Ameranth Technology Systems and Symbol Technologies Announce 21st Century Hotel; Handheld Computer and Wireless LAN Technology Allow Enterprisewide Wireless Automation.

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 24, 1999--

Ameranth Technology Systems(TM) 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, Thursday announced the 21st Century Hotel(TM) at this year's Hotel Industries Technology Exposition & Conference (HITEC).

The 21st Century Hotel is a fully integrated system that provides a long-awaited hospitality industry solution for traditional hotel applications. The centerpiece of the 21st Century Hotel system is Ameranth's UltraPad 2700, a handheld computer that integrates Symbol Technologies' Spectrum24 wireless local-area network and the Microsoft Windows CE operating system.

The combination of the three technologies offers unprecedented benefits to hotel operators and the guests they serve. For the first time, there is a single handheld computer and a single wireless systems solution that is ideal for all hotel applications: check-in; payment processing (credit card, debit card, smart card); valet parking; VIP and frequency program management; housekeeping management; mini-bar, fixed asset and expendables inventory; management interface; remote order-entry, including pool-side, court-side and the 18th hole; personnel management; facilities maintenance and management; Ameranth's 21st Century Restaurant applications, including order entry, inventory control, process control, waitlist management and table management; event, meeting and conference management and control; golf-course check-in, management and control; short- and long-range communications; and more.

And with the 21st Century Hotel System's advanced systems integration, the UltraPad 2700 will work seamlessly with legacy and current applications so that there is no need to change primary vendors.

The Ameranth handheld computer communicates to Ameranth's middleware and then with other hotel computers and devices by way of Symbol's 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 Hotel system include 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 programs, for frequency programs; and leading hospitality systems providers, led by the charter hospitality systems partner, Hospitality Solutions International (HSI), a leading systems provider for both restaurants and hotels. Additional partners will be announced.

Food.com, "The Internet's largest takeout and delivery service and future food portal," will be the standard online food ordering system for the 21st Century Hotel(TM) System as well as the previously announced 21st Century Restaurant(TM) System and Ameranth's reservations/wait-listing software will be incorporated into the Food.com solution.

Spectrum24, Symbol's open-architecture wireless network, provides high-performance data and voice-over-IP communications with excellent immunity to interference. Its frequency-hopping 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."

In addition to appearing with Symbol Technologies at booth 1353 at HITEC in Atlanta, June 22-24, Ameranth will showcase its new products at the Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo 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.