BSQUARE Announces New Version of WinDK Extension for Bluetooth for Windows CE Operating System

Business Wire, Dec 4, 2000

Business Editors/Technology Writers

Bluetooth Developers Conference

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 4, 2000

Product Meets Demand for Bluetooth Wireless Communication

Capabilities on Windows CE-based devices

BSQUARE Corporation (Nasdaq:BSQR) is making Bluetooth wireless technology available for devices running Windows(R) CE with a new version of its WinDK(TM) Extension for Bluetooth.

The new version will include tools and software to enable developers to seamlessly attach Bluetooth hardware to the Microsoft Windows CE operating system. BSQUARE is demonstrating some of the Windows CE features of this new product at the Bluetooth Developers Conference using a Compaq iPAQ and National Semiconductor(R) Geode(TM) WebPAD(TM) reference design in booth No. 210.

The WinDK Extension for Bluetooth for Windows CE will be an important addition to BSQUARE's growing portfolio of wireless solutions for the intelligent computing device market. BSQUARE will license the product in conjunction with a fully qualified Bluetooth Software Stack. Qualification of the Bluetooth Software stack by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) ensures compatibility of the Bluetooth stack with worldwide Bluetooth technology standards as well as interoperability with other devices using Bluetooth.

"Bluetooth is an excellent wireless communication technology for any number of devices, especially mobile devices. Combined with the dominance of Windows CE on many of the new consumer and industrial mobile devices in development today, there is high demand for a CE version of our popular Bluetooth software product," said Paul Lever, director of BSQUARE's Platform Technologies Group.

According to Allied Business Intelligence (ABI), the steady growth of devices communicating via Bluetooth technology will grow to over 1.4 billion by 2005 compared to just 56 million next year. However, Bluetooth's scope of adoption is not limited to these devices; the first Bluetooth-enabled devices are due to become generally available in the fourth quarter of this year and Bluetooth transceivers embedded in everything from PC equipment to industrial control devices will begin appearing in the market in 2001. The WinDK Extension for Bluetooth and Bluetooth stack provide the solutions needed by Bluetooth developers in these new and rapidly growing markets.

About WinDK Extension for Bluetooth

Using BSQUARE's WinDK Extension for Bluetooth and its qualified Bluetooth Software stack, developers will be able to greatly reduce development time for Bluetooth enabled devices. The product will contain a set of driver development tools and Bluetooth software for creating high performance drivers and for seamlessly integrating any Bluetooth hardware or form factor with Windows CE. The toolkit will contain a code generation wizard, header files, libraries and samples. The Wizard generated code will target Bluetooth hardware on PC Cards, USB, PCI, and Generic Internal (including ISA) buses, as well as a layered approach for handling other transports such as RS-232. In addition, the WinDK Extension for Bluetooth for Windows CE and its Bluetooth Software stack will free developers from developing complex code. Instead, developers can focus on developing hardware interfaces and using their existing Win32 applications. Earlier this year BSQUARE released its first Bluetooth product, the WinDK Extension for Bluetooth supporting development on Windows 2000.

Price and Availability

The WinDK Extension for Bluetooth for Windows CE will be available in the first quarter of 2001 at an estimated price of $14,995.00 USD; run-time royalties are negotiated per unit Developers will also be able to purchase a subscription program that provides 12 months of high-priority product technical support, free CD-ROM product updates and upgrades, and shipping.

About BSQUARE

BSQUARE (Nasdaq:BSQR) is innovating tomorrow's devices through software solutions for the development of intelligent computing devices. Specializing in the Microsoft Windows family of operating systems, BSQUARE supplies software products and services for the development and use of handheld computers, set-top boxes, web pads, Internet appliances, industrial automation devices, Windows-based terminals, and other mobile and wireless intelligent devices. From development tools to software infrastructures to end-user applications, the BSQUARE touch is on many Windows-based devices available in the market today.

For more information, visit BSQUARE at http://www.bsquare.com or call 888/820-4500.

BSQUARE is a registered trademark of BSQUARE Corporation. All names, product names, and tradenames are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Pricing is subject to change without notice.

This release contains forward-looking statements relating to our sales that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. The words "believe," "expect," "intend," "anticipate," variations of such words, and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, but their absence does not mean that the statement is not forward-looking. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Factors that could affect BSQUARE's actual results include the failure of the market to accept these products and services, adverse changes in BSQUARE's relationship with Microsoft, a decline in the market for Windows -based intelligent computing devices or the failure of such market to develop as anticipated, delays or announcements of delays by Microsoft of Windows product releases, competition and intellectual property risks. A more detailed description of certain factors that could affect actual results include, but are not limited to, those discussed in BSQUARE's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, in the section entitled "Risk Factors." Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. BSQUARE undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events or circumstances after the date of this release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.