Getronics to Sponsor Davis Cup; Three Year Sponsorship Deal Begins 2004.

Sports Editors/Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

BILLERICA, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 3, 2003

Getronics, a leading international Information and Communications Technology (ICT) company, has signed a three-year agreement with the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to become an International Sponsor and the Official ICT Solutions and Service Provider of Davis Cup. The agreement was announced at the World Group Final in Melbourne, Australia.

Getronics will provide on-site IT resources and infrastructure to media centers and hospitality areas at select Davis Cup venues worldwide. Getronics will also sponsor and support a new "Speed Serve" system. Based on ballistic tracking technology, it allows for the ball's velocity and the trajectory to be tracked as it leaves the racquet. Speed Serve was showcased in Melbourne and will be brought to life to the worldwide Davis Cup fan base on www.daviscup.com, the official website of the competition.

Speed Serve

The Speed Serve is designed around 3D tracking military technology. It can track a ball in 3-dimensional space and measures the ball's entire 3D trajectory. This enables Speed Serve to accurately produce the ball's speed in the direction of flight. It can also measure the elevation angle and the azimuth (horizontal angle) at any point, the distance traveled in flight, and the speed of the racquet head. New software allows replay of the ball trajectory on a virtual court, enhancing both the experience of the Internet user and the production of TV graphics.

Speed Serve is a closed system that is managed through the Davis Cup's Chair Umpire Scoring System. It produces results in a split second. No operator is needed, and no human intervention is possible to alter or interfere with the results. All serve data are automatically logged to the server, and the system is programmed to store all record speed data for later, independent, verification.

The Speed Serve features include:

-- An accurate speed profile of the ball from racquet to court

-- The average speed of the ball for its first meter of flight

-- The speed of the racquet head just before the ball leaves the

racket

-- The entire 3D trajectory of the ball, including its position

at any time during flight

-- The automatic plan view of the court showing the line of the

ball flight, the ball start and pitch positions, as well as

speeds

-- The "Sweetness factor" - ratio of ball speed to racquet head

speed

-- Storage of raw data for third-party verification in the case

of possible records

Getronics will also sponsor and support live scoring for all the World Group ties on www.daviscup.com. The umpires will record scores directly onto their personal digital assistants (PDAs) that are wirelessly linked live to the scoreboard, TV and the Internet.

Additionally, Getronics will work with the ITF to explore new technologies to improve the understanding of ball movement. Dr. Stuart Miller, ITF Technical Manager, said, "With the support that Getronics provides, we aim to explore much more about ball movement which can have a valuable impact on our sport in the future."

ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said, "We are very excited to welcome Getronics as a new sponsor to Davis Cup. Davis Cup has always embraced new technologies to provide the best possible service to its huge fan base. Getronics leads the way in the field of ICT, and through advanced technology it has exciting plans to help the ITF achieve new ways of enhancing this prestigious event."

"We are proud to be sponsors of Davis Cup," said Stuart Appleton, Getronics' Senior Vice President, Business Development and Corporate Communications. "As a strongly international company, we share the tournament values of team spirit and excellence. We are excited by the opportunity to further establish our company as a leading provider of ICT Solutions and Services.

"Tennis is a popular sport with our clients and employees, and I am sure that they are going to enjoy our sponsorship over the next three years. We are particularly pleased to be associated with the Speed Serve. Quality and speed of service are vital in our business. The Speed Serve will powerfully reinforce that message."

Davis Cup is the largest annual international team competition in sport, with 137 nations entered in 2004. Getronics joins title sponsor BNP Paribas, the Official Bank of Davis Cup; and international sponsors Adecco (recruitment), Kia Motors (automobiles, in Europe/Africa), Hugo Boss (men's fashions) and Fossil (official watch). Wilson Sporting Goods is an official partner and produces the Official Ball of Davis Cup. COLT Telecom is the Official Managed Hosting Partner of www.daviscup.com.

About Getronics

With 23,000 employees in over 30 countries and forecast revenues of approximately 2.7 billion Euros in 2003, Getronics is one of the world's leading providers of vendor- independent Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solutions and services. Getronics today combines the capabilities of the original Dutch company with those of Wang Global, acquired in 1999, and of the systems and services division of Olivetti. Getronics is ranked second worldwide in network and desktop outsourcing and fourth worldwide in network consulting and integration (Source: IDC 2002-2003).

Getronics designs, integrates and manages ICT infrastructures and business solutions for many of the world's largest global and local companies and organizations, helping them maximize the value of their information technology investments. Getronics headquarters are in Amsterdam, with regional offices in Boston and Singapore. Its shares are traded on Euronext Amsterdam ('GTN'). For further information, visit www.getronics.com.