KONTRON NOMINATED BY EDN MAGAZINE IN ITS 16th ANNUAL INNOVATION OF THE YEAR AWARDS COMPETITON

ETXexpress-PM Selected as "Embedded System" Finalist

FREMONT, CA -- February 2, 2006 -- Kontron, a leading embedded computer technology company, today announced that the ETXexpress-PM Computer-On-Module (COM) has been selected from a field of hundreds as a finalists for this year´s EDN Innovation Awards. The Kontron ETXexpress-PM module is the first COM Express compliant product to bring PCI Express bus technology to small form factor COMs and is a finalist in the "Embedded Systems" category of the contests 17 possible categories that also include Innovator of the Year and Best Contributed Article. Instituted in 1990, the Innovation Awards honors the people and technologies that have shaped the semiconductor industry over the past year.

Kontron initiated what would become the COM Express movement in mid-2003 and headed the working group that was formed in January 2004 under the auspices of the PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group (PICMG) to develop of the official COM Express specification.

Kontron ETXexpress products (the ETXexpress-PM is the first in the family) are the next generation embedded modules that bring advanced technology to tomorrows applications. Built around serial differential signaling technologies, ETXexpress modules incorporate interfaces for PCI Express (4x1, 1x16), Serial ATA, USB 2.0, LVDS, Serial DVO and much more into a 95 x 125 mm small form factor embedded module. Kontron ETXexpress modules provide the highest available performance on the smallest state of the art embedded modules. Additionally, by following the modular concept for embedded design, ETXexpress modules safeguard R&D investments and lower total cost of ownership.

"The advancements that distinguish the finalists in the annual EDN Innovation program may seem subtle - minimally lower power, a light reduction in cost, the ability to discern a faster signal, or the gateway to new semiconductor processes," states EDN Editor-in-Chief Maury Wright. "Yet those subtleties represent hard-won engineering victories that make all the difference in the latest compelling consumer products, computers, and communication systems. I congratulate all of this year´s finalists for advancing the state-of-the-art in everything from discrete components to processors to chip-design tools."

Beginning today and running through February 28, EDN invites the world wide audience of electronics engineers and engineering managers within the embedded computing technology community to review each of the finalists and cast their votes online at to select the ultimate winners. EDN´s editorial staff and Editorial Advisory Board also take part in determining the final winners. Winners will be announced at the 16th annual awards ceremony on April 3, 2006 in San Jose, California, during the Embedded Systems Conference - Silicon Valley.

About Kontron:
A global leader in embedded computer technology and mobile rugged solutions, Kontron supplies a diversified customer base of OEMs, system integrators and application providers in the automation, test and measurement, telecom, oil and gas, public safety, medical, military, aerospace, gaming and entertainment, and energy markets. The company helps its customers to considerably reduce their time-to-market and to gain a competitive advantage with products including high-performance open computer platforms and systems, single board computers, human-machine interfaces and mobile rugged computers. Kontron employs more than 2,300 people worldwide and has manufacturing facilities in Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific. The company is listed on the German TecDAX 30 stock exchange under the symbol "KBC". Kontron is a Premier member in the Intel® Communications Alliance. For additional information on Kontron, please visit .

Editor Contacts:
Americas
Christine Howe
Product Marketing Manager
Kontron America

- Silicon Valley
510.438.7250
christine.howe@kontron.com

EMEA
Zeljko Loncaric
Product Marketing Manager
Kontron - Deggendorf, Germany
+49(991)37024-647
zeljko.loncaric@kontron.com