Brand Communications Wins Prestigious Mobile Data Association (MDA) Award

'Best Corporate Mobile Data Application'

Huntingdon, UK, 29th October 2004

Remote access specialists Brand Communications, today announced that it's work within the Utilities Sector won the prestigious 2004 Mobile Data Association (MDA) Award for 'Best Corporate Mobile Data Application of the decade'. The Awards were presented at the Painters Hall in London on Thursday 28th October and the event was attended by Industry Analysts, Editors and Heads of Telecoms Industries.

Brand was awarded this prestigious accolade after the judges recognised its 'Apollo Solution' for the successful real time GPRS applications that it had delivered to Utility Companies, Emergency Services, Military and Enterprise Corporations. The solution has delivered many benefits including, cost savings, efficiencies, flexibility and productivity gains to over 60% of the UK Utility workforce with customers including NGT, United Utilities and Yorkshire Water. The same solution provides highly secure military mobile communications in many of today's hot spots around the world and at the same time provides unique real time ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) and real time finger print analysis to Police forces in the UK and overseas.

Apollo is a robust mission critical solution offering Remote Workers with a rapid response solution enabling them to request and receive vital data or job information on the move. It also offers seamless access to corporate resources and can transparently roam across multiple bearers including WiFi, Airwave, GPRS or UMTS.

Many utilities are deciding to replace their old communication systems with GPRS and need a solution that will allow their engineers to access information at any point throughout the day. Many now have deployed Brand's Apollo solution into their corporate networks and have immediately reaped the benefits for 10's of thousands of their employees.

Brand offers Enterprise and Utility companies all the benefits of business access computing on multiple wireless network standards - with the added benefit of high compression levels and fast packet loss recovery. It also offers them an insurance policy with the use of dynamic switching between bearers - GPRS, Switched Circuit and includes the use of WLAN for access to Public WiFi hotspots (PWLANs). Another key factor for Utilities is security. With Brand's enhanced security techniques, it ensures that only valid users can establish sessions and access applications throughout the day with military grade AES Encryption. The solution also offers a GPS option - which is extremely useful for lone-worker operations or the location of field assets within military or emergency service applications.

Martin Kendrick, MD of Brand Communications summarised: "We are really pleased to be honoured with the 'Best Corporate Mobile Data Application' Award. The use of mobility within the Corporate Market has now become a fundamental way of working. At Brand we have ensured that large scale mission critical projects are capable of being deployed quickly, are easy to use, and above all can demonstrate immediate efficiency and productivity gains. Brand is delighted to be recognised for the successful projects it has delivered to the corporate markets around the world.

About Brand Communications

Brand Communications is a global leader in mobile data and remote access solutions. We develop, manufacture and market a range of leading mobile, remote office and site-to-site access solutions for all environments including ISDN, PSTN, Fixed Lines, Satellite, Wireless LANs, GSM, HSCSD and GPRS.

Apollo has helped to significantly grow the number of active Mobile Data users worldwide and has delivered tangible paybacks to many networks and their users. More information can be found at http://www.brandcomms.com

About Mobile Data Association

The Mobile Data Association (MDA) was established in 1994 to increase awareness of mobile data amongst users and their advisers. Over the past ten years, the Association has grown to become the forum for the international mobile data community. As well as providing a focal point for industry participants to meet and share information on technical and business issues, the MDA actively works to promote the uses and benefits of wireless value added services through industry and business press, conferences, seminars and the maintenance of a web site.
For further information please visit: www.mda-mobiledata.org

For further information on Brand Communications Ltd, contact:

Miss Katie Sarah Ruff
Brand Communications Limited
Trinity House
Ermine Business Park
Huntingdon
Cambs, PE29 6XY

Tel: +44 (0)1480 442100   Email: katier@brandcomms.com
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