Dual-E Controller Most Innovative New Product Finalist

April 26, 2002, University of California, Davis

From a medical device that can create a biological sealant using a surgical patient's own blood to a mobile studio for editing and broadcasting, the innovative products developed by Capital Region firms were showcased in a contest administered by the University of California, Davis.

UC Davis CONNECT, which aids in the creation and success of local technology businesses, announced the winners of its second annual Most Innovative New Product Awards for regional companies at a Sacramento banquet April 25th.

The awards celebrate the innovation and hard work of companies in the Sacramento region. They are based primarily on the product's degree of innovation and its market potential within four categories; (1) biotechnology, life-science and medical-device, (2) hardware and physical device, (3) software and (4) telecommunications / wireless.

To be considered for an award, the product must have been first sold or introduced no earlier than April 2001 and substantially designed or manufactured within the Capital Region. A committee of nine UC Davis deans and technology experts reviewed more than 40 entries to select three finalists in the four categories. A nine-judge panel, composed of Sacramento business leaders and academic experts, selected the winner in each category.

JK microsystems Inc. of Davis was selected as a finalist in the Hardware / Physical Device category for its new Dual-E^TM embedded microcomputer. Featuring two independent Ethernet ports, the Dual-E is a unique single board computer whose cost, size and functionality are unrivaled in the industry. It can function as a bridge between separate networks, serve as a miniature firewall and router, and provide Ethernet and serial connectivity.

"These award winners, the finalists -- in fact the whole pool of nominees -- demonstrate that research-based innovation is thriving in the Sacramento region," said Nora Moore Jimenez, director of UC Davis CONNECT.

About 175 people attended the awards dinner, held at the Sacramento Hyatt. Guest speakers included Dan Kennedy, publisher of the Sacramento Business Journal, and Robert Smiley, dean of the Graduate School of Management at UC Davis.

The 2002 Most Innovative New Products Awards are supported by Weintraub Genshlea Chediak Sproul, SAIC, the Sacramento Business Journal and Anderson Solone.