Festo has signed a long-term r&d contract with the US-based specialist in wireless sensor networking, Millennial Net, which was recently bought by another German company. "We are pleased to accelerate our wireless roadmap through this new relationship," says Hans Gerlach-Erhardt, Festo`s director of technology and alliances, and a Millennial Net board member.

Millennial Net develops self-organising wireless networking systems for sensing and control applications, designed to help OEMs and systems integrators to implement wireless sensor networks quickly and cost-effectively. The networks can be used to monitor and manage devices remotely, as well as to gather data.

Millennial Net, which has previously been supported by venture capital funding, was bought recently by a privately-owned German company, PHC Holding, which intends to run it as an independent company. PHC`s other investments include several businesses operating in the medical sector, and it hopes to become a leader in "telemedical" applications, using wireless technologies. The company is also aiming to apply wireless in asset management, tracking and control applications.

"We believe that combining Millennial Net`s market-leading technology with our channel and industrial alliances, provides the resources necessary for volume deployment in both the industrial and medical markets," says PHC chairman, Mathias Kilnger.