Connect One's Wi-Fi Solution Connects Devices to IP Networks in No Time, with No Wires.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 4, 2003

iChip CO710AG Internet Controller Permits VeriFone to be First to

Introduce Wi-Fi Enabled POS Terminals and an Easy Upgrade Path

from Wired Access to Wireless LAN

Connect One(TM) today announced that VeriFone Inc., the worldwide leader in electronic payment solutions, has designed Connect One's iChip(TM) CO710AG Internet Controller(TM) into their popular Omni 3600 portable wireless terminal to enable IEEE 802.11b Wireless LAN (Wi-Fi) connectivity. VeriFone is the only POS terminal manufacturer offering an entire line of Internet Protocol (IP)-enabled terminals that support Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and cellular connectivity. The selection of iChip CO710AG follows VeriFone's successful deployment of iChip CO561AD in the Omni 3750 terminal for wired 10BaseT LAN access.

"We chose the CO710AG because we wanted our customers to have a fast upgrade path to 802.11b Wireless LAN from 10BaseT applications written for the Omni 3750," said Doug Manchester, manager of emerging technologies at VeriFone. "One of the pivotal points in choosing Connect One's solution is that customers can easily migrate to other VeriFone terminals that use iChip, since they all share the same AT+i(TM) Application Programming Interface. In fact, we already have customers who ported their application from the wired LAN 3750 to the wireless LAN 3600 in just a few hours."

VeriFone recently announced that Ford Motor Company is migrating more than 4,600 Ford and Lincoln-Mercury dealers from dial-up modems to faster IP-enabled systems. A primary reason why Ford chose VeriFone's Omni 3750 was the modular design of the terminal, allowing different communications modules to be swapped, depending on the communications needs of the dealership.

VeriFone's Omni 3750 effortlessly adjusts to merchants' changing requirements with field-replaceable Communication and Security Access Modules (SAMs). Customers can choose from a 2,400 bps modem, 14.4 kbps modem, ISDN, or Ethernet communications modules. The Omni 3600 is the only POS terminal on the market that supports packet-based GPRS and CDMA 1x service, as well as 802.11b Wi-Fi. With the "always on" connectivity supported by IP-based networks, the terminals can process transactions in two to four seconds, the fastest in the industry, according to VeriFone.

"We are very happy that VeriFone selected the CO710AG for their Wi-Fi models," says Alan Singer, Connect One's vice president of sales and marketing. "Our design concept enables VeriFone to be the first in the market to introduce a Wi-Fi POS terminal, and gives them and their customers maximum flexibility."

About iChip CO710AG

iChip CO710AG is the newest, smallest and most powerful member of the iChip family of Internet controller chips. An updateable communication co-processor, iChip mediates the connection between a host processor and the Internet by offloading Internet connectivity tasks from the host processor. CO710AG's flash memory stores Internet protocols and configuration parameters, which are independent of the host application, and can be remotely updated over the Internet. iChip supports the full TCP/IP stack, plus upper layer protocols like SMTP, POP3, MIME, HTTP, WAP, FTP and TELNET. It includes onboard Web and WAP servers. CO710AG is the only Internet controller on the market that connects to the Internet via dial-up modems, wireless modems (AMPS, CDMA, CDMA2000 1xRTT, CDPD, GPRS, GSM, IDEN, and TDMA protocols), 802.11b Wireless LANs, and 10/100BaseT LANs.

Packaged in a 121-ball Micro Ball Grid Array (uBGA) chip measuring only 10 x 10 mm, CO710AG offers the highest level of functionality and expandability of any existing iChip. It is perfect for IP connectivity applications that require large production volume, high bandwidth, small size, and low power consumption.

CO710AG includes an ARM7TDMI core processor, 512KB of flash memory, 128KB SRAM, and up to 8 user-defined general-purpose I/O pins. It operates in the industrial temperature range at speeds up to 66MHz. To ensure low power consumption, the core operates at 1.8-volts, while I/Os operate at 3.3-volts. A sleep mode further reduces power consumption.

iChip's logical interface to the device's host processor is via Connect One's AT+i Application Programming Interface, which enables manufacturers with limited Internet programming resources to quickly and easily Internet-enable their devices by writing just a few commands in their application. iChip's SerialNET mode eliminates the need for any Internet programming by packetizing data on-the-fly as it opens a TCP or UDP socket to a remote IP address. CO710AG firmware is backward-compatible with the CO561AD and CO661AL iChip families, which use the same AT+i command set.

Wi-Fi Reference Design

Connect One provides a reference design for customers to use iChip CO710AG with 802.11b Wireless LANs. The reference design calls for the use of compact flash cards, which gives manufacturers the most flexibility and lets them take advantage of the ever-decreasing cost of compact flash cards. Special features for Wi-Fi include support for the WEP security protocol, a power-save mode for the CF card, and future support for ad-hoc mode and WPA encryption.

Pricing and Availability

iChip is available for $20 in lots of 10,000 units. Please visit Connect One's Web site at www.connectone.com for a complete list of distributors worldwide.

About Connect One

Connect One develops and produces chips, software, and hardware that enable manufacturers of industrial, commercial, medical and consumer devices to reduce the time, cost, complexity, and risk to connect devices to the Internet. Connect One is privately owned, with offices in Phoenix, AZ and Kfar Saba, Israel. For further information, please visit the company's Web site at http://www.connectone.com or send an e-mail to [e-mail]. iChip, Internet Controller, AT+i, and Connect One are trademarks of Connect One Ltd.