IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 30, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Lantronix, Inc. (Nasdaq:LTRX) today announced the ground-breaking XPort(r) Direct(tm), an embedded networking device gateway module and the latest offering in the Lantronix award-winning XPort family. The XPort Direct embedded device gateway is a complete, miniaturized communications subsystem targeted at applications that need to move commands, status and information over IP networks or the Internet, to or from remote devices. The XPort Direct breaks through existing market barriers, bringing Ethernet and Internet connectivity to new high-volume, cost-sensitive applications in commercial and consumer markets.
"XPort Direct is a result of the company's experience as the leading volume supplier of device servers, shipping millions of units to the world's most innovative original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and integrators," said Marc Nussbaum, CEO of Lantronix. "Our introduction of the original XPort embedded device server (and its sister product the wireless 802.11 WiPort(tm)) broke performance and price barriers, driving a new era of M2M (Machine to Machine) growth and becoming the de-facto industry standard for embedded networking solutions."
Nussbaum continued, "By breaking the $20 price barrier with the launch of the XPort Direct 'device gateway,' Lantronix is introducing a new class of embedded communications module to the industry. Designed to address new, incremental applications requiring less functionality than the original XPort device server, XPort Direct provides remote connectivity over the Internet to potentially millions of electronic devices."
The XPort Direct is a component that is mounted onto a device manufacturer's printed circuit board, enabling 'drop-in' network connectivity. This allows OEMs to differentiate their products by delivering a wide range of capabilities such as remote diagnostics, monitoring, maintenance and control. Building upon the ease of use found in the award-winning XPort product family, XPort Direct can be quickly integrated into existing or new products with minimal hardware and software engineering investment, a critical factor for most designers.
"With XPort Direct, Lantronix has addressed a critical market need and provided a solution that contains all the required technology at an ideal price point," said Glen Allmendinger, president of Harbor Research. "This really opens a new chapter for M2M and creates a whole new realm of applications for a whole new class of products and devices. The ability to remotely monitor and control equipment over the Web now really becomes everyone's technology -- ushering in the next wave of M2M adoption."
The XPort Direct reduces the cost of connecting remote devices and is ideal for products requiring access to critical time-sensitive information such as temperature conditions, inventory updates and machine status. Applications include home automation, entertainment systems, home security, appliances, POS (point-of-sale) terminals, vending machines, industrial refrigeration, commercial lighting and audio/visual equipment.
"In high-volume, lower cost markets, the cost of M2M hardware has slowed some OEMs' adoption of remote product service (RPS) solutions. The XPort Direct represents a step towards removing this obstacle," said Mark Vigoroso, chief research officer of Aberdeen Group. "RPS solutions have been tied to such gains as 20% increase in service revenues, 23% increase in asset uptime and 38% increase in customer retention."
XPort Direct is currently available worldwide through Lantronix channel and other sales partners. XPort Direct will be available at prices below $20* to qualified, high-volume customers and at slightly higher prices for volumes under 20,000 units annually. For more information, please visit: www.lantronix.com.
About Lantronix
Lantronix, Inc. (Nasdaq:LTRX) develops hardware and software solutions to help businesses and government agencies remotely access and manage network infrastructure equipment and rapidly network-enable their physical electronic devices. With nearly two decades of networking experience, the company is a leader in secure, remote device and data center management. With a family of products ranging from embedded device servers, to external box device servers to data center management, Lantronix is a one-stop shop for technologists who design, manage and configure servers, electronic devices and network infrastructure equipment. The company's worldwide headquarters are located in Irvine, Calif. For more information, visit www.lantronix.com.
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* Price is in USD, excludes shipping and taxes, and is for minimum order of 20,000 units.
Lantronix and XPort are registered trademarks. Direct and WiPort are trademarks of Lantronix, Inc. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.