eGasStation Solution From Sun Microsystems and Cyberonix Made Available To Help Drive Increased Revenue and Operational Efficiencies
Equiva Services to Pilot eGasStation Solution to Help Link Disparate Systems;
Deliver Support of New E-Business Processes
LAS VEGAS, Sun Microsystems Booth # 5040 at National Association of
Convenience Stores (NACS), Oct. 22 --
Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNW) and Cyberonix today announced the
availability of the eGasStation, an iForce(SM) solution, designed to help
service stations reduce total cost of ownership (TCO) while helping to improve
revenue and operational efficiencies. Based on Java(TM) technology, and
integrated with the SAP R/3 ERP application to provide real-time input, the
eGasStation solution can help retail petroleum and convenience store
industries connect disparate and legacy systems, offer new Web-based services
to their customers, suppliers and employees, and reduce the complexity of
their IT environment.
"Globally, there are more than 300,000 gas stations and 800,000
convenience stores, each containing an average of 25 discrete devices that do
not work together and are not connected back to central offices," said Nick
Weston, Manager of Energy Industries for Sun in Energy, Sun Microsystems, Inc.
"With eGasStation, companies can easily connect these devices to the Web using
standards-based technologies such as Java programming language, for real-time
download of data and remote access for diagnostics and maintenance. This
connectivity and cross-merchandising oppervices, marketing services arm for Shell and Texaco brands, has
acquired an implementation of eGasStation and is collaborating with Cyberonix
and Sun to pilot and customize eGasStation in their own test environment.
Pending the pilot results, approximately 80% of Shell and Texaco branded
service stations would be candidates for eGasStation nationwide.
"The eGasStation solution is designed expressly for an environment such as
ours that requires a fast, non-disruptive deployment that will deliver results
quickly," said Ben Bates, Program Manager Sales and Marketing Information
Technology for Equiva Services. "Because Sun developed this solution in
collaboration with the industry, the result is cost-effective, fast to roll-
out and does not require an intense time or resource investment on the part of
the convenience store operator."
Available now, the eGasStation solution allows service station owners to
seamlessly integrate existing petroleum retail devices such as fuel
dispensers, point-of-sale (POS) systems and car wash controllers to help
maximize revenue and decrease operational costs. Any device inside -- POS,
HVAC systems, security systems -- or outside -- car wash, tanks, pumps -- the
store is immediately plugged into one IT infrastructure, allowing store owners
to more effectively manage operations in real-time. As a low cost incremental
solution, eGasStation does not require changing the existing devices, can be
put in place overnight, and can be easily extended with new revenue generating
services such as "hotspot" high-speed automobile synchronization and dynamic
fuel pricing.
Checking Under the Hood
The eGasStation solution was created and is currently installed in Sun`s
iForce(SM) Ready Center in Menlo Park, Calif. This robust solution was built
using real gas station control devices and dispensers and features a multi-
tiered architecture, spanning from real-time devices to the enterprise systems
level. The eGasStation architecture consists of standards-based technologies
like Java and XML help to integrate the service station with corporate ERP and
CRM systems, and to enable convenience store operators to leverage the
infrastructure for new forms of e-commerce. For example, real-time inputs to
SAP R/3 allowed automatic generation of purchase orders for standard supplies.
Sun iForce integrator technology partners can help deliver the solution.
Cyberonix contributes one of the unique features of the architecture
through their development of the industrial Java technologies that Internet-
enable systems such as security, energy management and equipment monitoring.
This system integration is provided by Cyberonix`s industrial Java
applications including the enterprise common protocol (ECP), Java technology-
based wrapping layers, and controllers that provide the guaranteed system
response necessary for seamless integration of petroleum-retail devices.
Their Java controller provides key performance indicators to reflect the real-
time status of retail service sites in a deterministic manner. This
controller is manufactured by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation.
The eGasStation solution leverages Sun Open Net Environment (Sun ONE),
Sun`s open, integrateable vision, architecture, product and expertise for
developing and deploying services on demand today. Basing this solution on
the Sun ONE, helps make convenience store data actionable in real-time to
reduce decision cycles on critical issues such as marketing or product
ordering, and enables the store operator to better manage the bottom line.
Cyberonix`s ECP is optimized to work with Sun ONE, thereby extending the
benefits of Sun ONE out to the machine and device layer.
The iForce(SM) Initiative
The eGasStation Solution exemplifies the iForce Initiative in action. The
iForce Initiative is the community of Sun and its best-in-class iForce
partners working together to create and deliver customer-driven solutions that
enable our customers to leverage the network to improve business processes.
Built around a dynamic relationship model and providing access to iForce
Centers worldwide, the iForce Initiative helps customers engage with Sun and
its industry partners to reduce risk when deploying solutions.
Sun in Energy
Sun Microsystems Inc has been a leading supplier to the oil industry for
over 15 years. Sun provides a range of solutions to all aspects of the
industry from the initial exploration for hydrocarbons though to large-scale
ERP systems used by some of the largest companies in the world.
About Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision -- The Network Is The
Computer(TM) -- has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. to its position as a
leading provider of industrial-strength hardware, software and services that
power the Internet and allow companies worldwide to take their businesses to
the nth. Sun can be found in more than 170 countries and on the World Wide Web
at http://www.sun.com .
About Cyberonix, Inc.
Cyberonix, an engineering development firm that specializes in the design
and installation of automation systems for manufacturing processes, has been a
strong ally of Sun in applying Java technologies to industrial automation.
Cyberonix products include the enterprise common protocol (ECP), a Java
technology-based middleware for industrial control, Java-based equipment
wrapping technology, and the Java-based control processor (JCP).
About Equiva Services, LLC
Equiva Services, LLC based in Houston, TX, is the shared-services company
that is jointly owned by Equilon Enterprises LLC and Motiva Enterprises LLC.
Equilon and Motiva refine and market Texaco and Shell branded products
nationwide. For more information, visit our website at
http://www.equilonmotivaequiva.com.
NOTE: Sun, Sun Microsystems, the Sun logo, iForce, Java and The Network
Is The Computer are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems,
Inc. in the United States and other countries.
eGasStation is a trademark of Cyberonix, Inc.
SAP, R/3 and other SAP products and services mentioned herein are
trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and several other
countries.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Michael Zeglin
Sun Microsystems, Inc.
650-786-6255
michael.zeglin@sun.com
Ingrid Kambe
Sun Microsystems, Inc.
650-786-4705
ingrid.kambe@sun.com
Bruce Khavar
Cyberonix, Inc.
510-393-8215
khavar@cyberonix.net
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