ZenSys receives investment from Cisco Systems!

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Upper Saddle River, NJ--(COCOONTECH)--January 5, 2006 – Zensys, the developer of the Z-Wave wireless mesh networking technology for home control, announced today that it has received a strategic investment from Cisco Systems, Inc., the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. Z-Wave is a fully-developed, low-cost, interoperable RF-based mesh networking technology that is currently available in hundreds of wireless home control and automation products.

“Cisco is making a strategic investment in Zensys based on the interoperability, reliability and low-cost of the Z-Wave technology, which we hope to integrate into our product lines,†said Malachy Moynihan, VP of Engineering and Product Marketing for Linksys, a Division of Cisco Systems, Inc. “We see the digital home market as the next great frontier and working with Z-Wave can provide us the flexibility to expand our home control technology offerings to our customers.â€

Zensys will use a portion of the investment to accelerate development efforts with Cisco’s Linksys division to drive the integration of Z-Wave technology into popular Linksys products for the Connected Home. Additionally, Zensys will use the investment to advance the growth of the digital home market. Through the Z-Wave Alliance, Z-Wave has already garnered the support of more than 125 partners including industry giants Danfoss, Intermatic, Leviton, Logitech, Monster, Wayne Dalton and UEI Inc.

“Each day brings us closer to realizing our vision for the connected home, and today is an especially important milestone,†said Per Nathanaelson, Zensys’ President and CEO. “Cisco’s strategic investment in our company is a validation of the Z-Wave technology and will help us bring reliable and affordable home control solutions to the mass market.â€

About Zensys - Zensys is a provider of wireless networking technology for control and status reading applications and the developer of Z-Wave, a low-cost, two-way, wireless mesh network communications technology that enables consumers to monitor and manage their lighting, security systems and other home controls easily, conveniently and securely from anywhere in the world. For more information about Zensys and Z-Wave, visit www.zen-sys.com or www.z-wavealliance.com
 
I think it is a little too late. Intel invested in Zensys and it did not go anywhere. It would be nice to have wifi or wired ethernet hubs that support ZWave. I just think the timing of those devices should have been last year. The Zigbee consortium will steamroll ZWave this year.

Tom
 
i don't think this is a big deal. i've lived & worked in silicon valley for the past 14 years and have seen cisco sprinkle money around to many, many companies that may have technologies of interest to them. i've worked at a few startups that have gotten funding from cisco and in the end sometimes cisco decided it wasn't interested in the product anymore. the amount invested may not even be very significant since zensys declined to say how much the 'strategic investment' was for (press opp?). it may have only been $500k, which is pocket lint for a company that routinely makes investments in the tens of millions.
 
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