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Coactive Bridges Gap between Control Systems and Corporate Data Networks with New Off-the-Shelf Router Family

New Products and Standards-based Architecture Enable the Convergence Between Control and IP Networks

SAUSALITO, Calif., - June 8, 1998 -- Coactive Networks today announced the first off-the-shelf routers to provide manageable, standards-based Ethernet connectivity to control and automation systems. Coactive’s new router product line has been created from over five years of experience in designing customized connectivity solutions for the controls market.

The new product line includes the Coactive Router-LL 3.0 and the Coactive Router-LE 3.0. These products enable a new class of control applications, and are particularly applicable to building automation, energy management systems, and industrial controls. They provide reliable, standards-based connectivity between LonWorks control systems and the enterprise infrastructure.

“As the networking market matures, adding new capabilities to the existing IP infrastructure will be important for continued growth,” said Greg Howard, senior analyst for Infonetics in San Jose. “Coactive's technology makes it possible to add control systems to the existing enterprise network. This convergence increases the return on investment in network infrastructure while also adding functionality that creates new market opportunities in the networking arena.”

Coactive’s routers are the first to support the trend toward integrating control systems with the enterprise network. By integrating these systems, organizations gain multiple benefits. First, by extending the IP network to new applications they improve the return on their investment in the networking infrastructure. In addition, they can offer access to and management of control systems from any Ethernet workstation, and can support control system interfaces that are based on web-based technology. These new capabilities work together to facilitate the development of new, more powerful control applications such as distributed energy management and retail branch telemetry.

“As Internet technologies such as wide-area networking and Java are applied to control systems, control devices extend their capabilities, improve communications, and gain easier accessibility. The result will be more powerful control systems addressing more applications, increasingly integrated into the enterprise,” said David Gaw, president of Coactive.

“With the Coactive Routers we were able to transparently run our new energy management systems over the existing network infrastructure. Because Coactive products are so IP-savvy, the MIS department was basically able to rubber-stamp our request to use this resource in an entirely new way,” said Robert Vorhess, manager of maintenance and engineering for the Michigan Medical Center. “The connections have been so reliable and transparent that they have not regretted their decision, and we were able to run these new systems without the cost of building a parallel infrastructure.”

About the Coactive Router-LE

The Coactive Router-LE 3.0 offers cost-effective, reliable access to LonWorks control networks from a central workstation with an Ethernet connection. Computers which currently access the LonWorks network using a direct connection can instead access the LonWorks network over Ethernet by using the Router-LE. Applications for the Router-LE include:

• connecting to the LonWorks network from a workstation across Ethernet
• connecting multiple LonWorks subnets to a central management workstation
• replacing modem or serial LonWorks remote connections with Ethernet access
• providing remote access to LonWorks networks using standard WAN connections
• enabling access to LonWorks networks from non-PC workstations (e.g. UNIX, MacOS)

About the Coactive Router LL

The Coactive Router-LL 3.0 allows multiple LonWorks subnetworks to intercommunicate across an IP backbone. The Router-LL extends control systems across IP LAN and WAN connections, reducing wiring costs, increasing bandwidth, and enhancing system flexibility. Applications for the Router-LL include:

• Connecting multiple LonWorks subnetworks across an Ethernet IP backbone
• Linking buildings across a campus using the corporate LAN
• Enabling the construction of large virtual control networks across an IP WAN
• Integrating add-on subsystems to legacy control systems
• Connecting multiple branch or substation facilities together

About Coactive Networks

Coactive Networks is a leading provider of open solutions for connecting control networks, such as LonWorks, to enterprise networks and the Internet. The company offers a full line of routers, servers, and gateways for creating powerful next-generation applications. Coactive is a privately held California Corporation based in Sausalito, CA; detailed information on Coactive products, news announcements, seminars, training, and support is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.coactive.com.

Coactive, the Coactive Logo, WebIO, Router-LE, Router-LL, and IOConnect are trademarks or registered trademarks of Coactive Networks, Inc. in the US and other countries. All other products and brand names are trademarks of their respective holders.

Contact:

Annie Grace
415-440-9281
anniegrace@earthlink.net

Sonia Gómez
415-289-1736
sgomez@coactive.com