Ameranth Technology Systems and Symbol Technologies Announce 21st Century Restaurant System; Handheld Computer and Wireless LAN Technology Automates Traditional Restaurant Processes.

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 24, 1999--

Ameranth Technology Systems Inc., a leading provider of wireless systems solutions to the hospitality industry, and Symbol Technologies Inc. (NYSE:SBL), a world leader in wireless mobile computing, Monday announced the 21st Century Restaurant System at this year's National Restaurant Association (NRA) show.

The 21st Century Restaurant System is a fully integrated system that provides a long-awaited hospitality industry solution for traditional restaurant processes. The centerpiece of the 21st Century Restaurant System is Ameranth's UltraPad(TM) 2700, a handheld computer that integrates Symbol's Spectrum24 wireless local-area network and the Microsoft (NSDQ:MSFT) Windows CE operating system.

The combination of the three technologies offers unprecedented benefits to restaurateurs and their clientele. The 21st Century Restaurant System allows restaurant processes, including order taking, payment processing (credit card, debit card, smart card), inventory control, process control, waitlist management, table management, personnel management, management interface, valet parking, frequent-diner program interface, short- and long-range communications, and other applications, to be managed and controlled from Ameranth's handheld computer, dramatically increasing productivity, reducing cost and improving customer service.

The Ameranth handheld computer communicates to other restaurant computers and devices by the Symbol Spectrum24 wireless local area network. Symbol's wireless local area network is based on industry standards and is the technology of choice at more than 40,000 customer locations in a number of global markets.

Other key partners in the 21st Century Restaurant(TM) System include IBM, for back-office server hardware and large-scale implementations; JTECH, the world leader in on-premise paging, for paging systems; COMTEC, a world leader in mobile printing, for portable printers; The Customer Connection, a leader in frequent dining-programs, for frequency programs; System Concepts Inc., the developer of FOOD-TRAK(R), the industry's first and foremost food and beverage management system for back-office inventory and recipe and menu management; and leading POS companies, led by the charter POS partner, Hospitality Systems International HSI, a leading POS company for both restaurants and hotels. Additional partners will be announced.

Spectrum24, Symbol's open-architecture wireless network, provides high-performance data and voice-over-IP communications with excellent immunity to interference. Its frequency hopping technology ensures robust and reliable data throughout. Spectrum24 also features selectable power management for application optimization, as well as encryption capabilities to ensure data security. Spectrum24 is designed to support the IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN standard. Operating in the 2.4GHz band using spread-spectrum modulation, Spectrum24 allows fast, seamless roaming with load balancing among cells. Its capacity and range are expandable through the use of multiple access points.

Microsoft Windows CE offers exceptional capabilities with seamless integration with the databases of information already in place throughout the hospitality industry.

"Our mission is to work with Symbol and Microsoft to provide worldwide-standard wireless systems solutions," said Keith McNally, CEO of Ameranth. "Ameranth's integration of Symbol's unparalleled technological advancements and the Microsoft Windows CE platform with the other capabilities of our partners will allow customers to deploy fully integrated software and hardware solutions that will provide optimal service, efficiency and profitability for years to come."

"As a world-leading supplier of mobile computing wireless local area networks and related technologies, Symbol already provides the standard wireless solution for many industries. Our agreement with Ameranth and relationship with Microsoft will allow Ameranth to carry our standard of technological excellence into industries where they are already playing a leading role," said Joe McCormick, senior director for Emerging Technologies at Symbol Technologies.

"We are pleased that Ameranth and Symbol have chosen Windows CE as the mobile-computing backbone for the introduction of their 21st Century Restaurant System," said Tony Barbagallo, group product manager, Productivity Appliances Division, Microsoft Corp. "With Symbol's proven expertise in mobile computing and wireless networks, Ameranth's vision and integration skills, and Microsoft's innovative family of software products and solutions, we share in their vision for the 21st Century Restaurant System."

In addition to appearing at booth 6254 at the National Restaurant Association Show, Ameranth/Symbol will showcase their new products at HITEC in Atlanta, June 22-24; The Western Restaurant Show in Los Angeles, Aug. 21-23; MUFSO in Dallas, Sept. 12-15; The World Gaming Congress & Expo in Las Vegas, Sept. 14-16; FS/TEC'99 in Dallas, Nov. 1-3; and the International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show in New York, Nov. 6-9.

Ameranth Technology Systems was founded in 1996 primarily to provide wireless computing solutions to the hospitality, gaming, Department of Defense, and law-enforcement industries and markets. Ameranth's products include handheld computers, scanners, access points, printers and related software.

Symbol Technologies is a global leader in mobile data management systems and services with innovative customer solutions based on wireless local-area networking for voice and data, application-specific mobile computing, and bar-code data capture. Symbol's wireless LAN solutions are installed at more than 40,000 customer locations, and more than 7 million Symbol scanners and application-specific scanner-integrated mobile computer systems are in use worldwide. Symbol and its global network of business partners provide solutions for retailing, transportation and distribution logistics, parcel and postal delivery, health care, education, manufacturing, and other industries.