NetBotz Announces WallBotz 500 Physical Security Appliance

First To Feature Expandable Design, Surveillance Level Camera, SSL Protected Data Transmission And Wireless Connectivity

AUSTIN, Texas – April 28, 2003 – NetBotz, Inc., the leading global provider of IP-based physical security solutions, today announced the WallBotz 500, the newest addition to its award-winning line of “Sentry”appliances, an emerging new breed of products that protects an organization’s assets from physical threats. A surveillance-grade camera, a modular architecture that features snap off sensors for greater threat protection flexibility, secure SSL transmission of sensitive security data and wireless connectivity are among the inventive features of the WallBotz 500. In addition, the modular design makes it easy for NetBotz to broaden its threat protection capabilities by partnering with developers of “homeland security” sensors, such as those that detect nuclear, biological and/or chemical agents.

The company also announced the latest version of NetBotz Central 2.0, which gives users a centralized way to deploy, configure and manage hundreds of appliances throughout an organization. Redundancy, greater storage of physical threat data, and “hot standby capability” mean users have fail safe, fast and secure access to their enterprise-wide physical security information.

WallBotz 500 Beta customer Tom Brenneman, Director, Information Services at the University of Missouri, Kansas City says the newest NetBotz Sentry appliance “works flawlessly. The architectural flexibility of the appliance means I can monitor more spaces, such as the rows between servers, while the high resolution means I’ll get superb visual data. In addition, the ability to store images on the new centralized management platform is a big plus.”

Since 1999, NetBotz has affordably secured the critical assets of leading commercial, government and academic institutions. Today, NetBotz physical security appliances, which run on existing IP networks, protect more than 2,000 customers from physical threats that can jeopardize their hard and soft assets, critical locations and infrastructure. These small appliances, with their onboard as well as add-on environmental sensors and integrated cameras, actively protect the physical environment in which assets reside. Detecting trouble, from motion events such as intrusion to extreme temperatures and inadequate airflow, the appliance immediately alerts users of impending problems. This early warning provides the necessary information organizations need to react quickly to preempt problems.

The WallBotz 500
A new approach to physical security protection, the wireless-capable WallBotz 500 features innovative technology that corresponds to customers escalating needs for increased surveillance capabilities and greater deployment flexibility. In addition to its modular design, in which cameras and environmental sensors are housed in detachable pods, the WallBotz 500 color camera is surveillance-class with high resolution and frame rates that rival movie clips. Among its chief features:

A Modular Design enables organizations to use WallBotz 500 appliances in more ways and in more places. This flexible configuration approach means the appliance can be configured in several ways: either as a self-contained appliance (base station) housing camera and environmental sensors; or, by detaching the pods from the base station, become a manager for multiple camera and sensors pods distributed across an office area, a datacenter, a supply or telecom closet, a room or a factory floor. Pods are connected to the base station via USB (Universal Serial Bus). A single WallBotz 500 base station can host up to four camera pods or 17 sensor pods.

A World-Class Color Camera, ideal for security conscious organizations that need high levels of visual monitoring and alerting, provides up to 1280×1024 resolution. Frame rates can go as high as 30 frames per second. The WallBotz 500 includes NetBotz’ ingenious motion sensing software, giving users the ability to know immediately if any motion event (intrusion, for example) is occurring. In addition, users can pan across an image area for a fuller view of the area under monitoring.

A Powerful Base Station, which houses the processor, memory, I/O, Linux OS and network connections-including support for wireless Ethernet (802.11x) -features a more powerful version of NetBotz software, BotzWare 2.0. This software takes full advantage of the appliance’s sophisticated physical security capabilities, such as providing users more granular threshold type settings-for example, the ability to monitor the rate of increase of a temperature change.

In addition, BotzWare 2.0 provides SSL Connectivity to and from the WallBotz 500, which makes the appliance the first ever to provide secure transmission of information-whether visual data or environmental information. Other surveillance cameras simply can not do this, which means the information they transmit can be intercepted by hackers or sniffers.

General availability for the WallBotz 500 is May 16, 2003.

For more information about the WallBotz 500, go to
http://www.netbotz.com/company/library/wallbotz500datasheet.pdf

NetBotz Central 2.0
NetBotz Central 2.0 provides an efficient, productive way for organizations to manage their company-wide NetBotz appliance implementation. By providing a centralized way to mass configure, deploy and view data collected by NetBotz monitoring appliances, NetBotz Central creates a physical security network that spans the organization across offices, regions, borders and boundaries.

The latest version of NetBotz Central offers users several major enhancements that together mean more powerful management capabilities and a more fail safe approach to managing and protecting physical threat data. Chief among the new features:

Shared Database Support for Oracle, Microsoft SQL and MySQL databases means that NetBotz Central 2.0 servers can share data stored on an external database. So, depending on authorizations, customers can view and manage data on a central database from any number of NetBotz Central appliances deployed within an organization. For example, users authorized to view a particular NetBotz Central appliance can also view sensor readings, historic alerts, graphs and configuration settings “owned” by other NetBotz Central appliances within the organization.

In addition, because of the shared database support, organizations are protected if one NetBotz Central “fails.” This high availability means that any WallBotz 500 under the management of NetBotz Central “A” can automatically be managed by NetBotz Central “B” in the event that NetBotz Central “A” fails.

NetBotz Central 2.0 will be available May 30, 2003.

For more information about NetBotz Central 2.0, WallBotz 500 or other components of the NetBotz Intelligent Physical Security Solution, visit www.netbotz.com.

About NetBotz (www.netbotz.com)
NetBotz, Inc. is the leading global provider of IP-based intelligent physical security solutions. Some 2,000 organizations use the NetBotz solution, which prevents business and financial losses attributed to network downtime by providing early warning of conditions that threaten the integrity of a company’s data, technical and equipment assets. NetBotz markets its solution through a network of distributors, solution partners and accredited resellers. Based in Austin, Texas, NetBotz is a privately held company with funding from QuestMark Partners, SSM Venture Partners, CenterPoint Ventures, Osprey Ventures, and Hill Partners. NetBotz has received the Best in Show Award in the Network Management Category at NetWorld+Interop and is a recipient of KPMG’s Start-up Standout Award.