WhereNet Wireless Technology Deployed at BMW to Streamline Factory Operations

Siemens Partnership Yields First Customer Win; BMW Group Adds Vehicle Location System to Expedite Production of 3, 5 and 7 Series Luxury Automobiles

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Nov. 18 -- WhereNet Corp., the leader of wireless solutions for tracking and managing enterprise assets, announced today, in partnership with Siemens Automation and Drives Group (A&D), that the BMW Group has installed the Sicalis RTL (Real-Time Locating) system, powered by WhereNet. The BMW plant in Dingolfing, Germany is using this innovative identification system to locate any one of the new vehicles that come off the assembly line each day. With such real-time visibility to every vehicle parked in any one of 3000 spaces across the factory premises, BMW is able to reduce production times, cut costs, and improve customer satisfaction by expediting delivery of every custom ordered vehicle. Today's news comes on the heels of the recently announced Siemens/WhereNet OEM partnership that calls for Siemens to offer products that integrate WhereNet's wireless real-time locating system (RTLS) technology.

"The BMW installation is the first of many planned deployments of the WhereNet technology as Siemens expands its leadership position throughout Europe by offering automakers and other manufacturers the most comprehensive suite of radio frequency identification (RFID) systems," said Christian Friedl, director of information technology for Siemens AG. "The WhereNet technology will be embraced by a number of our customers in a variety of industries."

Searching for cars is no longer necessary with the Sicalis RTL system. If BMW's Assembly Finish System -- also known as "MOFI" -- calls up a vehicle for finishing, an employee can find its location in real time on the intranet via a Web browser. The Sicalis RTL application graphically displays the location of every car in the plant.

"BMW is one more proof point that our location-based wireless solutions are becoming pervasive in automotive plants around the globe," said Dan Doles, president and CEO, WhereNet. "We offer proven, bottom-line cost savings for automakers around the world. Our automotive customers save tens of millions of dollars a year through multiple applications of our technology including wireless parts replenishment, container management, and vehicle tracking."

About Siemens Automation and Drives Group

The Siemens Automation and Drives Group (A&D), Nuremberg/Erlangen, Germany, is the leading manufacturer in this field worldwide. A&D supplies standard products for the manufacturing and process industries and for the electrical installation industry, as well as system solutions -- for example for machine tools -- and solutions for whole industries, such as the automation of entire automobile factories or chemical plants. Supplementing this range of products and services, A&D also offers software for linking production and management (horizontal and vertical IT integration) and for optimizing production processes. A&D employs 51,200 people worldwide, and in fiscal year 2002 (to September 30) earned a pre-tax profit of euro 723 million (U.S. $709 million) on sales of euro 8.6 billion (U.S. $8.4 billion) and orders of euro 8.7 billion (U.S. $8.5 billion).

About WhereNet Corp.

WhereNet is the first company to deliver a single wireless location and communication infrastructure that reliably and cost-effectively manages valuable mobile resources. Based on patented, standards-compliant technology resulting from a collective 100+ years of development, WhereNet's real-time solutions have reduced inventory, lowered operating costs, and improved operations, delivering a complete return on investment within 12 months for some of the world's leading companies, including Coca-Cola, Ford Motor Co., and NYK Logistics. WhereNet's strategic partners include Fortune 500 bellwethers FMC, General Electric, Siemens, Symbol, and Unisys. The company has received the Henry Ford Technology Award; was honored for award-winning ROI by Computerworld; was ranked among the top 10 in the InfoWorld 100; and has been recognized as a wireless innovator by Forrester Research, Computerworld ROI, Frontline Solutions, Plant Engineering, and Supply Chain Systems magazines. Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, with offices throughout the United States and Europe, WhereNet is funded by Crosspoint Venture Partners, Foundation Capital, Bay Partners, Crescendo Ventures, and Sun Microsystems. For more information, visit the WhereNet Web site at www.wherenet.com, or call 408-845-8500 (in the U.S.) or + 32 15 28 48 00 (in Europe).

NOTE: WhereNet is a registered trademark of WhereNet Corp. All other brands, products, or service names are or may be trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.