CALABASAS, Calif., – April 26, 2004 – Strix Systems announced today the March winner of its Ethernet Unfriendly Building Contest. The Science Place, a museum in Dallas, Texas, was awarded a free Strix Access/One Network. The location was submitted by Preferred Computer Systems, a nationally recognized Dallas-based solutions provider who develops and implements turnkey technology solutions for their customers.

"We are seeing a significant number of entries into our Ethernet Unfriendly Building Contest for locations that are difficult, expensive, or impossible to wire," said Bob Jordan, vice president of marketing for Strix. "It was difficult to select a winner for the month of March, but The Science Place was the perfect fit. The size of the facility and concrete construction made deploying a wired LAN nearly impossible."

Opened in 1946, The Science Place is one of the most compelling and unique museums in the southwest United States. It offers three areas of specialization – exhibit halls, a planetarium, and an IMAX® Theater – in addition to the oldest science preschool in the southwest.

"In addition to wanting to provide network access for a number of administrative offices throughout the facility, The Science Place has some interesting plans going forward," said Joseph Harris of Preferred Computer Systems. "They often have exhibits that require computer displays, and are even considering a PDA-based solution to provide exhibit information. The Access/One Network is the first solution we’ve found that can meet current and future requirements in this difficult to wire environment."

Up to 20 Access/One Network nodes will be installed in The Science Place by Preferred Computer Systems. Solid concrete construction and large coverage areas means a wired network was just not feasible for the entire location. The Access/One Network nodes will provide coverage in exhibit areas where The Science Place assumed it would never be able to deliver network access.

The Access/One Network will also provide network access for administrative employees located in areas where it is not feasible to install sufficient wired network access. Plans existed to deploy expensive fiber runs to bring LAN connectivity to those areas, but the Strix solution removed that need. Using the Strix mesh networking architecture, Access/One nodes will be deployed wirelessly, eliminating the requirement of most wireless LAN solutions to run Ethernet to each node. Power outlets are readily available in The Science Place, so to deliver LAN access Preferred Computer Systems will only need to plug in the nodes to create a self-tuning and self-healing wireless network.

One More Month of Contest
The "Ethernet Un-Friendly Buildings" contest is a three-month event that awards enterprise-class wireless networks each month to organizations whose locations defy conventional Ethernet cabling. Value Added Resellers (VARs) nominate their customers, or customers can enter themselves directly, through the Strix Systems’ Web site. Each nomination details why the customer’s environment is the least hospitable to structured wiring installation. The winner for the month of February was a prison in San Antonio. The contest will continue through April, with a final system being awarded at the end of the month.

Strix Systems Products
The Strix Systems Access/One Network represents the next generation of wireless LAN products, leaping past the traditional access point and emerging switch architecture to mesh; a self-discovering, self-configuring, self-tuning and self-healing wireless network incorporating robust security and comprehensive management within a single wireless network. The Access/One Network consists of various modules, designed to stack on top of one another to form a network node. Multiple network nodes discover and connect to each other through a mesh topology to form a unique wireless system for each organization. The Access/One Network can be configured and managed via Manager/One, a comprehensive management platform that allows IT administrators to control all key elements of their wireless network.

About Preferred Computer Systems
Preferred Computer Systems (PCS) is a leading network technology service provider. Based in Dallas, Texas, PCS is a leader in technologies such as wireless, security, VOIP and LAN / WAN Infrastructure. Furthermore, as a leading member of the Venturetech Network, PCS can provide national services and installations throughout the United States. For more information on Preferred Computer Systems, please call 877-727-8431 or go to www.preferredcomputers.com.

About Strix Systems
Strix Systems designs, develops and markets wireless network systems that enhance productivity and efficiency by providing employees with instant information via continuous, secure connections to company networks. Based in Calabasas, California, the company has developed an extensive portfolio of patent-pending technologies. For more information about Strix Systems, please visit www.strixsystems.com.