Descartes Introduces MobileLink: Tracker; Real-time Visibility of Delivery Operations Drives Customer Service Responsiveness.

Business Editors

WATERLOO, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 17, 2002

Today, The Descartes Systems Group Inc., (Nasdaq:DSGX)(TSE:DSG), a trusted provider of logistics solutions, introduced MobileLink: Tracker(TM), a new wireless application that uses Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) technology to provide delivery operators with real-time visibility of vehicles and enable in-the-moment decision-making for meeting and responding to customer commitments. Designed for Descartes Routing and Scheduling(TM) solutions, MobileLink: Tracker is available now for use with either the Descartes Roadshow(R) or Descartes Fleetwise(TM) line of products.

Capturing vital vehicle location information, MobileLink: Tracker provides dispatchers and customer service representatives with real-time updates of driver progress against established route plans -- driving down operating costs by better managing exceptions such as excessive wait times, unscheduled driver breaks and vehicles straying from designated delivery routes. Real-time knowledge of delivery and service operations helps companies rapidly and accurately respond to customer inquiries and react to changes in order to meet customer commitments.

"Increasingly, innovative clients are enhancing their current routing and scheduling operations with wireless capabilities to identify opportunities for productivity improvement and cost reduction. MobileLink: Tracker is ideal for complex operations where drivers are just too busy to dialogue with dispatchers. It is also well suited for dynamic environments requiring real-time route progress," said Manuel Pietra, Descartes' president and co-chief executive officer.

Responding to clients needs for an easy-to-use, hands-free wireless application, MobileLink: Tracker acts as a 'black box' and requires no driver interaction to operate. A small device containing a GPS receiver and radio modem is mounted within a vehicle and communicates across radio frequency networks with Descartes' market leading Routing and Scheduling solutions -- Descartes Roadshow and Descartes Fleetwise.

One of the first wireless applications to harness the power of integrated Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) functionality with customer service management tools, MobileLink: Tracker communicates in real-time to deliver enhanced customer service functionality that includes up-to-the-minute arrive and depart status updates, and calculates ETAs (estimated time of arrival) and ETDs (estimated time of departure) for both delivery and service operations.

MobileLink: Tracker drives real benefits for both static and dynamic delivery operations including improved efficiency through real-time data exchange, and improved customer responsiveness with visibility into delivery activity. The application goes beyond real-time relay of information by synchronizing vital data with Descartes' Routing and Scheduling solutions to enable performance measurement.

"Logistics excellence -- which is at the heart of customer satisfaction -- is driven by a company's ability to access, share, and act upon accurate and timely information, hence the growing demand for wireless solutions. MobileLink: Tracker complements Descartes' existing suite of fleet management solutions and strengthens its position in the market," said Adrian Gonzalez, senior analyst at ARC Advisory Group.

Descartes MobileLink wireless applications, including MobileLink: Tracker, will be featured at an ARC Advisory Group online seminar on May 9, 2002. The seminar, "Separating Hype from Reality", will explore how to achieve fleet management excellence using wireless solutions and feature Descartes' senior vice president of Routing and Scheduling Solutions, Michael Jakab in addition to examples from PublixDirect, Epic Express and LTA Group. Interested participants can register for the event at www.arcweb.com/arcweb/reg/registrationwebcast.asp.

Descartes MobileLink: Tracker uses the Mobitex radio network and is the latest addition to the Descartes suite of MobileLink wireless applications designed to extend the Descartes Global Logistics Services Network(TM) (GLSN) to the mobile workforce. Descartes wireless solutions enable efficient data collection at the source and real-time information access and communication via wireless devices.

About Descartes

The Descartes Systems Group Inc. (Nasdaq:DSGX) (TSE:DSG) is a trusted provider of logistics management technology. With over 4,500 customers in over 60 countries, Descartes' leading logistics solutions drive operational efficiency, enhance customer responsiveness and improve precision in purchasing for global organizations such as Coca-Cola bottlers worldwide, Comet Group plc, CVS/pharmacy, Danzas, Gist, John Lewis Partnership, Mitsui USA, and Old Dominion. For more information, visit www.descartes.com.

All registered and unregistered trademarks mentioned in this release are the property of their respective owners.

This release contains statements that may relate to Descartes' product and service functionality and performance, potential benefits derived therefrom (including operational efficiencies), the suitability of Descartes' products and services for specific customers, Descartes' competitive position and other matters that may constitute forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Descartes' actual results may differ from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements as a result of factors discussed in the section entitled, "Risk Factors" in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Ontario Securities Commission and other securities commissions across Canada.