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Arkados and MainNet Team to Bridge Smart
Power Grids With Consumer Electronics, Enabling "Green
Entertainment"
PISCATAWAY, New Jersey,
October 12, 2007 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Significant Industry
Milestone Employs the Visionary Usage of Broadband Powerline
Communications Technology by Combining Smart-Grid Applications
With Consumer Electronic Devices in the Home.
Arkados (OTC BB: AKDS), known
as "the HomePlug(R) Applications Company," and MainNet
Communications, Ltd., a leader in the broadband over powerline
(BPL) communications market, have entered into a strategic
collaboration to create commercial hardware and software
solutions for Smart-Grid applications. The two companies plan
to jointly develop applications to improve the reliability and
efficiency of electrical grids, connect consumer electronic
devices over power lines, enable energy-saving initiatives,
and deliver Broadband content to homes and offices.
The details of the
collaboration include a financial arrangement that gives
MainNet incentives to purchase 600,000 Arkados 200 Mb/s
chipsets (HomePlug AV) over the next three years. Subject to
the terms of the agreement and the completion of certain
milestones, MainNet is expected to pre-pay up to $500k for the
delivery of Arkados solutions in calendar year 2008.
Combining MainNet's unique
layer 2 system with Arkados' core technology, the planed
applications will offer easy and seamless access to
Internet-based services for the consumer over the existing
electrical grid, while also acting as a window into energy
savings by offering Command and Control energy applications.
These applications help to save operational costs through
energy conservation, and could contribute to a greener
environment.
This collaboration represents
an evolutionary step in an approach that provides utility
companies with Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI)
solutions, and consumers with access to broadband
communication services. Thus, it meets with the US national
policy to support the modernization of the electricity
transmission and distribution system to incorporate digital
information and control technology, and to share real-time
pricing information with electricity customers to achieve
Advanced Smart-Grid and continual environmental improvement in
the production and distribution of electricity (Smart-Grid
Facilitation Act of 2007).
"MainNet found in Arkados a
strong technology partner with the same vision of what
powerline communications technology can achieve," said Joe
Marsilii, CEO of MainNet. "Using Arkados' HomePlug chips with
our BPL smart repetition mechanism, utility companies will get
a future proof, easy to install, cost effective and secured
Smart-Grid system. Concurrently, this scenario enables easy
ways for consumers to access on-demand broadband services,
which will help to further realize the vision of the connected
home."
"Arkados is very impressed
with the rich collection of functions that MainNet's
Smart-Grid systems enable," said Oleg Logvinov, president and
CEO of Arkados. "Not only do they have an extraordinary
portfolio of solutions that detect, measure, and report on
energy use, but they have added the additional valuable
component of interaction with the consumer. Their solutions
enable consumer to be actively involved in energy saving,
while using that same broadband communication channel for
traffic updates, weather reports, stock quotes, and
entertainment options. By bridging connected devices with
connected services, Arkados and MainNet are moving toward
implementing the vision that our companies share."
Broadband powerline
communications technology enables an Advanced Metering
Infrastructure (AMI) for improved Smart-Grid applications,
including demand response and demand-side management for more
efficient use of energy resources, detecting power outages,
tampering and theft, load balancing, and the integration of
"smart" appliances and consumer devices. All are designed to
achieve intelligent grid and maximized revenues for utility
companies worldwide.
For more information on the
types of entertainment and information products that can help
to proliferate Smart-Grid applications into the home, please
see
http://www.arkados.com/products.html.
About Arkados, Inc.
Arkados, "the HomePlug
Applications Company," delivers a universal platform that
enables networking of home entertainment and computer devices
using standard electricity lines. The company's system-on-chip
solutions are uniquely designed to drive a wide variety of
powerline-enabled consumer electronics and home computing
products, such as stereos, radios, speakers, MP3 players,
computers, televisions, gaming consoles, security cameras and
cable and DSL modems. Arkados customers can bring numerous
sophisticated, full-featured products to market faster at a
lower overall development cost using a single platform: the
company's versatile and programmable ArkTIC(TM) platform.
Arkados solutions leverage the benefits of HomePlug Powerline
Alliance specifications and can also be used for in-building
and to-the-home (BPL) applications. Arkados(R) is a registered
trademark and ArkTIC(TM) and Direct to Speaker(TM) are
trademarks of Arkados Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the
Arkados Group, Inc. HomePlug(R) is a registered trademark of
the HomePlug Powerline Alliance, of which Arkados is a member.
Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of
others. More information can be found at
http://www.arkados.com.
About MainNet Communications
Ltd.
MainNet Communications Ltd.
is the leading turn-key solution and service provider of
Broadband Powerline Communications (BPL), enabling fast return
on investment in operating Smart-Grid applications, security
and surveillance as well as broadband communication access
over any electric network. Founded in 1999, the company owns
BPL -related intellectual properties (IP) and is backed by
strong equity investors. With the largest commercial BPL
deployments worldwide, MainNet is well positioned for bringing
the vision of Smart-Grids into reality. http://www.mainnet-plc.com.
This release includes
"forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A
of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are based upon
assumptions that in the future may prove not to have been
accurate and are subject to significant risks and
uncertainties, including statements as to the future
performance of the company and the risks and uncertainties
detailed from time to time in reports filed by the company
with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although the
company believes that the expectations reflected in its
forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no
assurance that such expectations or any of its forward-looking
statements will prove to be correct. Factors that could cause
results to differ include, but are not limited to, the
company's ability to raise necessary financing, ability to
attract and retain key personnel, timely delivery of inventory
by the company's contract manufacturers, timely product
development and acceptance, and the impact of competitive
services and pricing and general economic risks and
uncertainties.
Jim Reeber, Arkados Inc.
Email: jreeber@arkados.com
Phone: +1-732-465-9300,
Liora Bar, MainNet Communications
Email: liorab@mainnet-plc.com
Phone: +972-(9)-741-5518
Source: MainNet Communications
Ltd
Jim Reeber, Arkados Inc.,
Email: jreeber@arkados.com, Phone: +1-732-465-9300; Liora Bar,
MainNet Communications, Email:
liorab@mainnet-plc.com , Phone:
+972-9-741-5518
Website:
http://www.arkados.com |