Segment and Entity Wide Disclosures (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Jul. 31, 2011

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Segment revenue

	Quarter Ended July 31,				Nine Months Ended July 31,
	2010		2011		2010		2011
Revenue:
Packet-Optical Transport	$	242,057	$	266,551	$	423,216	$	825,667
Packet-Optical Switching		34,806		40,682		90,638		107,223
Carrier Ethernet Service Delivery		33,802		40,475		149,047		99,034
Software and Services		79,010		87,605		156,121		254,591
Consolidated revenue	$	389,675	$	435,313	$	819,022	$	1,286,515

Segment profit (loss) and the reconciliation to consolidated net income (loss)

	Quarter Ended July 31,						Nine Months Ended July 31,
	2010			2011			2010			2011
Segment profit (loss):
Packet-Optical Transport	$	12,874		$	51,827		$	26,402		$	127,359
Packet-Optical Switching		10,320			12,783			13,749			34,147
Carrier Ethernet Service Delivery		(3,212	)		6,519			31,642			12,409
Software and Services		23,158			20,552			35,274			56,691
Total segment profit (loss)		43,140			91,681			107,067			230,606
Other nonperformance items:
Selling and marketing		(52,127	)		(61,895	)		(131,692	)		(180,755	)
General and administrative		(32,649	)		(28,172	)		(66,915	)		(98,966	)
Acquisition and integration costs		(17,033	)		(4,822	)		(83,285	)		(39,748	)
Amortization of intangible assets		(38,727	)		(13,673	)		(61,829	)		(56,131	)
Restructuring costs		(2,157	)		(504	)		(3,985	)		(5,190	)
Change in fair value of contingent consideration		—			—			—			3,289
Interest and other financial charges, net		(8,658	)		(12,630	)		(11,624	)		(21,092	)
Provision for income taxes		(1,644	)		(1,435	)		(934	)		(5,205	)
Consolidated net loss	$	(109,855	)	$	(31,450	)	$	(253,197	)	$	(173,192	)

Ciena's geographic distribution of revenue

	Quarter Ended July 31,				Nine Months Ended July 31,
	2010		2011		2010		2011
United States	$	229,739	$	227,524	$	534,174	$	678,674
Canada		22,840		43,815		65,125		128,770
Other International		137,096		163,974		219,723		479,071
Total	$	389,675	$	435,313	$	819,022	$	1,286,515

Ciena's geographic distribution of equipment, furniture and fixtures

	October 31,		July 31,
	2010		2011
United States	$	63,675	$	64,624
Canada		45,103		47,424
Other International		11,516		14,126
Total	$	120,294	$	126,174

Customers accounting for at least 10% of Ciena's

	Quarter Ended July 31,				Nine Months Ended July 31,
	2010		2011		2010		2011
Company A	$	90,769	$	75,068	$	204,092	$	202,009
Company B		40,556		n/a		n/a		131,721
Total	$	131,325	$	75,068	$	204,092	$	333,730

n/a Denotes revenue representing less than 10% of total revenue for the period