AFCO Systems Selected by Federal Government to Develop Embedded Systems for Security

Farmingdale, NY (PRWEB) April 22, 2008 -- AFCO Systems today announced that the company's software engineering group, AFCO Systems Development (ASD), was awarded three individual embedded systems development contracts from the Federal Government totaling $3 million. The contracts were awarded for development of stronger cyber security systems for government computers.

"ASD is proud of these contract wins which represent our success in extending the company's core business of providing advanced datacenter power and cooling systems," said Godfrey Vassallo, Chief Technology Officer. "Our ASD team is able to provide embedded systems design, development and manufacturing that is necessary for industry and government."

The first contract was awarded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the central research and development organization for the United States Department of Defense. The second contract was awarded by the Department of Homeland Security, and the third by the Office of the Secretary of Defense through the United States Air Force (USAF).

The first two contracts concern providing hardware-assisted cyber security, designed to protect a host computer from harmful malware attacks. The second contract expands on this fundamental functionality in order to protect national software and data assets.

The third contract involves porting a capability-based secure operating system, Coyotos, to an embedded platform. A "capability-based operating system" provides a fortified computing environment which, unlike traditional operating systems, maintains a tighter control over system interactions. It is envisioned that future embedded platforms will be "hardened" through the use of Coyotos.

The ASD development team includes Dr. Sean Smith, a trusted computing platform expert, Dr. Jonathan Shapiro, an operating system and processor design expert and Greg Hoglund, a world-renowned malware expert.

AFCO Systems Development has provided embedded systems for medical, government and industry. For the medical industry, ASD is the design and manufacturing agent for a major MRI manufacturer. Additionally, it provides hardware analysis and firmware development support to a surgical instrument manufacturer that builds radiofrequency (RF) knives, which use electromagnetic energy to make incisions.

For the IT industry, ASD has architected, designed, developed and deployed a datacenter environmental control system that employs network appliances and a sensor network. These appliances were designed by ASD and utilize the latest microcontroller technology to deliver a cost-effective solution to its customer.

About AFCO Systems

AFCO Systems, a global leader in the design and manufacture of advanced enclosure technology for mission-critical datacenter environments, has the world's largest installed base of active, air-cooled, high-density (5-8 kW) and extreme high-density (up to 20 kW) server and network cabinets. AFCO Systems' enhanced airflow management technology provides reliable, efficient rack cooling in accordance with ASHRAE standards. The company is headquartered in Farmingdale, NY, and has a global presence with operations in North America, Ireland, London, Singapore and Tokyo. For more information, visit http://www.AFCOSystems.com or call 631-249-9441.

Media contacts:

Rich Mullikin

Communication Strategy Group for AFCO Systems

rmullikin @ gocsg.com

www.gocsg.com

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