NETsilicon Announces NET+ARM Design Win and Production Release At i-data.

WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 5, 1998--

NETsilicon's NET+ARM Wins Awards

NETsilicon, Inc., and i-data today announced the production release of the i-data EasyCom(TM) Eth100 High Speed Ethernet PrintServer based upon the NETsilicon(TM) NET+ARM(TM) Embedded Network Controller Chip.

The EasyCom Eth 100 is a high speed plug & print(TM) interface - easy to install, configure and monitor thanks to the built-in web-server. EasyCom Eth 100 is based on i-data's well known interface technology and sets a new standard for easy "plug & print" offering robust and reliable Ethernet and fast Ethernet connection to any printer with a parallel port and support to all major network protocols.

Recent winner of both Instrumentation & Automation News' Editors' Choice Award and EE Product News' Semiconductor of the Month, NETsilicon's NET+ARM is an embedded connectivity system that allows engineers to add Ethernet and Internet connections to their products by consolidating essentially all the hardware and software subsystems onto a single chip. The integration of proven hardware and software helps OEMs speed time-to-market, cut unit costs, and simplify design when network-enabling their products. Using the NETsilicon development kit and proven NET+ARM-12 chip, i-data was able to develop and volume release the EasyCom Eth100 product in less than 6 months.

NET+ARM's hardware and software subsystems combine the power of Advanced Risc Machines, Ltd.'s (ARM's) 32-bit RISC processor, optionally Integrated Systems, Inc.'s (ISI's) pSOS real-time operating system (RTOS), and NETsilicon's complete networking and web-enabling software. Specifically, the software includes 10/100BaseT Ethernet and Internet protocols, HTTP and FTP client and server, web browser, mail servers, and a host of drivers and interfaces in a single chip.

"Anything to do with information, control or measurement, such as printers, industrial controls, building controls, medical devices, point-of-sale devices, automatic identification products, and other Internet devices like cameras could be Ethernet/Internet connected," predicts NETsilicon's CEO Cornelius "Pete" Peterson. "The printer and print server markets, where NETsilicon's Imaging group is already a leader, have long enjoyed the benefits of moving in this direction by embedding Ethernet and Internet printing. With all the functionality and hardware on a single NET+ARM NCC chip, the OEMs can now implement NETsilicon's solution directly on the controller board which eliminates the need for a separate network board."

Pricing and Availability

NET+ARM is available in two models. NET+ARM NCC includes full NOS support (Novell, TCP/IP, Apple, Windows, Internet, and much more) and full print/imaging server applications. NET+ARM pSOS includes TCP and Internet networking for other embedded network applications. The NET+ARM pSOS is available immediately and is priced at approximately $26 also in quantities of 20,000 for the 12 MIPs version. New 15 and 40 MIPs versions of the NET+ARM are projected to be available in the first quarter of calendar year 1999.

About NETsilicon

NETsilicon is a subsidiary of Osicom Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:FIBR). The Company is a designer, manufacturer and supplier of embedded networking systems. The Company's networking silicon chip products and the accompanying networking software maybe incorporated into the basic design of a wide variety of electrical devices, thereby enabling those devices to be connected to a Local Area Network ("LAN") and the Internet. Such network connectivity makes it possible for those devices to be monitored and controlled from a remote location. The Company believes its family of embedded networking system products, the NET+ product line, is the first standards-based networking system to offer a single chip solution that, in conjunction with the physical interface and memory, encompasses all of the required hardware and software necessary to network-enable these electrical devices. The Company's technology is designed to have broad applicability and therefore may be incorporated into virtually any electrical device. The Company's NET+ products and predecessor products are currently contained in an array of imaging products, including printers, scanners, fax machines, copiers and multi-function peripherals manufactured by OEMs such as Minolta Corporation, NEC Corporation and Xerox Corporation. The Company's NET+ products are also in various stages of being incorporated by 21 OEMs into the design of other products in new markets, such as industrial automation equipment, communications devices, data acquisition and test equipment, internet devices and utility monitoring equipment.

For additional company, product or financial information, visit the NET+ARM website, www.netarm.com/netarm.html, or call toll free 888-NETARM4. For calls originating outside the United States, call 781-647-1234.

About i-data

i-data is a Danish company founded in 1981 providing direct attachment of printers in IBM environments and has grown to become a world leader in printer connectivity technology.

Over 660,000 i-data installations are now at work, helping banks, insurance companies, industrial and public organizations around the globe get the most out of their IT investments, putting their printers and computers on speaking terms.

i-data's products and services are sold worldwide through the company's comprehensive network of subsidiaries and distributors in more than 30 countries around the world. For more information on these and other i-data products, call our international sales department at [phone] or visit our web-site at www.i-data.com.

Today, i-data's product range covers hardware- and software solutions, including sophisticated interfaces to LAN environments, taking advantage of the latest Internet technology, as well as high-end enterprise solutions. These include mainframe and Windows NT based software solutions covering Print Management, Distribution & Control, Internet Printing, and Migration.

NET+ARM is a trademark of ARM Limited and is exclusively sublicensed to Osicom Technologies, Inc.'s NETsilicon subsidiary. NETsilicon is a trademark of NETsilicon Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The "forward-looking" statements in this release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially due to a variety of factors, including without limitation the company's ability to develop, produce, and market products that incorporate new technology on a timely basis, that are priced competitively and achieve significant market acceptance; higher expenses associated with the development and marketing of new products; changes in product mix; risks of dependence on third-party component suppliers; inventory risks due to shifts in market demand; the presence of competitors with broader product lines and greater financial resources; intellectual property rights and litigation; needs for liquidity; and the other risks detailed from time to time in the company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.