Brain Boxes Bluetooth™ PC card now qualified to operate with Norwood Systems EnterpriseMobility™

- EnterpriseMobility fast becoming the standard wireless networking software -

Richmond-upon-Thames, UK – 12^th September 2001 – Norwood Systems, developer of office networks for the wireless generation, announces that EnterpriseMobility is now able to interoperate with PC cards from -leading PC communications card manufacturer, Brain Boxes.

This is a breakthrough for businesses creating a wireless environment as it allows people to use their laptops as base stations, lowering the overall cost of deploying Bluetooth wireless voice and data networks. The Brain Boxes Bluetooth PC card enables voice connectivity to cordless headsets and mobile phones as well as data connectivity to PDA’s.

Jean-Paul Deschamps, co-founder, COO and VP of marketing for Norwood Systems, believes this to be a very important step in Bluetooth enabling the wireless office environment. "Brain Boxes is one of the first PC card manufacturers supporting voice and we are delighted that its cards are now interoperating with EnterpriseMobility. This agreement with Brain Boxes is one of many such relationships that will free people from their desks and allow them to place or receive calls, access emails or intranets and synchronise their calendar wherever they are in the office."

Stephen Evans, marketing director at Brain Boxes, is delighted with this advance. "We have been able to produce what is in effect an incredibly low-cost base station. Laptop and PDA use is increasing exponentially and fewer people are relying on the traditional office infrastructure, such as PCs and fixed-line telephones. Working with the team at Norwood Systems and configuring our PCMCIA card for EnterpriseMobility, we have been able to enhance communication dramatically for today’s busy workforce."

The Bluetooth SIG has recently certified brain Boxes’ PCMCIA Card as being compliant with the Bluetooth 1.1 standard. It has the capability of working with any handheld PC or PDA and operates with every major operating system, including Windows 2000, 98, 95 and CE. The card is a Bluetooth 'Class 1 device' and in tests, Brain Boxes has achieved a range of 40 metres for communications from the Bluetooth-enabled laptop.

Norwood Systems is trialling the PC card with several medium and large companies and it will become commercially available in Q4 2001.

- Ends -

NOTES TO EDITORS:

About Norwood Systems
Norwood Systems was founded in January 2000 to become the market leader in Bluetooth based wireless office networks for voice and data. The company's current product set, EnterpriseMobility, delivers an office network for the wireless generation. It offers an enterprise-class communications platform that lets Bluetooth devices integrate seamlessly with existing office voice and data communication networks. Norwood Systems is working with a number of global partners, committed to participating in Norwood Systems’ beta trial programme. Norwood Systems’ EnterpriseMobility was a Grand Prize Winner of the COMNET 2001 Most Innovative New Product Award, a reflection of the opinions of the attendees of the Conference and Expo. EnterpriseMobility was also chosen as the winner in the Wireless category.

• At the recent Bluetooth Industry Congress in Monte Carlo EnterpriseMobility was recognised as the Best Business Product.
• Time Magazine Europe listed Norwood Systems as one of Europe’s hottest 30 tech companies.
• Norwood Systems is an Associate Member of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), and a member of the PAN working group of the SIG. Norwood Systems currently has over 40 employees located in two offices in Richmond-upon-Thames, UK, and Perth, Western Australia.

More information can be obtained by calling +44 208 334 8065 or at http://www.norwoodsystems.com

Norwood Systems photography - High Resolution images from Norwood Systems can be downloaded free of charge by the media from the Newscast Website: www.newscast-online.com

EnterpriseMobility and InstantCoverage are registered trademarks of Norwood Systems. All other trademarks or registered trademarks belong to their respective companies.

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About Brain Boxes
Established in 1984 Brain Boxes is one of the leading PC communication card developers and manufacturers in the World. Headquartered in Liverpool, UK, it has a team of highly qualified software and hardware designers, matched by a world-class volume manufacturing facility.

The company develops and owns all of its own technology, including USB, CompactFlash, PCMCIA, and PCI products. It is at the forefront of developments in wireless technology and has achieved official approval of two Bluetooth communication card products to date. Current customers include IBM, ICL, Reuters, Motorola, Agilent, Marconi and BT.

More information about Brain Boxes can be found at www.brainboxes.com

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About Bluetooth
The Bluetooth™ wireless technology is set to revolutionise the personal connectivity market by providing freedom from wired connections. It is a specification for a small-form factor, low-cost radio solution providing links between mobile computers, mobile phones and other portable handheld devices, and connectivity to the Internet. The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), comprised of leaders in the telecommunications, computing, and network industries, is driving development of the technology and bringing it to market. The Bluetooth SIG includes promoter companies 3Com, Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Agere Systems, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia and Toshiba, and 2,491 Adopter/Associate member companies. For more information on Bluetooth, please visit its web site at www.bluetooth.com. The Bluetooth trademarks are owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., U.S.A.

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