Company Background

AEPTEC Microsystems Inc., also known as 3e Technologies International, is a leading provider of highly secure wireless networking and telematics solutions. The company was founded in December 1995 with the mission of delivering always-connected, gateway, monitoring and networking solutions for mobile users in the home, office, factory floor, or on the go. Headquartered in Rockville, MD, AEPTEC is 100% self funded, profitable and has doubled its revenue and headcount every year for the last 5 years. In 2003, the company was billed the 5th fastest growing company in the greater Washington DC area (as ranked by the Washington Business Journal) and was also ranked # 62 on a list of the Top 100 DoD Contractors Receiving Awards for Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation. In 2002 the company received the White House Tibbetts Award for Small Business Innovation.

Innovative Technology Developed

The Total Ship Monitoring (TSM) project provides for the development and installation of a system of equipment and software that utilizes wireless sensors to remotely and automatically monitor shipboard equipment and environmental conditions. The system enables timely and cost effective collection, processing and electronic distribution of shipboard measurements and makes these data available to ICAS. Use of wireless network links and self-identifying sensors result in a system that is modular, scalable and easily re-configured. It consists of an intra-ship network of wireless transducers using industry standard IEEE 802.11 and/or BluetoothTM wireless technology. The sensor data supports system diagnostics, prognostics and real-time telemaintenance. Total Ship Monitoring supports and is part of the SmartShip program effort. TSM provides measurement, data gathering, processing and wireless networking for intra-ship connectivity.

The benefits of Total Ship Monitoring:

• Provides an automatic, scalable, modular Hull, Mechanical & Electrical (HM&E) equipment monitoring system.
• Automates environmental and heat stress monitoring in compartments
• Context-Dependent Condition-Based Maintenance for reduced cost of operation
• Asset visibility
• Configuration management
• Telemaintenance
• Reduction of cabling requirements and sensor installation costs
• Diagnostics/prognostics
• Increased readiness
• Provides cost-effective wireless capability to sensors
• Makes feasible the addition of thousands of sensors

DoD Implementation and Commercialization Summary

The SBIR Phase IIITSM program was funded at $7 million+ over a 2-year period. In addition to meeting the US Navy's project goals, the SBIR Phase III resulted in significant commercial business for AEPTEC Microsystems. Under AEPTEC's commercial business name "3e Technologies International" the company was able to repackage the technologies as a model 3e-520 Wireless Gateway & model 3e-550I Wireless Input/Output Node as well as develop AES wireless encryption software. Distributorship and Partner agreements were forged with CABLExpress (a major networking technology distributor) and AirWave Wireless, Inc. (a leading provider of wireless network management software) that resulted in North American contracts in excess of $1.5 million with potential Asian market sales of $6 million+.

Contact Information

AEPTEC Microsystems, Inc.
700 King Farm Blvd. Suite 600
Rockville, Maryland U.S.A. 20850
Tel: (301) 670-6779
Email: info@3eti.com
Website: http://www.3eti.com/