Certon systems GmbH and the University of Heidelberg have entered into a partnership contract. Certon systems is a manufacturer of highly innovative mass-storage systems and systems for the remote maintenance of large computer parks. The wide-ranging network of which the University is a part and the establishment of the firm at the University centre for start-up companies will enhance the opportunities for the deployment of this technology. With its first-ever equity holding in a business partnership the University will be playing an even more active role in technology development than before.

"With the University of Heidelberg we have gained a partner that will help us to keep abreast of scientific innovation," said Certon's managing director Lord Hess. "The trust the University places in our company is both an encouragement and apositive commitment."

For Prof. Dr. Peter Hommelhoff, Rector of the University of Heidelberg, this first-ever direct partnership in a business firm is the expression of the University's determination to promote the transformation of academic knowledge into economically viable results and to participate in their exploitation. In its cooperative activities the University is increasingly interested in creating long-term associations. "In the Certon case both the quality of the company's ideas and the people involved have convinced us," said the Rector. "We have thus decided to support Certon in its development."

Certon was established in early 2005 and is a spin-off from the Kirchhoff Institute of Physics. The company produces fail-safe mass-storage facilities on the basis of standard components, thus achieving price and security advantages over comparable providers. The second product line consists of hardware components for remote maintenance of major, locally distributed computer clusters. With these two lines Certon offers solutions for the increasingly urgent issues involved in guaranteeing a high degree of security for a growing volume of data at affordable prices.

For more information go to www.certonsystems.com

Please address any inquiries to
Certon systems GmbH,
Hans-Bunte-Strasse 8-10,
D-69123 Heidelberg
managing director
Dipl.-Phys. Lord Hess
Tel.: 06221 7590260
Fax: 06221 7590261
Hess@certon.de

Dr. Michael Schwarz
Press Officer of the University of Heidelberg