ZigBee Alliance Begins Certification for Sub-1 GHz Platforms

Growing market demand drives certification, creates more choice

SAN RAMON, California, February 17, 2010 - The ZigBee(R) Alliance, a global ecosystem of companies creating wireless
solutions for use in energy management, residential, commercial and consumer
electronics applications, today announced it is now offering certification
for ZigBee platforms designed to operate in the regional sub-1 GHz unlicensed
frequencies. The move ensures original equipment manufacturers a source of
tested platforms for use in sub-1 GHz applications.

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More semiconductor manufacturers and Alliance members are seeing a
growing market for a range of ZigBee device options using the proven ZigBee
specification. The Alliance recently completed its first series of
multi-vendor interoperability tests for sub-1 GHz platforms. These platforms
will become the Golden Units against which all other platforms seeking
certification will be compared. They offer the same underlying functions and
robust capabilities as existing ZigBee Compliant Platforms operating at 2.4
GHz.

"Adding sub-1 GHz ZigBee compliant platforms meets rising market demands
for frequency choice," said Tom Herbst, engineering director at Cisco
Systems. "Having these new ZigBee platforms will give product manufacturers
more opportunities, and encouragement to use ZigBee in many inventive ways."

Atmel Corporation, Exegin Technologies and ZMDI are leading this effort
in conjunction with ZigBee Alliance's accredited test houses, National
Technical Systems, TRaC Global and TUV Rheinland.

"The sub-1 GHz platforms will give our customers more choices to create
customized ZigBee solutions," said Magnus Pedersen, marketing director of
Microcontroller Wireless Solutions at Atmel. "We expect these new ZigBee
platforms to be an important part of our growing list of ZigBee solutions."

The ZigBee specification has always supported sub-1 GHz platforms, but
offering certification of platforms built to the specification requires at
least three independent implementations for initial testing and validation.
This rigorous certification requirement ensures that Alliance members only
deliver interoperable solutions to the marketplace.

"The ZigBee Alliance is committed to offering product manufacturers with
certified interoperable solutions," said Bob Heile, chairman of the ZigBee
Alliance. "Our certification process clearly demonstrates to product
manufacturers that platforms from different vendors, operating in the same
European and U.S. sub-1 GHz frequencies, will interoperate."

ZigBee: Control your world

ZigBee is the global wireless language connecting dramatically different
devices to work together and enhance everyday life. The ZigBee Alliance is a
non-profit association of more than 340 members driving development of ZigBee
wireless technology. The Alliance promotes world-wide adoption of ZigBee as
the leading wirelessly networked, sensing and control standard for use in
consumer electronic, energy, home, commercial and industrial areas. For more
information, visit: www.ZigBee.org.

Kevin Schader of ZigBee Alliance, +1-925-275-6672, kschader at inventures.com, or Earlene Tang of GolinHarris, +1-714-918-8215, etang at golinharris.com, for ZigBee Alliance