Kontron UL approved

Until today, UL certificates that are primarily accepted in the US and Canada as well as in other parts of the world were mainly available for systems. Now, with the implementation of UL certification for Computer-On-Modules (COMs), Kontron has reached a new milestone in quality management and now provides OEMs with significantly more security in the selection of appropriate COMs and considerably simplifying the procedure for its own UL certification. Kontron has obtained the UL certificate (UL 60950-1:2003 First Edition and CSA C22.2 No. 60950-1-03 First Edition from April 1, 2003) in a large-scale validation process for all COMs with the ETX® and ETX 3.0, ETXexpress(TM)/COM Express, microETXexpress(TM), DIMM-PC®, and X-board standards. According to research carried out by the company, Kontron is the first provider to UL-certify its COMs. By doing so, Kontron has once again confirmed its leadership position in the COM market and reinforced a high level of customer orientation. This in part has lead to Kontron receiving the Platinum Vendor award in the category "Embedded Boards" at the 2004-2005 Board Vendor Awards presented by market research firm Venture Development Corporation (VDC). UL certification of Kontron COM products is especially attractive for OEMs offering solutions in Canada and the US because, apart from the EN60950 certificate that Kontron has long held, the UL certificate is the absolute seal of quality for the US and Canada and is mandatory for systems that want to be shipped and be sold overseas. Component suppliers that can present the certificate to an OEM ensure that the components will not be the sticking point when the OEM put it own product through the certification process. Therefore, faced with choosing between similar products, selecting the product with the UL certificate is the logical outcome. Besides this selling point, the high quality standard of its products is a significant reason for Kontron to obtain independent confirmation: "Not all COM providers would pass the test without objections," stated Dirk Finstel, CEO Sales & Marketing at Kontron Embedded Modules. "Apart from high technological standards, solid work isdecisive for the long-term success of a provider of embedded computer technology."