Aether Systems' Handheld Application for Mobile Law Enforcement Enters Beta Testing

PocketBlue(TM) is First Handheld Law Enforcement Application That is Part of a Fully-Integrated Mobile Data System with Messaging and Alarm Capabilities

Aether Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: AETH) a leading provider of wireless data products and services, today announced that is has begun beta testing the company's handheld application for mobile law enforcement. The new Palm-based application is the first handheld software application to be part of a fully-integrated mobile data system for law enforcement, providing secure messaging and alarm capabilities connected to all mobile users.

Over 2,800 public safety agencies nationwide currently use Aether's wireless mobile and enterprise products. In law enforcement, over 900 agencies use PacketCluster(R) Patrol on vehicle-mounted computers for real-time data access and communication in the field. PocketBlue, running on The Palm Vx(TM) handheld, gives out-of-vehicle mobile users in these agencies comparable access to information and communication capabilities that PacketCluster offers their in-vehicle counterparts.

Portable Mobile Data

With PocketBlue, personnel on foot, bike or horseback can simply tap a button on the Palm to run NCIC queries or send secure messages. When an officer receives a "hit" on a query, every mobile client -whether PocketBlue on the Palm or PacketCluster Patrol on a laptop -is notified.

The South Pasadena Police Department, located in California, is among the agencies beta testing PocketBlue. "Currently, we have both detectives and uniform officers using PocketBlue," said Police Chief Michael Berkow of the South Pasadena police department. "Los Angeles County auto theft task force (TRAP) has found the handhelds to be especially useful during stakeouts and for checking junkyards and auto repair yards. In the latter, police officers, as they walk down the rows of cars, are easily able to run plates and VIN (vehicle identification number) data."

Additional information on PocketBlue, including complete features and functionality, pricing, availability and packaging, will be available by the end of Q2, 2001.

A Suite of Mobile Government Applications

PocketBlue will be the first wireless handheld application for municipal government delivered from Aether's Mobile Government Division. In addition to extending the government division's product offerings in municipal public safety, Aether also plans to offer additional wireless mobile applications to meet the needs of other state and local agencies. Aether will also extend its Mobile Government offerings further in the federal government market, where Aether wireless e-mail and scheduling applications are already deployed in several military and civilian sites.

"Municipal public safety was the springboard environment for the creation of a Mobile Government, so it's logical that the first state-of-the-art wireless handheld product in government would be in law enforcement," said Dave Rosi, corporate vice president and general manager. "As much as with any enterprise class customer, law enforcement agencies have driven the adoption of wireless data in the marketplace. PocketBlue takes the power of mobile data to the next level, providing users the freedom of portability while remaining fully connected to all personnel."


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