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Coactive Networks Introduces Multi-Service Home Control Network Access to U.S. Market

Coactive Connector® 2010 Provides Scalable, Flexible Home Access at a Breakthrough Price Point, Enabling AMR, Security, and other Home Telemetry Services

SAUSALITO, Calif., February 16, 1999 -- Coactive Networks, a pioneer in control and home network connectivity solutions, today announced the introduction of its next-generation home telemetry gateway product, the Coactive Connector® 2010, specifically targeting US utilities. The Coactive Connector 2010, the newest member of the Coactive Connector 2000 Series, delivers flexible access to home control systems over Internet Protocol communications channels including shared phone line, cable modem and DSL. By providing open network connectivity both in the home and in external access, the Coactive Connector 2010 enables power, cable, telecommunications, and other utilities to establish a communications infrastructure which supports multiple home telemetry services such as automatic meter reading (AMR), demand side management (DSM), home security, appliance monitoring, personal monitoring for the elderly and disabled, and home automation.

“Access to home control systems is an integral part of the rapid changes occurring in home communications, both in terms of extending the network beyond PCs and in driving deployments,” said David Gaw, president of Coactive Networks. “The new Coactive Connector 2010 enables utilities to establish a home communications channel to accommodate multiple services, a competitive necessity under the changing environment of deregulation and new business models.”

About the Coactive Connector 2010

The Coactive Connector 2010 offers utilities a way to satisfy immediate requirements for home telemetry, such as AMR, while deploying a strategically invaluable communications solution which provides a clear path to future enhancements and expanded services. By offering multiple services as a bundled package, utilities can reduce customer churn, enter new markets, and gain an important foothold in the new world of home communications.

The Coactive Connector 2010 enables multiple services by taking a unique approach to accessing home control systems: open network connectivity. The wide-area connection to homes is via Internet Protocol (IP). By including both an integrated modem and 10-BaseT Ethernet, the Coactive Connector 2010 allows a mixed deployment which takes advantage of both the ubiquitous presence of phone connections and the increasing presence of high-speed Internet home connections such as cable modem, ISDN, and DSL. Just as important, the in-home connection to devices such as appliances, meters, security systems, and home automation systems is via the open home control networking standard EIA-709 (LonWorks), a standard which has already been adopted by most control system manufacturers. As the leader in providing LonWorks connectivity solutions to the commercial building automation market, Coactive has the products, partnerships, and the backing of industry leaders to ensure seamless connectivity to these control systems.

The Coactive Connector 2010 also incorporates the embedded distributed object technology of the IOConnect Architecture™, providing the reliability and manageability required for wide-scale home telemetry and allowing consumers and service providers to access home control data from multiple distributed locations using standard interfaces.

The Coactive Connector 2010 provides all of the functionality required for flexible access to home control systems, including data logging, real-time monitoring and control, remote management, and remote software download. The technology of the IOConnect Architecture and a highly integrated design allow the Coactive Connector 2010 to break the industry's deployment price barriers, allowing utilities to move forward aggressively with a home telemetry solution which meets immediate revenue opportunities while providing a clear path to future enhancements and expanded services. The Coactive Connector 2010 is scheduled for general availability in Q2 1999.

About Coactive Networks

Coactive Networks is a leading provider of open solutions for connecting control systems to enterprise networks and the Internet. The company offers a full line of routers, servers, and gateways for creating powerful next-generation applications, and is the market leader in providing connectivity solutions for EIA-709 (LonWorks), the leading control network. Coactive is a privately held corporation based in Sausalito, CA. Detailed information on Coactive products, news announcements, partnerships, training, and support is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.coactive.com.

Coactive, the Coactive Logo, Coactive Connector, Router-LE, Router-LL, and IOConnect Architecture are trademarks or registered trademarks of Coactive Networks, Inc. in the US and other countries. LonWorks is a trademark of Echelon Corporation. All other brands and names are the property of their respective owners.

Contact:

Annie Grace
415-440-9281
annie@hgpr.com

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