ELON--Monday July 31, 8:07 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
NTT DATA Partners With Echelon to Provide LonWorks Training in Japan
Agreement Designed to Meet Growing Demand in Asia Pacific Market
SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 31, 2000--Echelon Corporation (NASDAQ:ELON - news) announced today that NTT DATA Corporation, Japan's leading provider of information systems and computer networking, and an Echelon Authorized Network Integrator, has signed an agreement with Echelon to open a LonWorks® Authorized Training Center in Japan. By becoming an Echelon training partner, NTT DATA will provide Japanese-language courses to meet the increasing demand for LonWorks training and education in the burgeoning Asia Pacific marketplace. Extending the partnership between Echelon and NTT DATA to include training is an important step toward making LonWorks networks the de facto standard for building automation in Japan.
``We see an accelerated demand for LonWorks training from both our direct customers and the controls industry in general,'' said Hidehiro Takakusa, director of NTT DATA's Facility Management Business Group and head of the company's construction of building automation systems. ``By providing LonWorks training courses, NTT DATA will be able to better serve and support our customers by arming them with the technical know-how they need to operate and maintain their facility's LonWorks systems. We strongly endorse the open, interoperable philosophy behind the LonWorks platform, as it is instrumental in reducing the cost of building management. In fact, NTT DATA plans to use LonWorks networks to upgrade our own buildings as well as those of our customers.''
As an Echelon Authorized Network Integrator, NTT DATA's first LonWorks integration project will be its new training center, a 140,000 square foot, five-story building which will contain a 100% integrated LonWorks control network for facility control and management requirements. Appropriately, this new training center will serve as the location for the LonWorks courses NTT DATA plans to provide.
``Our alliance with NTT DATA is very important and we are delighted to strengthen that relationship by naming them as an authorized training partner,'' said Lawrence Chan, vice president of Echelon, Asia Pacific and Japan. ``NTT DATA's expertise will be invaluable in meeting the growing demand for LonWorks training in the Japanese market. In addition, we believe that this agreement will further solidify NTT DATA's position as one of Asia Pacific's leading network integration companies. By continuing to work together in this way, Echelon and NTT DATA are furthering the adoption of LonWorks networks as the worldwide standard for device networking across all of our markets.''
Starting in August, NTT DATA will offer their first series of LonWorks courses with plans to provide scheduled LonWorks courses on a monthly basis. More information regarding NTT Data's LonWorks course offerings and schedules can be found at nttdata.co.jp.
About Echelon Corporation
Echelon Corporation is the world leader in networking everyday devices. The company offers a comprehensive line of hardware and software products for automating building, home, industrial, transportation, and utility applications using LonWorks networks, an international, cross-industry, open standard for interoperable device networks. Echelon is Bringing the Internet to Life(TM) by linking the millions of everyday devices connected with LonWorks networks to the Internet.
Echelon is based in Sunnyvale, California with international offices in China, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Further information can be found at echelon.com.
Echelon's LonWorld2000(TM) Conference and Exhibition is designed to help end-users, integrators, service providers, and manufacturers learn how to use the LonWorks system in their business. The conference will take place on October 18-19 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida and features a series of forums, classes and presentations along with an exhibition of products and services covering the home/utility, building, industrial, and transportation markets. Sponsorship, registration and exhibition information about LonWorld2000 can be found at lonworld2000.com.
About NTT DATA Corporation
NTT DATA Corporation is the leading provider of information systems and computer networking in Japan. The main business carried out by the company for these types of systems comprises strategic planning, systems planning, systems design and installation and systems maintenance and facility management.
Although the company does not manufacture equipment itself, it develops flexible data communications systems tailored to its clients' needs by integrating computer software technology (which it develops itself or in association with third-party suppliers) with telecommunications and computer hardware purchased from a wide variety of third-party suppliers.
Echelon, LonWorks, LonMark, the LonMark logo, and the Echelon logo are trademarks of Echelon Corporation registered in the United States and other countries. LonWorld2000 and Bringing the Internet to Life are trademarks of Echelon Corporation. Other marks belong to their respective holders. |
