PICMG Kicks off AdvancedTCA Classification Working Group to Streamline Product Selection Process.

Business Editors

WAKEFIELD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 8, 2004

Product Classification Working Group Aims to Make It Easier for

Vendors and Buyers to Clearly Describe Product

Characteristics;

Lays Foundation for New Levels of Interoperability

PICMG(R) has kicked off a new working group whose goal is to improve the product selection experience for buyers of AdvancedTCA(R) building blocks and systems. The working group, chaired by PICMG Marketing VP Rob Davidson, agreed at a recent meeting in Long Beach, Calif. on a plan to define product classification tables that clearly explain how options in the underlying PICMG AdvancedTCA family of specifications have been implemented.

The Product Classification group will initially focus on four main categories: Regulatory, Fabrics, Management and Power, and Cooling. The group has set a goal to have the first classification table versions developed and approved by the PICMG membership by the middle of this year.

Having determined its target areas and preliminary goal, the working group is now soliciting wider participation and input for content. Companies who were represented at the meeting in Long Beach included Artesyn, GNP, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Interphase, and Sun Microsystems. Other companies, such as Comtel and Pentair/Schroff, have committed resources to the group. Companies interested in participating should contact Rob Davidson at [e-mail].

"This initiative is breaking new ground for PICMG," said Davidson. "PICMG activities have traditionally centered on technical specification development -- this group adds a marketing flavor and a user focus."

"Our AdvancedTCA Product Classification working group's efforts will furnish developers with an organized assortment of building blocks to choose from when developing platforms based on today's most powerful architecture for telecom applications," said Greg Kalush, President and CEO of Interphase Corporation. "The end result will be greater ease, flexibility, and options in the component selection process for our collective OEM customers designing custom AdvancedTCA systems."

"The PICMG AdvancedTCA classification tables are essential to building a critical mass of interoperable ATCA products and a healthy eco system," said Jeff Durst, Director of Product Marketing at Artesyn.

"AdvancedTCA is a very sophisticated and flexible platform architecture. This effort will provide both customers and systems integrators with tools to help sort through the options available and enable them to specify complete, functional systems at a high level," said Joe Pavlat, PICMG President.

The AdvancedTCA specifications for next-generation telecommunications equipment are aimed at further expanding the market for off-the-shelf, modular platform solutions for carrier grade communications equipment. PICMG also expects to see interest in AdvancedTCA in other industries, such as data communications and military equipment.

In addition to the base specification PICMG 3.0, other specifications in the AdvancedTCA series cover the mapping of various high speed serial fabrics to the AdvancedTCA platform: PICMG 3.1 for Ethernet/Fibre Channel, PICMG 3.2 for InfiniBand(R), PICMG 3.3 for StarFabric and PICMG 3.4 for PCI Express(TM). Additional specifications are in development.

Anyone with an interest in AdvancedTCA technology may subscribe to PICMG's AdvancedTCA reflector (or listserv) at no charge - instructions on joining the list are on the Web at http://www.picmg.org/newinitiative.stm#Reflector. Companies manufacturing products that comply with AdvancedTCA specifications, whether or not they are members of PICMG, are invited to list them in PICMG's free online product directory, at

http://www.picmg.org/picmg_cfmfiles/generalv3/search1.cfm?bus= AdvancedTCA.

(Due to the length of this URL, it may be necessary to copy and paste this hyperlink into your Internet browser's URL address field.)

About PICMG

Founded in 1994 as the PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group, PICMG is a consortium of over 400 companies that collaboratively develops open specifications for high performance telecommunications and industrial computing applications. The members of the consortium have a long history of developing leading edge products for these industries. For more information on AdvancedTCA or to view a short form version of the 3.0 specification, visit http://www.advancedtca.org/.

For information about PICMG membership, or to find out how to obtain PICMG specifications, visit the PICMG website at or call PICMG headquarters at [phone].

PICMG, CompactPCI, and AdvancedTCA are registered trademarks of the PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group. InfiniBand is a registered trademark of the InfiniBand Trade Association. PCI Express is a trademark of the PCI SIG.