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OpenVPX Industry Working Group Announces Call for Participation

Posted on: Thursday, 5 March 2009, 09:35 CST

Steering Committee members open participation in the Technical Working Group, effective immediately

CHELMSFORD, Mass., March 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The OpenVPX Industry Working Group (www.mc.com/OpenVPX), an alliance of leading-edge defense prime contractors and embedded computing systems suppliers, announced it has opened membership to its Technical Working Group, effectively immediately.

The OpenVPX Industry Working Group was recently launched to take a proactive approach in addressing the VPX system-level interoperability issues associated with the VPX (VITA 46) family of specifications. At its inaugural meeting held in Dallas, Texas last week, members of the anticipated Steering Committee, which is in the final stage of formation, set forth guidelines for the OpenVPX Industry Working Group's organizational structure, policies, and development of a system specification with a completion goal of October 2009. The recommendations were submitted to meeting participants on day two of the assembly.

Effective today, any COTS defense contractor or embedded computing supplier that is in good standing with the VITA Standards Organization (VSO), and is committed to the OpenVPX Industry Working Group's mission and aggressive schedule for completion of a system specification, is invited to apply for membership to the Technical Working Group.

"The overwhelming response to this initiative exceeded our expectations, and we're delighted to open enrollment to the Technical Working Group," said Ian Dunn, CTO, Mercury Computer Systems.

Mercury is taking the lead in forming the OpenVPX Industry Working Group to address prevalent VPX interoperability issues; and following a precedent set by VITA and other organizations, began the legwork with a concentrated circle of effort in order to bring a viable solution to market in a timely manner. With the strong interest in the OpenVPX initiative from defense contractors and embedded computing systems suppliers, the circle of expertise is expected to expand, and the results of the Technical Working Group's efforts are expected to be presented to the VSO for ratification before year's end.

"The Boeing Company supports the OpenVPX initiative as part of our ongoing efforts to work with the industry to develop standards that promote the interoperability of systems and assemblies," said Jim Robles, Boeing Senior Technical Fellow. "We welcome the opportunity to work with LSIs and vendors of VPX products in this effort."

Once the OpenVPX system specification is transitioned into VITA, the Working Group will disband.

"GE Fanuc has long been committed to the VPX architecture and to its potential to revolutionize military embedded computing, and we very much welcome this initiative that will lower the risk of adoption of VPX systems, expand the market and accelerate deployment," said Jim Berlin, CTO, Embedded Systems, GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms. "We're looking forward to building on the charter set at our first meeting, and moving ahead to complete a system specification in order to provide the necessary top-down, system-level design guidance."

The OpenVPX Technical Working Group F2F meeting is scheduled for March 16-17 in Orlando, Florida prior to the VSO quarterly meeting scheduled for the following day. To apply for membership to the Technical Working Group and/or to participate in the March meeting, please visit www.mc.com/OpenVPX. For more information on the OpenVPX Industry Working Group, visit www.mc.com/OpenVPX, or contact Bob Grochmal at (978) 967-1518 or at rgrochma@mc.com. For more information on the VITA Standards Organization, visit www.vita.com.

Mercury Computer Systems, Inc., OpenVPX Industry Working Group Steward

Mercury Computer Systems (www.mc.com, NASDAQ: MRCY) provides embedded computing systems and software that combine image, signal, and sensor processing with information management for data-intensive applications. With deep expertise in optimizing algorithms and software and in leveraging industry-standard technologies, we work closely with customers to architect comprehensive, purpose-built solutions that capture, process, and present data for defense electronics, homeland security, and other computationally challenging commercial markets. Our dedication to performance excellence and collaborative innovation continues a 25-year history in enabling customers to gain the competitive advantage they need to stay at the forefront of the markets they serve.

Mercury is based in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, and serves customers worldwide through a broad network of direct sales offices, subsidiaries, and distributors.

Forward-Looking Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including those relating to the OpenVPX Industry Working Group. You can identify these statements by our use of the words "may," "will," "should," "plans," "expects," "anticipates," "continue," "estimate," "project," "intend," and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or anticipated. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, general economic and business conditions, including unforeseen weakness in the Company's markets, effects of continued geo-political unrest and regional conflicts, competition, changes in technology and methods of marketing, delays in completing engineering and manufacturing programs, changes in customer order patterns, changes in product mix, continued success in technological advances and delivering technological innovations, continued funding of defense programs, the timing of such funding, changes in the U.S. Government's interpretation of federal procurement rules and regulations, market acceptance of the Company's products, shortages in components, production delays due to performance quality issues with outsourced components, inability to fully realize the expected benefits from acquisitions or delays in realizing such benefits, challenges in integrating acquired businesses and achieving anticipated synergies, and difficulties in retaining key customers. These risks and uncertainties also include such additional risk factors as are discussed in the Company's recent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2008. The Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made.

Contact: Kathleen Sniezek, Public Relations Manager Mercury Computer Systems, Inc. 978-967-1126 / ksniezek@mc.com

OpenVPX is a trademark of Mercury Computer Systems, Inc. Other product and company names mentioned may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

SOURCE Mercury Computer Systems, Inc.

Source: PR Newswire

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