IPSO Alliance Continues to Build Steady Momentum

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Aug. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- The IPSO Alliance, the organization defining the "Internet of Things," today announced the University of California, Berkeley, Sensor and Actuator Center (BSAC) as its newest contributor member. This latest addition underscores the rising momentum in the industry to employ Internet Protocol (IP) for smart object communications.

The BSAC is the Graduated National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for Microsensors and Microactuators that helped launch the field of sensor-based computing known as "smart dust". The purpose of "smart dust" is to demonstrate that a total sensor, computing, and communication system can be integrated into a cubic millimeter package yielding revolutionary advances in miniaturization, integration and energy management.

"BSAC is itself a consortium, representing nearly forty technology-leveraged companies and institutes," explains John Huggins, executive director. "Our membership represents the full spectrum of positions relative to standards and technology approaches, from proprietary to open standards." He added, "Consequently we do not speak for our membership on particulars of these standards or technologies, but we do embrace and evangelize open innovation, with all our fundamental research conducted in the light of day, shared and published broadly. We strongly support the efforts of the industry to rapidly commercialize important technologies. IPSO is dedicated to fostering significant and broad commercialization of game-changing technologies that continue to be areas of significant BSAC research."

"Smart-object technology has lately begun to show its true potential, with the spread of broadband and wireless networks, along with advances in micro-sensor equipment that can digitize any sort of measured data," said Geoff Mulligan, IPSO's chairman. "BSAC's 'smart dust' concept based on IP will create a new demand for useful knowledge that will lead to exciting advances in energy conservation, health care, national security and countless other facets of our world."

About BSAC

BSAC includes a multi-disciplinary research team of 160 graduate students and post-doctoral researchers led by 13 BSAC Co-Directors from the engineering faculties of electrical, mechanical, and bioengineering at UC Berkeley and UC Davis.  BSAC Directors oversee nearly 130 projects with cooperation, collaboration, and guidance of 37 industrial member companies and government laboratories and 8 additional Affiliated Faculty from UC Berkeley and Davis. BSAC utilizes research laboratories throughout the engineering campuses at UC Berkeley and UC Davis, including intensive use of the UC Berkeley micro fabrication facility (Marvell Nanolab).

http://www-bsac.eecs.berkeley.edu

About IPSO Alliance

The IPSO Alliance is the primary advocate for IP networked devices for use in energy, consumer, healthcare and industrial applications.  The IPSO Alliance is a non-profit association of more than 50 members from leading technology, communications and energy companies. The Alliance's mission is to enable the foundation for a network that will allow any sensor-enabled physical object to communicate to another, just as individuals do over the Internet. Membership is open to any organization supporting an IP-based approach to connecting smart objects. For more information, visit www.ipso-alliance.org.

SOURCE IPSO Alliance