum

JERICHO, N.Y., Nov. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Optimum Lightpath(SM), a market leader in Ethernet-based communication solutions for New York metropolitan area businesses, today announced it won the 2009 Carrier Ethernet Service Provider Award for Best Marketing Americas, issued by industry standards body, the Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF). Also named finalist for the MEF's Best Service Innovation and Service Provider of the Year Americas awards, Optimum Lightpath is recognized for the fourth straight year for its excellence and leadership in Carrier Ethernet Services. The award was presented at the MEF Ethernet Expo awards dinner in New York City last week.

"The MEF congratulates Optimum Lightpath on winning this prestigious award," said Nan Chen, President of the Metro Ethernet Forum. "This is deserved recognition of Optimum Lightpath's on-going commitment to deliver world-class, MEF compliant Ethernet business services to its customers."

Judged by a panel of industry analysts and Ethernet market experts, Optimum Lightpath is recognized as the service provider who has run the most successful marketing campaign to promote its Ethernet service portfolio. Optimum Lightpath's smart community campaign demonstrates how Smart Businesses have been able to transform the way they work by improving and simplifying business processes, improving customer service and controlling costs using Optimum Lightpath's Ethernet-based voice, data, Internet and video communications service offerings. This year, the company launched three new Ethernet Business Services to help customers harness the power of voice, data, Internet and video: Hosted Voice, Managed Video and Ethernet-based Virtual Private Ring Service. It also announced a strategic relationship with interactive patient care expert, GetWellNetwork, to provide a business-critical application to Smart Hospitals, boosting the smart community message across the healthcare community in 2009.

"It is an honor to be recognized again by the MEF for our commitment to delivering business-critical Ethernet communications solutions," said Dave Pistacchio, President of Optimum Lightpath. "This year, we introduced a unique marketing effort, which is wholly driven by our smart community customers. This campaign distinguishes Optimum Lightpath from its peers by spotlighting real-world success stories from CIOs and CTOs, and demonstrates how Ethernet technology has helped them work smarter, better and faster -- for less. It's this 'customer-first' approach that sets us apart, showcasing tangible business improvements that make Ethernet a critical business reality and a 'must-have' for other businesses in the community."

About Optimum Lightpath

Optimum Lightpath, a division of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE: CVC), is an industry leader in providing advanced Ethernet-based data, Internet, voice, video transport solutions and managed services to businesses across the New York metropolitan area. Optimum Lightpath's Network is a highly reliable, resilient, and scalable fiber-to-the-business-premises network extending more than 3,700 route miles connecting more than 3,500 buildings. Exclusively focused on meeting customer needs in the world's largest business market for 20 years, Optimum Lightpath has been continually recognized for its high level of customer service. For 11 straight years, the New York State Public Service Commission has given Optimum Lightpath its Commendation of Excellence. Optimum Lightpath has received many industry awards for innovation and leadership. For more information, visit www.optimumlightpath.com.

    Media Contacts:
    Jennifer Abelson                        Charlstie Laytin
    Abelson Group for Optimum Lightpath     Cablevision
    917-445-4454                            516-803-2357
    Jennifer@abelsongroup.com               claytin@cablevision.com