News from B&B Electronics Manufacturing Company 707 Dayton Road P.O. Box 1040 Ottawa IL 61350 (815) 433-5100 FAX (815) 433-5109 For further information, contact: Mike Fahrion at B&B Electronics Manufacturing Co. (815) 433-5100 x215 e-mail: mfahrion@bb-elec.com October 11, 2005 For Immediate Release: 18 Percent Increase in Wireless Sensor Network Deployment Plans Over 70 Percent of Respondents Researching Wireless for Industrial Applications; 53 Percent Considering Deployment in the Next 12 Months Ottawa, IL - B&B Electronics and Sensicast Systems today released the results of an online survey of 200 end-users and system integrators in the industrial automation marketplace regarding wireless sensor networks. The survey found strong interest in wireless sensor networking technologies among the group. Over half of respondents (53%) are considering deploying a wireless sensor network in the next 12 months, compared to January’s survey results which showed 45 percent planning to deploy in 2005. The August survey is the second in a series that B&B Electronics and Sensicast have designed to track industry attitudes towards wireless sensor networks. Interest in wireless sensor networks specifically for industrial monitoring has also increased as 73 percent of respondents are researching wireless sensors for use in these more rugged environments, compared to the 64 percent who expressed interest in January. Reliability of the wireless sensor network was the primary reason respondents were delaying deployment, with 33 percent citing reliability as their greatest concern. Findings revealed that respondents had a strong understanding of which applications were appropriate for wireless sensor networks. The applications chosen as most appropriate were: • Process monitoring • Environmental monitoring • Machine monitoring Don Wiencek, president of B&B Electronics said, “This has been a year of learning and investment. We’ve deployed wireless sensing products in field trials and gained knowledge about the technology and how to implement it in a product. Our field experience has proven the robustness of the technology. Now the survey results show that our customers are increasingly eager to use wireless sensing in their projects. That validates the investment we've made and puts B&B Electronics in an exciting position for 2006.” The survey further uncovered that 2.4 GHz remains the favored frequency of operation, with twice as many respondents selecting 2.4 GHz compared to 900 MHz in both the August and the January surveys. “Our latest survey clearly reveals the industrial sector's growing interest in wireless sensor networks and monitoring capabilities that work well within challenging RF environments. This feedback reinforces the performance results we have achieved with our existing customers and the belief that SensiNet™, our ultra-reliable and easily installable sensor solution, aligns perfectly with industry needs,” said Paul Sereiko, CEO of Sensicast. Survey results are available at www.bb-elec.com/wireless. Further survey and wireless sensor market analysis will be published in the November 2005 issue of Control magazine. About B&B Electronics B&B Electronics (www.bb-elec.com) is a leading manufacturer of data communication products for industrial automation, retail services and building control fields. The company was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Ottawa, Illinois. They serve over 50,000 customers from all parts of the world. A wholly-owned sales and service facility is located in Ireland, serving Europe, Africa and the Middle East. B&B Electronics is a subsidiary of Avtek Corporation, a privately held company in Providence, RI. About Sensicast Founded in 2002, Sensicast (www.sensicast.com) provides complete wireless sensor networks to a wide range of industries. At the core of Sensicast’s sensing solutions is the comprehensive Sensicast Modular Interchangeable Networking Device (MIND) platform. Utilizing the SensiNet™ mesh networking protocol and SensiMesh® gateway server software, Sensicast’s MIND Platform provides the simplest, most cost-effective way to develop and deploy reliable network solutions for intelligent wireless monitoring. Sensicast is focused on providing complete solutions for system integrators and a development platform for original equipment manufacturers. Sensicast is a privately held company with Ardesta, LLC and Global Environment Fund as its primary investors. - END - This copy and a high resolution photo are available on our website at www.bb-elec.com/press_releases/ulinx.html Please contact me if we can be of any further information on PC based data communications. Mike Fahrion EE, Marketing Director mfahrion@bb-elec.com 815-433-5100 ext 215