Amtech announces $5.1 million in new contracts for electronic toll and traffic management sector; Amtech to expand traffic management system for TxDOT and implement first electronic toll collection system in Brazil.

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 22, 1996--Amtech Corporation (NASDAQ:AMTC) today announced that its Transportation Systems Group has been awarded two significant contracts: a $3.9 million contract to expand the Greater Houston traffic management system administered by the Houston District of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) through a third and fourth phase and a contract to supply a nonstop electronic toll collection (ETC) system worth approximately $1.2 million -- including an option for approximately $400,000 in additional equipment -- on the Rio-Niteroi Bridge in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The contract with Concessionaria da Ponte Rio-Niteroi S/A will be the first ETC system ever implemented in Brazil.

"These contracts reaffirm Amtech's leadership in the electronic toll and traffic management marketplace," said Jeffrey S. Wetherell, president of Amtech's Transportation Systems Group. "The follow-on contract with TxDOT is significant because it indicates success with the first phases of this pioneering electronic traffic management system, while the contract with Brazil exemplifies our continued worldwide leadership in the electronic toll collection industry."

Work on the phases of the project for TxDOT begins promptly, expanding the system to all major roads in the Greater Houston/Harris County area. The expansion will be rolled out throughout 1996. Amtech's work on phases I and II of the project, the first combined electronic toll and traffic management system (ETTM) in the world, included the design and installation of the data-gathering system, which consists of reader stations located on toll roads and freeways in the Houston metropolitan area. These stations read Harris County Toll Road Authority electronic EZ TAGS, which are supplied by Amtech; compatible out-of-area Amtech tags; trucks equipped with compatible American Trucking Associations tags for equipment and cargo tracking; and traffic management system tags issued to drivers who commute during peak travel periods.

Vehicle location data gathered from Amtech equipment is transmitted to TranStar, a space-age traffic control center for Houston/Harris County that also serves as an emergency contact center for all Houston emergency services except police 911. The information is used to manage traffic flow and respond more quickly to traffic incidents.

All vehicles equipped with ETTM tags compatible with Amtech's system serve as intelligent probes that can relay travel flow and travel time information on Houston and Harris County roadways to traffic engineers, transportation officials and emergency-response agencies to manage traffic flow through traffic reports. The data, updated minute-by-minute, 24 hours a day, also is available to drivers via a graphic site on the Internet: http://herman.tamu.edu/traffic.html.

Work on the project for the Concession ria da Ponte Rio-Niteroi S/A, the company formed to renovate the Rio-Niteroi Bridge and operate its toll collection system, is scheduled to be completed in July 1996. The nonstop system will alleviate congestion on the Rio-Niteroi bridge. The bridge, which connects the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Niteroi, is a major hub in the road system of Southeastern Brazil.

Under the terms of the contract, Amtech's Transportation Systems Group will supply an ETC system with an initial 40,000 tags to patrons, including an option for additional equipment. Amtech will provide project financing to the Concessionaria for the equipment contract and a related working capital loan of up to $900,000.

The Export-Import Bank of the United States has agreed to provide partial financial support by guaranteeing the equipment contract. This support is noteworthy because it underscores the growing global acceptance of Amtech's ETC technology. Similar technology supplied by Amtech's Transportation Systems Group has been widely implemented around the world, with more than 1 million Amtech tags in daily use for nonstop electronic collection in 11 countries.

Amtech Corporation is a leading global provider of systems and solutions utilizing the company's core competence in wireless data technologies to serve the intelligent transportation, electronic security, logistics and other markets. The company is organized into three market-oriented groups: Transportation Systems Group, headed by Amtech Systems Corporation; the Electronic Security Group, encompassing Cotag International and Cardkey Systems product and service lines; and the Interactive Data Group, comprised of WaveLink Technologies, Inc.

CONTACT: Amtech Corporation, Dallas

Beverly Fuortes, 214/733-6059