News release

Icewrx and Compaq Deliver Mobile Wireless Solution to Link Australian Olympians to Family, Fans, Events

Compaq iPAQ Pocket PCs and Wireless Technology to Enhance Olympic Experience and Offer Safer, Secure Mail Alternative

To enhance the experience and help ensure safety at the 2002 Winter Games, Icewrx Inc. and Compaq Computer Corporation (NYSE: CPQ) have teamed up to provide state-of-the-art wireless technology to keep Australian Olympians in touch with events and activities, as well as family and fans back home. Due to concerns regarding the safety of traditional mail, the Australian team will not be allowed to open any mail during the Games.

The Australian Olympic Committee is introducing a technology solution to athletes using Icewrx's HIVE™ secure wireless location-based system along with Compaq wireless LAN solutions, Compaq iPAQ Pocket PCs, and Compaq ProLiant industry standard servers. The solution will provide a safe alternative to mail and allow athletes to send and receive e-mail, view both video footage of news from home and streaming video of the hottest Olympic events, as well as to chat with other team members, check scheduling, team statistics, scores and weather forecasts, receive bulletins and alerts, and even keep track of dietary requirements.

"The safety of our athletes is critical, and in the wake of the anthrax scares in the U.S., we needed to find an alternative to regular mail during the games," said Ryan Wells, manager, eCommunications for the Australian Olympic Committee.

"This wireless mobility technology provides traditional wireless services, such as e-mail and Internet connectivity, but has the added features of real-time streaming video, community tools and entertainment services that will enhance the Olympic experience for our athletes during their stay in Salt Lake City."

The technology solution designed for the Australian Olympic team provides the ultimate blend of performance and connectivity, enabling athletes to keep their information, contacts, wireless communications capabilities and Internet content with them all the time, as close as their athletic shirt pocket.

"There is growing demand for access to custom information whenever and wherever people need it—whether they be world-class athletes, sports enthusiasts or business people—and that has propelled the desire for wireless capability, such as what we are providing to the Australian team," said Icewrx president and CEO Michael Kahn.

Icewrx's HIVE wireless system will deliver formatted content to the Compaq iPAQ Pocket PCs to allow athletes to view ever changing content and exchange information. A mobile unit equipped with advanced hardware and secure software technology will optimize the bandwidth and minimize network congestion to provide rich information exchange between athletes and their families back home.

"This technology radically alters the way athletes and sports spectators can access information while away from the home or office—anytime and anywhere—and while it serves as an alternative for the Australian athletes to stay in touch with family back home, it also enriches their entire Olympic experience here," said Jerry Meerkatz, vice president and general manager of Compaq Enterprise Mobility Solutions.

Icewrx Background

Icewrx Inc. has developed HIVE™, a wireless system targeted at helping businesses drive efficiencies and create new revenue streams. Icewrx's system is an integrated software and hardware system focused on delivering broadband content and interaction, content exchange, e-commerce transactions and permission-based marketing and intelligence to mobile devices, whether they are a cell phone or a handheld computer. HIVE allows users to communicate, exchange and collaborate across proximity ad-hock networks or globally through the Internet. Users receive rich relevant information based on their physical location from the web, network or other HIVE devices. Additional information is available at www.icewrx.com.

Compaq Background

Founded in 1982, Compaq Computer Corporation is a leading global provider of information technology products, services and solutions for enterprise customers. Compaq designs, develops, manufactures and markets information technology equipment, software, services and solutions, including industry-leading enterprise storage and computing solutions, fault-tolerant business-critical solutions, communication products, personal desktop and notebook computers, and personal entertainment and Internet access devices that are sold in more than 200 countries directly and through a network of authorized Compaq marketing partners. Information on Compaq and its products and services is available at http://www.compaq.com.