Tegic Communications and Toshiba Corporation Sign Global Licensing Agreement

Business Wire, July 11, 2000

Business/High Tech Editors

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 11, 2000

Toshiba to Enable a Wide Range of Advanced Handsets with

T9(R) Text Input Built in

Tegic Communications, the leading developer of software for wireless phones and a wholly-owned subsidiary of America Online, Inc. (NYSE:AOL), announced today it has signed a global licensing agreement with Toshiba Corporation ("Toshiba").

As part of the agreement, Toshiba will incorporate T9AE(R) Text Input software into its wireless phones to enable easy text input. The T9-enabled Toshiba wireless phones are planned for release over a variety of networks, including CDMA (code division multiple access) in North America. Tegic Communications' flagship product, T9 Text Input, is quickly becoming the leading solution for easy text entry on mobile phones enabling wireless services, such as wireless email, Internet access and SMS (short message service).

Toshiba expects to introduce the first T9-enabled wireless phones in the United States under the Audiovox brand name by fourth quarter 2000. Audiovox Communications Corporation distributes Toshiba products in the United States.

"The growing demand for text style services such as Mobile Originated Two-Way SMS, has made easy text input technology like T9 Text Input a `must' for wireless phones. That's the reason why we've decided to introduce it," said Toshiba.

"We're honored to be a part of Toshiba's first generation CDMA handsets," said Don Davidge, vice president of sales and marketing for Tegic Communications. "Toshiba has a long and distinguished history in the handsets market and their vast experience will be hugely beneficial to the end user. With T9 Text Input onboard, typing on a Toshiba wireless phone will be as easy as typing on a laptop keyboard."

About T9 Text Input

By incorporating T9 Text Input into mobile communications products, companies are solving the fundamental problem of how to quickly and easily type and send messages. Although each key on a telephone keypad can be interpreted in multiple ways -- a single press on the "5" key could be "J," "K," or "L" -- T9 Text Input uses an internal database to automatically scan possible variations to determine the correct word. For example, entering the word "call" into a mobile phone will take just four key presses with T9 Text Input rather than ten key presses required by conventional "multi-tap" text entry.

Language Availability

T9 Text Input is available in a variety of languages including Chinese, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish and Turkish. T9 Text Input supports Simplified and Traditional stroke-based Chinese, as well as phonetic Pinyin and BoPoMoFo text input. Work is underway toward the completion of versions of T9 Text Input software for Eastern European and Middle Eastern languages. Language support is continually expanding.

About Toshiba Corporation

Toshiba Corporation is a global leader in information and communications systems, electronic components, consumer products, and power systems. The company's integration of these wide-ranging capabilities assures its position as a leading company in notebook PCs, digital audio/visual products, semiconductors, LCD and other advanced devices. Toshiba has 191,000 employees worldwide, and annual sales of over US$ 50 billion. Visit Toshiba's Website at http://www.toshiba.co.jp.

About Audiovox Communications Corporation

Audiovox Communications Corporation (ACC), a subsidiary of Audiovox Corporation (VOX), is one of the leading suppliers of wireless products with more than 15 years experience in the wireless industry. ACC markets its products under the brand "Audiovox" or private labels for its customer base. ACC has operations and sales offices in 10 countries and through its customer base, markets and distributes product in 42 countries on six continents.

About Tegic Communications

Tegic Communications was founded in 1995 to develop and market communication technologies for the telecommunications and computing industries. The company is headquartered in Seattle and has offices in Tokyo, Hong Kong and the UK.

Tegic's flagship product is T9 Text Input, the leading alphabet-based and Chinese and Japanese character-based text input software. T9 Text Input technology has been licensed to major consumer electronics and communications equipment manufacturers representing more than 90 percent of annual wireless phone production worldwide. There are more than 50 T9-enabled wireless phone models available throughout the world today.

In addition to Toshiba, current licensees include Nokia, Ericsson, Motorola, Benefon, Bosch, Denso, Fujitsu, Hyundai, Fujitsu, LG Information & Communications, Maxon, Memory Corporation, Mitsubishi, NEC, NeoPoint, Optimay, Panasonic, Philips, Qualcomm, Sagem, Samsung, Sanyo, Shintom, Siemens, Sony, Telit and Voxson. The company has worldwide patents, both issued and pending, on T9 Text Input technology.

For more information about Tegic Communications or T9 Text Input, call 206/343-7001, send e-mail to info@tegic.com, or visit the Company's Web site at www.tegic.com.