Riptide Awarded Contract for the Deaf & Disabled Telecommunications Program.

SURREY, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 5, 1999--

Riptide Technologies Inc., a leading developer of on-line business software applications, has been awarded a five year contract with the Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program (DDTP) of the State of California to provide a fully integrated PC/LAN-based centralized database system to provide management support for the state-wide distribution of voice and data communications equipment.

The Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program provides about 30 different pieces of equipment from an approved list, ranging from Braille TTYs, costing about $6,000, to miscellaneous smaller pieces of equipment such as cordless telephones, big button telephones and portable amplifiers. The program currently has about 450,000 pieces of equipment in service with more than 200,000 consumers throughout the state. The program is funded by a surcharge that appears monthly on each rate-payer's telephone bill in California.

Riptide will provide a turnkey system including hardware, software, network, and on-site system administration and help desk that will support the tracking and assignment of inventory to qualified recipients requesting equipment through an associated call center. Riptide will provide the centralized database and tracking system to be utilized by the call center and warehouse/distribution facility. DDTP will separately contract for the provision and implementation of a centralized call center and a centralized warehouse/distribution facility. As telephone companies located throughout California administer the current DDTP program, part of the contract requires Riptide to work with the various telcos in order to obtain and upload the existing DDTP data.

Shelley Bergum, Executive Director of the DDTP said, "The main thrust of the system is to enable DDTP to enhance its service to its customers. It will allow us to centralize the several disparate operations that currently support the DDTP and improve our operational efficiency and productivity in support of our strategic goals."

Michael Meeks, President of Riptide stated, "We are truly delighted with this win. It is a pleasure to utilize our technology and management strengths in order to make someone's life just a little bit better. Helping people communicate is an admirable goal, and I'm pleased that we can be part of helping DDTP achieve their vision. DDTP staff are great people to work with, and we look forward to a long term relationship."

Riptide is a software technology provider that offers system integration services, on-line business systems, real time auditing systems, e-commerce fraud detection and control services, and government endorsed gaming systems.

The Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program was established by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to oversee and administer the provision of specialized telecommunication equipment and services to people with disabilities in California.

For more information contact Michael Meeks, President or Tony Greening, Chairman.