Metso Automation and Smar Partners on Fieldbus Technology

Metso Automation and SMAR will cooperate strategically in the area of Foundation Fieldbus technology. Under this cooperation Smar will license its Foundation Fieldbus HSE (High Speed Ethernet) technology to Metso Automation in order to be integrated in metsoDNA automation and information management solutions.

SMAR is recognized as a pioneer with the most advanced software and hardware technologies in Foundation Fieldbus. Therefore, SMAR has great experience in Foundation Fieldbus instruments and solutions. Foundation Fieldbus is one of the most important digital communication bus standards used in process automation plants.

SMAR, originally based in Brazil, is a 26 years old, 720 employees and US$ 51 million turnover company working in the field of instrumentation and solutions for process control and manufacturing automation. For more information about Smar visit www.smar.com.

Metso Automation specializes in automation and information management application networks and systems, field control solutions and lifecycle services. Main customers are the pulp and paper and energy industries as well as hydrocarbon industries.

Metso Automation operates worldwide and it has sales and customer support units in 37 countries in Europe, North and South America, Asia and Australia, and Africa. In 2000, Metso Automation's net sales were EUR 644 million. The number of employees totals 4,600. For more information about Metso Automation visit www.metsoautomation.com.

Metso Automation is part of Metso Corporation of Finland. Metso's other business areas are Metso Paper, Metso Minerals and Metso Ventures (includes Metso Engineering and Valmet Automotive). Metso employs about 32,000 people worldwide. Metso's shares are traded on the Helsinki and New York Stock Exchanges. For more information about Metso Corporation, please visit www.metso.com.

For more information, please contact Mr. Claudio Borges, Int’l Sales Manager Tel +55 16 645 6455 e-mail: claudioborges@smar.com.br