Etx® 3.0 Standard Continues To Gain Support

Arbor, Axiomtek and Blue Chip Technology Join the ETX 3.0 Community

San Diego (June 19, 2006) – Kontron, a leading embedded computer technology company, announced that the ETX® 3.0 community is rapidly growing with nine vendors signed on to support the new ETX 3.0 specification that Kontron initiated. The newest members of the ETX Industial Group supporting ETX 3.0 are Arbor, Axiomtek and Blue Chip Technology. MSC, Evalue, Adlink, Seco and Aaeon previously indicated to Kontron their support of this updated specification. More providers of ETX modules also plan to support the ETX 3.0 specification and have pledged to officially sign their support soon.

“ETX 3.0 adds real value to the embedded market’s most established Computer-On-Module standard - ETX. For this reason, even more vendors anticipate supporting ETX 3.0 soon. The rollout of ETX 3.0 will be the fastest de-facto standardization process the embedded computing industry has ever seen,” said Dirk Finstel, chief technology officer of Kontron’s Embedded Modules Division. “No other COMs standard has ever been acepted as quickly as ETX 3.0. “

Kontron and other members of the ETX Industrial Group have adopted ETX 3.0 with the intention of keeping the standard viable until at least 2010. Additional modules built around dual-core processors and others from Intel®, AMD®, and VIA® are planned for release over the course of this year, with more to follow.

The new specification brings in 2x Serial ATA without changing any of the ETX pins, making new modules 100 percent pin-to-pin compatible with previous versions and ensuring long-term support for the vast number of embedded application solutions based on these already highly integrated COMs including medical, gaming and entertainment, military and aerospace, etc.

ETX 3.0 modules, such as the Kontron ETX-LX, integrate 2x Serial ATA via two slim line connectors that are designed onto the top-side of the CPU module itself rather than requiring the ETX-connectors of the module and carrier board to be redefined. As a result, existing carrier board designs can remain unmodified in order for the solution to take advantage of faster Serial ATA hard drives. ETX 3.0 also includes USB 2.0 routed through the existing ETX connectors. To obtain a copy of the ETX 3.0 specification, contact a local Kontron office or visit the ETX Industrial Group website (www.etx-ig.org). A downloadable version of the specification will be available soon.
###


About Kontron:
A global leader in embedded computer technology and mobile rugged solutions, Kontron supplies a diversified customer base of OEMs, system integrators, and application providers in the: automation, test and measurement, communications, medical, gaming and entertainment, military, aerospace, transportation, and energy markets. The company helps its customers considerably reduce their time-to-market and gain a competitive advantage with products including: high-performance open computer platforms and systems, single board computers, human-machine interfaces, and mobile rugged computers and displays. Kontron employs more than 2,300 people worldwide and has manufacturing facilities in Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific. The company is listed on the German TecDAX 30 stock exchange under the symbol "KBC". Kontron is a Premier member in the Intel ® Communications Alliance which means earliest access to leading-edge Intel technologies and privileged engineering support. For additional information on Kontron, please visit www.kontron.com.

About Arbor
With more than 10 years of embedded and networking expertise, Arbor has the time-tested abilities of providing board-level to system-integrated solution with well-defined manufacturing process and seasoned long-term availabilities. Arbor's Embedded & Networking Computing solutions have been successfully applied into the fields of transportation, e-Service, medical, manufacturing automation, telecommunication, networking, information system and military. Countless users benefit from our services in terms of high productivity, convenience, efficiency, cost-effective and reliance. As an affiliate member of the Intel® Communications Alliance, ARBOR realizes your embedded computing vision with most advanced Intel® embedded computing solutions. ARBOR Tech has intensive operations across the world, deploys embedded computing solutions to every corner wherever you are. For more information on Arbor, please visit at www.arbor.com.tw.

About Axiomtek
Founded in 1990 by a group of young and aggressive engineers in Taiwan, Axiomtek is one of the major design and manufacturing companies in the Industrial PC field. Since its establishment, Axiomtek has successfully gained worldwide recognition for its innovative designs and guarantee of total customer satisfaction. At Axiomtek, compting experts design, manufacture, and support award-winning versatile and modularly designed Applied Computing Platforms, so that customers have a single, reliable, cost-effective source. Axiomtek‘s wide array of CE, FCC & UL certified products include Embedded Computing Platforms, Panel Computers, Industrial Automation Devices, Industrial PC platforms, Network Appliances, and Storage Appliances. The worldwide inventory control and tracking system coordinates inventory among Aiomtek’s offices located in Taiwan, USA, Germany, France, Italy, and China to ensure prompt delivery every time. Axiomtek’s continual drive to improve efficiency, flexibility, and to assist customers, has helped set high standards. As a leading industrial computer supplier, AXIOMTEK is devoted to producing state-of-the-art solutions that aid users in achieving their goals. This is just a starting point to greater services and more advanced products.

About Blue Chip Technology
Blue Chip Technology is a leading UK innovator and manufacturer of single board computers, data acquisition modules and industrial computer systems. The companies embedded products and systems, lie at the heart of solutions in manufacturing, medical, communications and defense industries. In addition to the off-the-shelf portfolio, Blue Chip offers a full custom embedded design service. For the last fifteen years, Blue Chip has consistently been in the vanguard of embedded technological developments. Operating out of custom designed premises, the company bucks the trend in retaining design and manufacture in house – a key factor in the Blue Chip Technology success story. It isn't simply the fact that Blue Chip Technology solutions are the most advanced that sets Blue Chip apart from the rest, making the manufacturer the first choice for so many demanding customers. It's just as much the proven track record reliability, the ease of integration which enables complete systems to be developed so much more quickly and the depth of the relationships Blue Chip builds with its customers. Blue Chip Technology's products are designed and built in-house with a commitment to total quality under the strict procedures of BS EN ISO 9001:2000. This is a guarantee that the products bought from Blue Chip Technology are of the highest quality. The strictest controls are put on all aspects of the design, manufacture and shipping of products, from the procurement and storing of individual components.


For further information:

Editor Contact
Richard Pugnier
Manager, Marketing Communications
Kontron America
858.623.3006
richard.pugnier@us.kontron.com

Product and Technical Contact
Christine Howe
Product Marketing Manager
Kontron America
510.438.7250
christine.howe@us.kontron.com