Frost & Sullivan Acknowledges RuggedCom’s Superior Technology Development in the Ethernet Switches Market

Palo Alto, Calif. — August 11, 2006 —Frost & Sullivan selected RuggedCom, Inc. for its 2006 Excellence in Technology Award in the field of Ethernet switches for substation automation. The company has shown technological dominance by designing and manufacturing ruggedized communication equipment for harsh electrical and climatic environments.

RuggedCom is the first company to introduce IEC 61850-compliant Ethernet switches and is also the first to qualify as an IEEE 1613 Class 2 device capable of error-free performance under electromagnetic interference (EMI) stress.

Many existing substations are not designed to have environmentally controlled spaces and as a result, the equipment used in these environments should be able to withstand wide temperature variations. This is a huge challenge, as internal fans are not allowed in industrial grade equipment because they lower the overall reliability of the device. In addition, these devices must also deal with high levels of humidity and vibration not commonly found in office environments.

“RuggedCom’s Ethernet product line, RuggedSwitch, consists of fiberoptic-based switches that fully comply with IEC 61850 EMI and environmental requirements,” says Frost & Sullivan Industry Analyst Viswanathan Krishnan. “These switches incorporate a technology called zero packet loss (ZPL) technology, which ensures minimal or no data loss, errors, or delays when exposed to EMI stress.”

Some unique features of the RuggedCom product line include widest specifications for harsh environments as well as dual redundant and integrated power supplies for higher reliability, availability, and uptime. It offers fastest network fault recovery with enhanced Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (eRSTP) which requires less than 5 ms recovery for fault tolerant and mission-critical systems.

The company also provides routers, serial servers, and media converters for the substation automation industry.

“Many utilities are exploring options to implement data loss- and error-free communication technologies so that they can have better control of the information they receive from many devices within substations,” notes Krishnan. “RuggedCom’s Ethernet switches have not only excelled in surviving the harsh environments but have also demonstrated their performance in delivering the information without any data loss.”

In recognition of its performance in harsh environments and its technological potential in offering ‘zero data loss’ communication, RuggedCom, Inc. is considered a deserving recipient of the Frost & Sullivan 2006 Excellence in Technology Award.

Each year Frost & Sullivan presents this Award to a company that has pioneered the development and introduction of an innovative technology into the market; a technology that has either impacted or has the potential to impact several market sectors. The Award recognizes a company’s successful technology development that is expected to bring significant contributions to the industry in terms of adoption, change, and competitive posture. It also recognizes the company’s overall technical excellence and its commitment toward technology innovation.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research in order to identify best practices in the industry.

About RuggedCom, Inc.

RuggedCom is the leading developer and supplier of substation hardened networking and communications devices. RuggedCom’s full range of product offerings include substation hardened Ethernet switches, routers (cyber security appliances), serial device servers, and media converters. Originally designed to meet the same standards as mission critical protective relaying devices, RuggedCom products provide a level of ruggedness and reliability that exceeds industry standards such as IEC 61850 and IEEE 1613. RuggedCom introduced the world’s first IEC 61850-3 compliant Ethernet switch suitable of electric utility substation environments, introduced the world’s first IEEE 1613 Class 2 error free communications devices, has the world’s fastest network fault recovery, and introduced the world’s first fully managed IP67 rated Ethernet switch.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting company, has been partnering with clients to support the development of innovative strategies for more than 40 years. The company’s industry expertise integrates growth consulting, growth partnership services, and corporate management training to identify and develop opportunities. Frost & Sullivan serves an extensive clientele that includes Global 1000 companies, emerging companies, and the investment community by providing comprehensive industry coverage that reflects a unique global perspective and combines ongoing analysis of markets, technologies, econometrics, and demographics. For more information, visit http://www.awards.frost.com and http://www.industrialautomation.frost.com

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Stacie Jones

Frost & Sullivan

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