Pharos Recognized by Microsoft Corporation's Mobility Partner Advisory Council; Pharos Receives Partner Achievement Award in Recognition of Company's Engagement in the Council

    TORRANCE, Calif.--April 21, 2003--Pharos Science & Applications Inc., a leading provider of portable navigation and location-based services, announced today it has been recognized by Microsoft Corporation's Mobility Partner Advisory Council (MPAC) with the company's Partner Achievement Award. This award acknowledges a MPAC participant's superior achievement over the past 6 months.
    "Pharos is both honored and delighted to be recognized by Microsoft's prestigious Mobility Partner Advisory Council; this has been a fantastic situation for our sales and new business teams. One of our most exciting accomplishments was the 53 percent sell-through growth in 2002," said James Oyang, Ph.D., president and chairman of Pharos. "In addition, we have greatly benefited by a MPAC-supported technical team to further our goal of building a wireless internet navigation system that provides location based information to mobile consumers using Windows Powered devices. A profound understanding of the intrinsic technology advances in Microsoft Pocket PC software has enabled us to quickly integrate real time traffic data and web-based Points of Interest (POI) services into our Windows Powered Pocket PC-based GPS navigation system."
    The MPAC was formed to serve as a focused feedback mechanism for Microsoft mobility platform development and to provide new technical, marketing and business development support to companies making significant investments and inroads in the mobility space.
    "Microsoft and industry partners are creating the most-comprehensive, end-to-end mobile solutions for delivering information and services to customers any time, any place, on any device," said Mary Rose Becker, group manager for the Mobile Devices Division at Microsoft Corp. "Industry partners, such as Pharos, whose navigation solutions offer true mobility to customers, are helping them to realize the vast potential of Windows Powered platforms."
    "Our continued alliance with Microsoft is instrumental in building new sales and marketing opportunities for a growing company, like ours," said Craig Kairis, vice president, business development, Pharos.

    About Pharos

    Founded in 1998 and based in Torrance, Calif., Pharos Science & Applications, Inc. is a leading provider of personal and portable navigation and location-based services for a variety of markets. Pharos is a charter member of Microsoft's Mobility Partner Advisory Council. Its products are sold through a network of leading national retail locations and online stores including MobilePlanet, CompUSA, Office Depot, Fry's Electronics, SkyMall, and others. For more information, visit www.pharosgps.com.

    The Pocket GPS Navigator is a registered trademark of Pharos Science & Applications, Inc. All other product and company names herein may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.