Bluetooth Mobile Wireless Communications Initiative Gains Broad Industry Support

Wireless Initiative Quickly Gains Worldwide Momentum with more than 200 Companies Joining the Bluetooth Special Interest Group

ATLANTA, Oct. 26, 1998 – The Bluetooth wireless communications initiative continues to gain momentum as Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Nokia and Toshiba today announced that 200 companies have joined the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) since the technology was announced in May. The member companies will join the five founding members at the Bluetooth Developers Conference Oct. 27 - 29 to share draft specification 0.7 under non-disclosure. During the three-day conference, SIG members will receive intensive technical training, and will consider marketing and product planning strategies to promote the Bluetooth technology and the products it will enhance.

First announced in May of this year, the Bluetooth SIG has grown rapidly with overwhelming support from telecommunications, consumer and PC industry leaders interested in developing products based on the Bluetooth specification. The Bluetooth SIG continues to gain momentum, adding such industry notables as 3Com, Compaq, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Lucent, Motorola, NTT DoCoMo, Philips, Samsung, Siemens and Texas Instruments. (See www.bluetooth.com/member/ for complete list of Bluetooth SIG members.)

Bluetooth technology will enable users to connect their mobile computers, digital cellular phones, handheld devices, network access points and other mobile devices via wireless short-range radio links unimpeded by line-of-sight restrictions. Eliminating the need for proprietary cables to connect devices, Bluetooth technology will increase the ease and breadth of wireless connectivity. Users will be able to automatically receive e-mail on their notebook computers via the digital cellular phones in their pockets or synchronize their primary PC with their handheld computer without taking it out of their briefcase.

"The overwhelming interest in Bluetooth technology from a wide range of industries demonstrates the growing importance of wireless communication," said Andrew M. Seybold, editor-in-chief, Andrew Seybold's Outlook and keynote speaker at the Bluetooth Developers Conference. "The Bluetooth SIG includes the right balance of industry leaders who can make the vision a reality."

The final Bluetooth specification version 1.0 is scheduled for public release during the second quarter of 1999 and the first products will be announced during the second half of 1999. Early Bluetooth-enabled products are expected to include mobile computers, handheld PCs, digital cellular phones and peripherals such as printers, projectors, PC Cards and hands-free head-sets. Network access points will also be available to facilitate access to LANs and WANs.

For more information about Bluetooth technology, membership information and to view a recording of Andy Seybold's keynote speech, please see the official Bluetooth website at www.bluetooth.com.

About the Bluetooth Founding Companies
Ericsson is the leading provider in the new telecoms world, with communications solutions that combine telecom and datacom technologies with the freedom of mobility for the user. With more than 100,000 employees in 140 countries, Ericsson simplifies communications for its customers - network operators, service providers, enterprises and consumers - the world over. Please visit Ericsson's Press Room at: www.ericsson.se/pressroom.

IBM, the world's largest computer manufacturer, is also the world's largest software company and the world's largest provider of information technology services. Additional information is available at www.ibm.com.

Nokia is a broad-scope communications company supplying mobile phones, mobile and fixed telecommunications networks, wireless data communications solutions, multimedia terminals and computer monitors. In 1997, net sales totaled FIM 52.6 billion ($9.8 billion). Headquartered in Finland, Nokia is listed on the NYSE (NOK.A), has sales in 130 countries and employs more than 41,000 people worldwide. Additional information about Nokia is available at www.nokia.com.

With sales of $44 billion (sales for fiscal year ending March 31st, 1997), Toshiba is the world's sixth largest electronics and electrical equipment manufacturer. Toshiba Corporation is a world leader in high-technology products with over 180,000 employees in more than 55 countries throughout the world. Founded in 1875, Toshiba has had a long history as a technological innovator and invested more than $2.6 billion in R&D in 1997.

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