Arula Systems

Arula Systems to Provide Secure Remote Access
and Management Solution

New Hewlett-Packard spin-off to provide hardware and software solutions designed to web-enabled all devices

Arula Press
Contact: Tim Wong
408.996.3400 ext. 2228

Connect PR Press
Contact: Mike Bradshaw
801.373.7888

Cupertino, Calif., February 12, 2001 - Arula Systems, a provider of solutions for managing devices in a decentralized world and a spin-off of Hewlett-Packard Company, today announced that it began shipping products to initial high-end customers. It also announced that the new Arula Product Suite is available to the general public.

Backed by Gabriel Venture Partners and HP, Arula Systems has entered into a license relationship with HP that enables Arula to utilize and enhance HP's micro Web server technology for connecting equipment to the Internet for remote access, monitoring, control, and diagnostics. Under the agreement, Arula can negotiate further licenses to a number of HP patents related to this technology, many of which were co-invented by Chandra Venkatraman, Arula's Founder.

Arula's flagship product, SecureConsole, is compatible with high-end HP, IBM, and Sun Microsystems servers as well as networking devices from Cisco Systems. SecureConsole enables managers, service personnel and field representatives immediate and secure server console access from anywhere, anytime, via any Web browser. Users have access regardless of the state of the server to which the SecureConsole is attached. To date, no other remote access solution offers Arula's level of availability, security, interoperability, or scalability.

"We have been extremely pleased with the performance of the Arula SecureConsole on both our HP and Sun Microsystems servers," stated Greg Estep, Data Center Manager of the Chevron Information Technology Company in San Ramon, California. "In addition to tremendous space savings, we have also improved outside vendor support by removing our physical terminals and using just one computer with a browser located in the data center. Travel time from our offices to the data center has been reduced since we can access the servers through our corporate intranet.

"Perhaps the most significant result is that we can now remotely access our data center servers from any laptop after hours, on weekends, or when traveling - essentially eliminating the need to physically go to the data center," Estep concluded.

SecureConsole is based on the Arula Universal Agent Platform. Arula has taken a radically new approach to providing remote device management agents. Rather than providing individual agent platforms, Arula has developed a universal agent platform that enables companies to rapidly deploy agent solutions for any device in their remote offices. The Arula Universal Agent Platform contains all the common things any agent would need such as connectivity, logic, and security. The forth coming Arula Product Suite, featuring SecureConsole, is built on the Arula Universal Agent Platform.

"The network management, industrial automation and Internet hosting markets are crying out for the Arula technology," said Rick Bolander, managing director and co-founder of Gabriel Venture Partners. "The Arula Product Suite is a ubiquitous solution that provides a simple web browser interface in any complex heterogeneous systems environment, increasing the speed of service response time, minimizing the need for onsite services calls, and reducing outages by 'webizing' any device. Bolander continues, "It is Gabriel's mission to assist entrepreneurs with this type of market opportunity to build multi-billion dollar companies."

"We are transforming a number of industries by using the Web for access, management, monitoring and control of new and existing equipment," said Chandra Venkatraman, CEO and president of Arula Systems, a former architect with HP Labs, and part of the original core technology design team. "The Arula Universal Agent Platform is a general-purpose computer platform that provides a common interface and standard for an array of discrete devices, enabling those devices to be rapidly and securely linked to the Internet."

About Arula Systems, Inc.

Arula Systems, Inc. ™ (Arula) is a privately held company founded in 1999 that provides solutions for device management in a decentralized world. These management solutions enable rapid creation of secure, remote Internet connectivity to various devices in a variety of markets. Arula, a spin-off of Hewlett-Packard Company, has secured venture financing through Gabriel Venture Partners and private investments from industry leaders. Arula is headquartered in Cupertino, CA. For more information, please visit the company's website at www.arula.com.

About Gabriel Venture Partners

Gabriel Venture Partners, based in Redwood Shores, California and in Tysons Corner, Virginia, is a hands on venture capital firm that provides in-depth operating, technology and marketing experience to maximize the value creation from the initial funding through every stage of its portfolio companies' million fund in emerging technology companies. Its portfolio includes communications, information technology and Internet companies such as AccessLine Holdings, Arula Systems, Inc., GeoTouch.com, IP Wireless, iTango Software, ITSquare, JamCracker, Netscaler Inc., PlaceWare, Inc., SalesHound and VARStreet. Additional information may be obtained by visiting the company's website at www.GabrielVP.com.