Symmetricom Announces New GPS Timing Instrument for Power and Utility

Symmetricom Announces New GPS Timing Instrument for Power and Utility Industry

    Business Editors/High-Tech Editors
    DistribuTECH Conference & Exhibition

    SAN JOSE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 25, 2005--

Low-cost, high performance XL-750 GPS Time Source identifies Symmetricom as premier time and frequency vendor for power utilities industry
    Symmetricom (NASDAQ:SYMM), a leading worldwide supplier of network synchronization and timing solutions and atomic clocks, today introduced the XL-750 GPS Time Source, a highly accurate, versatile GPS timing instrument for power industry substation and utility companies. The XL-750 will be demonstrated at the DistribuTECH Conference & Exhibition, January 25-27, 2005 at the San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA, Booth #1544 & 1546.
    Power companies and utilities have fundamental requirements for time and frequency to support their core functions of electricity generation, transmission and distribution. The blackout of August 2003 demonstrated the need for improved time synchronization throughout the power grid. Analysis of the blackout generated strong recommendations by the North American Reliability Council (NERC) to place GPS based time synchronization devices in power plants and substations and to upgrade existing recorders to include GPS time synchronization. NERC's analysis of the blackout increased the awareness for GPS time synchronization in the power sector.
    "The unique low-cost, high performance XL-750 clearly identifies Symmetricom as the premier vendor for time and frequency solutions in the power/utilities market," commented Ron Holm, product marketing manager for Symmetricom. "When selecting a GPS timing solution, customers will see the enormous value in the XL-750's suite of features and functions that support many power industry applications."
    The XL-750 GPS Time Source synchronizes SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition Systems) RTU's (Remote Terminal Units), protection relays and power/tariff meters and related equipment in harsh substation environments. The XL-750 provides accurate, GPS referenced timing signals that feature high electrical isolation to insure reliable operation.
    "Precise time and frequency synchronization is critical to the operation and maintenance of electric power systems including generation, transmission and distribution," commented Ken Martin, principal engineer at The Bonneville Power Administration. "It is essential to service restoration as well as system analysis following any significant system disturbance including the blackouts of August 1996 and August 2003. Bonneville Power has used equipment from several different Symmetricom product lines for a number of years and has been very satisfied with their performance."

    Availability

    The XL-750 GPS Time Source will be available in March 2005. For more information on locating Symmetricom at DistribuTECH, visit http://dt05.events.pennnet.com/.

    About Symmetricom's Timing, Test and Measurement Division

    Symmetricom's Timing, Test and Measurement Division designs and manufactures products for industries as diverse as aerospace, defense, government, utilities, research centers, telecom, metrology and enterprise networking. Specialized products include hydrogen, cesium and rubidium standards; quartz oscillators; time and frequency generators, receivers, and other GPS related instrumentation; bus level time and frequency processor modules; and network time servers. Symmetricom's Timing, Test and Measurement Division was created as a result of the company's merger with Datum and TrueTime in 2002. The division is based in Santa Rosa, California with design and manufacturing facilities in Beverly, MA and Tuscaloosa, AL. For more information, visit www.symmttm.com.

    About Symmetricom, Inc.

    Symmetricom is the leading worldwide supplier of network synchronization and timing solutions and atomic clocks. The company designs, manufactures, markets and provides services for products used in wireline and wireless network synchronization; space, defense and avionics systems; enterprise networks; as well as G.shdsl-based broadband networks in telecom, government and enterprise markets. Symmetricom is based in San Jose, Calif., with offices worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.symmetricom.com.

    All trademarks recognized.

--30--MA/bo*

CONTACT: Symmetricom Jeanne Hopkins, 978-232-1487 jhopkins@symmetricom.com or BroadPR Raychel Marcotte, 617-645-6022 raychel@broadpr.com

KEYWORD: MASSACHUSETTS TRACK INDUSTRY KEYWORD: HARDWARE AEROSPACE/DEFENSE GOVERNMENT TELECOMMUNICATIONS ENERGY TRADESHOW PRODUCT SOURCE: Symmetricom

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