News

Echelon Announces Formation of User Group to Increase Adoption of LonWorks Device Networking in Spain (16/8/2004)

Echelon Corporation (Nasdaq:ELON), the creator of the LonWorks(R) device networking platform for networking everyday devices to each other and the Internet, today announced the expansion of European support for the LonWorks platform with the founding of the LonUsers(R) Espana user group, the 14th LonUsers group in Europe. A LonUsers group is a country based organization typically comprised of manufacturers, end-users, consultants and integrators using the LonWorks device networking platform. The new group intends to accelerate the adoption of the LonWorks platform in the Spanish home and building automation markets through education and market programs with institutional, trade, educational and commercial organizations. Additionally, the group will serve as a marketing and training resource for manufacturers, end-users, and integrators new to LonWorks networking. LonUsers Espana joins existing groups from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom that have a collective membership of over 600 companies.

"Home automation is currently the primary market for the LonWorks device networking platform in Spain -- giving our group a more consumer oriented emphasis than those of our sister LonUsers groups in Europe," said Arturo Garcia, LonUsers Espana's president. "Three of our founding members -- Simon, BJC and Isde -- have extensive channels that directly reach the end-user market. We believe that this will allow us to make the LonWorks platform the de facto home automation standard in Spain, and ultimately the building automation standard as well."

"We're very pleased that some companies in Spain that have adopted the LonWorks device networking platform have already established a strong market presence in the home automation industry," said Mark Ossel, Echelon's vice president of Europe, Africa and the Middle East. "It is our belief that by formally establishing a user group devoted to sharing information, driving standard use of the platform, and educating end-users, the Spanish home automation market will grow dramatically and the commercial building market for LonWorks device networks will be quickly established and expanded."

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