Counterpoint Introduces IrDA Primary Test Suite; IrDA Primary Test Suite Is the First Testing Product Capable of Testing Primary IrDA Infrared Connections.

CORVALLIS, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 2, 1999--Counterpoint Systems Foundry, Inc., a subsidiary of Extended Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:XTND), has developed the first test suite that is capable of testing primary infrared communications.

Counterpoint's IrDA (Infrared Data Association) Primary Test Suite provides approximately 300 automated primary test cases that help developers shorten time-to-market and ensure their products meet IrDA IrLAP 1.1 standards.

Counterpoint's experience as an industry leader in IrDA development is distilled into primary test cases that verify IrDA IrLAP 1.1 compliance for any device that uses infrared technology to transmit or receive information. More than 50 million infrared devices are on the market, with more being developed each day.

"Testing primary connections has been a missing piece of the puzzle," said Nathan Pendleton, president of Counterpoint Systems Foundry. "Although the ability to test secondary communications is well established, our Primary Test Suite is the only one that is specifically designed for testing primary communications. By using it, manufacturers gain a unique edge in building IrDA-compliant devices quickly."

Test cases that respond to a device's discovery, connection, and IrLAP data transfer operations can be run singly or in batches. Because tests can run without user intervention, results are reliable and consistent. Errors that would halt normal operations can be downgraded to warnings or ignored, allowing testing of devices in early development stages.

Test results and protocol analysis for each packet can be reviewed online and saved to a text file. The Test Suite's powerful internal script-processing engine allows for future expansion of the test set. The Primary Test Suite is the latest test tool in Counterpoint's portfolio of IrDA test tools. It joins the existing Secondary Test Suite, the IrDA Probe, and the Scripter to provide a complete set if IrDA test tools.

About Counterpoint Systems Foundry

Headquartered in Corvallis, Ore., Counterpoint is a leading provider of IrDA infrared communications software. Founded in 1995, Counterpoint provides leading-edge, efficient, and high-quality infrared communications software, development tools, and applications. Counterpoint's founders are pioneers of the Infrared Data Association community, and the company continues to author, extend, and promote the IrDA standards.

Counterpoint operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Extended Systems, Inc. Extended Systems is a global company that designs, develops, and sells distributed and mobile computing solutions. Extended Systems' common stock is traded on the NASDAQ National Market under the symbol "XTND." For more information, please contact Breton Buckley at Counterpoint Systems Foundry, Inc., 409 C Alberto Way, Los Gatos, CA 95032. Telephone: [phone]. Fax: [phone]. Email: [e-mail]. Web: www.countersys.com.

Primary Test Suite is a trademark of Counterpoint Systems Foundry, Inc. All other products are the trademarks, service marks, or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Except for historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release, such as Counterpoint's ability to successfully exploit technological and market developments and the success of new product introductions by the company, are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. These include the impact of competitive products and pricing, alternative technological advances, the timely and successful development and market acceptance of new products, and upgrades to existing products.