IPSO Alliance Adds Prominent Tech Brands to Membership Ranks: Intel, Bosch and Johnson...

IPSO Alliance Adds Prominent Tech Brands to Membership Ranks: Intel, Bosch
and Johnson Controls Join Growing Roster of Major Companies Advocating for
Interoperability of Smart Objects through Internet Protocol
Organization elects new board to lead group's promotion of Internet Protocol
for Smart Objects

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., July 10 /PRNewswire/ -- The IPSO Alliance, an
international non-profit group advancing greater awareness for Internet
Protocol-connected smart objects, has added 12 new companies to its members'
roster, including several of the world's leading technology and manufacturing
brands.

The new member organizations include such familiar names as Intel, Bosch and
Johnson Controls, along with more specialized tech and wireless firms CEA,
Convergence Wireless, ECE, Ember Corporation, IAR Systems, Ibit World, INRIA,
Maxfor, National Semiconductor, Somfy, Tridium and ZeroG Wireless rounding out
the latest group of companies to join the organization.

These new members bring IPSO's corporate membership to 51, joining some of the
most iconic brands in global technology, such as Cisco, Ericsson, SAP, Sun
Microsystems, and Texas Instruments. The companies have come together to raise
awareness of the use of established Internet Protocols in creating linked
networks of physical objects -- from household appliances to sophisticated
communications devices and even military systems.

"Intel believes the IPSO Alliance will be an integral group to enable the
interoperability and connectivity of devices for the embedded Internet," said
Tony Neal-Graves, general manager, Strategic Planning, Embedded and
Communications Group, Intel. "Intel Architecture has played a central role in
the build out of the Internet and we are committed to delivering products and
technology that will enable billions of embedded, connected devices."

"There is a need for an open, informal and thought-leading association of
like-minded organizations and individuals to promote the value of using the
Internet Protocol for the networking of smart objects. Bosch is convinced that
standards for embedded IP will foster an open systems approach and achieve
high interoperability levels which are crucial," noted Harald Hoenninger, VP
Corporate Research at Bosch. "The IPSO Alliance seems to be the perfect forum
to promote such a standard. As members, we plan to contribute to the Alliance
and take a role in the existing and evolving business ecosystems of Embedded
IT."

The alliance was created last September and has quickly gained traction as a
leading international advocate for networked devices and synchronicity of
physical objects. Time magazine marked the formation of the alliance as one of
the best inventions of 2008, noting, "The organization intends to create a new
kind of network that will allow sensor-enabled physical objects -- appliances
in your home, products in a factory, cars in a city -- to talk to one another,
the same way people communicate over the Internet."

A so-called "smart object" is any device which combines processing power,
communications capabilities and a power source to provide real-time
information to a computer system. Integration of the Internet Protocol, which
allows the Internet to run smoothly, in turn allows smart objects to
communicate directly with one another over the existing global network
following a proven protocol that has been in place for nearly 35 years. The IP
framework additionally provides unsurpassed scalability, a vital feature for
large organizations.

"This connectivity between physical objects across so many facets of our lives
represents a quantum leap in the way technology will be applied in the coming
century. It also explains why so many essential technology companies are
joining in our efforts," stated IPSO Alliance Chairman Geoff Mulligan. "The
numerous areas of life and platforms that will be impacted is reflected in the
caliber of companies partnering with us in these early stages. We expect to
see more well-known organizations joining with us in the months ahead."

"The introduction of IP sensors and smart objects provide for holistic
building operational efficiency by marrying IT systems with HVAC, energy,
fire, security and lighting systems," commented Joseph Noworatzky, Vice
President of Engineering for Johnson Controls. "This convergence of systems
creates new synergies and applications for our customers not feasible across
independent networks."

The real life applications of this platform are already used in industrial
applications -- including factories, hospitals, electric utilities and
government facilities -- and are increasingly entering the consumer
mainstream. IPSO offerings from existing Alliance members include:
-- Code Blue timers for hospitals to maintain an accurate and
synchronized
account of the events following a heart attack and wireless remote
monitoring of a facility's temperature and humidity and vibration
monitoring (Primex Wireless);
-- Remote monitoring of electricity consumption (Arch Rock);
-- Building automation and Smart Energy home applications as well as
asset
tracking in the healthcare, retail, and manufacturing sectors
(GainSpan);

-- Building Automation, Energy and Security management (Tridium)

To lead the Alliance and its growing roster of top-tier companies the
organization has recently elected a new Board of Directors to serve the group
in their advocacy of Internet Protocol for smart objects. The new Board
consists of:

-- Chairman Geoff Mulligan, Industry Consultant and President for Proto6
LLC;
-- President Patrick Wetterwald, Manager of Advanced Technologies for
Cisco
Systems, Inc.;
-- Vice President Roland Acra, CEO and Founder of Arch Rock;
-- Treasurer Marius Chilom, CEO and Founder of Nivis, LLC;
-- Secretary Pete St. Pierre, Staff Researcher for Sun Microsystems, Inc;

-- Board members David Loadman of National Instruments; Magnus Pedersen,
Director of Product Marketing of MCU Wireless for Atmel; Paul
Shekoski,
President of Primex Wireless; Steve Adams of Intel; and Ville
Mickelsson, CEO of Sensinode Ltd.

"Our new Board of Directors draws from across the Alliance's various sectors
providing a strong industry background to our leadership," Mulligan noted.
"The combination of our new board members and organizations lays a solid
foundation for the Alliance's continued growth."

Additionally, existing Contributor members Landis+Gyr and Silver Spring
Networks have chosen to take a more active role in the IPSO Alliance and
elected to upgrade from Contributor to Promoter member.

"Landis+Gyr is committed to the development and implementation of standards
that will carry today's smart grid projects into the future," said Ruben
Salazar, Director of Technology at Landis+Gyr. "The IPSO Alliance allows us to
more actively contribute to and influence the development of IP for smart grid
devices in a way that complements the work underway with other key alliances
and standards development organizations."

About the IPSO Alliance

Intended to complement the efforts of entities such as the Internet
Engineering Task Force (IETF) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers (IEEE), which develop and ratify technical standards in the Internet
community, the IPSO Alliance performs interoperability tests, documents the
use of new IP-based technologies, conducts marketing activities and serves as
an information repository for users seeking to understand the role of IP in
networks of physical objects. IPSO Alliance membership is open to any
organization advocating an IP-based approach to connecting smart objects. For
more information, visit http://www.ipso-alliance.org.

Contact: Allan Ripp 212-262-7477, arippnyc@aol.com
Nathan Burgess 212-262-7482, nburg@esq.cc
Paul Shekoski, 815-245-1589, paul.shekoski@ipso-alliance.org

SOURCE IPSO Alliance

Allan Ripp, +1-212-262-7477, arippnyc@aol.com or Nathan Burgess,
+1-212-262-7482, nburg@esq.cc or Paul Shekoski, +1-815-245-1589,
paul.shekoski@ipso-alliance.org