Business Services Industry

Socket Shows Cordless Bluetooth Printing from Pocket PC to Epson Stylus Color 777 Printer

Business Wire, March 20, 2001

Business/Technology Editors

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 20, 2001

Socket's CompactFlash plug-in card adds Bluetooth wireless

connectivity to Pocket PC

At the CTIA Wireless 2001 Convention today, Socket Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCKT; PSE: SOK) demonstrated for the first time a Windows-powered Pocket PC using Socket's Bluetooth wireless plug-in card to print to an Epson Stylus Color 777 printer.

Socket's Personal Network Card is a CompactFlash plug-in card that fits in the expansion slot of Pocket PCs from Casio, Compaq and Hewlett Packard. The Personal Network Card allows Pocket PCs to exchange data wirelessly with a variety of Bluetooth-enabled devices at ranges of up to 30 feet. In the demonstration, the Epson Stylus Color 777 printed a Pocket Word file sent from a Pocket PC to an external Bluetooth transceiver attached to the printer's data port.

"This is the first time that we've shown how Bluetooth can allow standard Pocket PC applications such as Pocket Word to print wirelessly to popular printers like the Epson Stylus Color 777," said John Doub, director of Socket's Bluetooth program. "Instead of the static, line-of-site connectivity of an infrared IrDA port, Bluetooth brings true mobility to cordless printing because it supports omni-directional wireless access, operates at over 10 times the range of IrDA, and enables instant, on-the-fly networking."

"We are excited to be working with Socket to help make Bluetooth-based wireless printing available to people who use Pocket PCs and Epson consumer ink jet printers," said Mitch Kadish, Senior Product Manager, Connectivity and Internet Devices for Epson America. "As Socket has demonstrated, a major benefit of the wireless revolution is that Bluetooth will make it even easier for people on the move to produce hard copy output."

The Bluetooth Personal Network Card is now available to qualified application developers who participate in Socket's Bluetooth Evaluation Program. For information about the evaluation program, visit http://www.socketcom.com/btintro.htm.> About Socket

Socket Communications, Inc. develops and sells connection products for handheld computers and other devices. Socket's products include the Battery Friendly(R) family of plug-in cards for enhancing mobile computers by adding wireless Internet connectivity, local area networking, bar code scanning, and data communication. Socket's products incorporate the company's energy-efficient chip technology, making them ideal for battery-operated mobile computers. Socket is an Associate Member of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) and is developing products that will add Bluetooth wireless technology to handheld computers, notebooks and other electronic appliances. For information about Socket's complete range of products, visit http://www.socketcom.com/prodinfo.htm.> About Epson

Epson offers an extensive array of award-winning image capture and image output products for the consumer, business and graphic arts markets. The company is also a leading supplier of value-added point-of-sale (POS) solutions for the retail market. Founded in 1975, Epson America Inc. is the U.S. affiliate of Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, a global manufacturer and supplier of high-quality technology products that meet customer demands for increased functionality, compactness, systems integration and energy efficiency. Epson America Inc. is headquartered in Long Beach, Calif.

Note to Editors: Socket and Battery Friendly are registered trademarks of Socket Communications, Inc. BLUETOOTH is a trademark owned by Aktiebolaget LM Ericsson and licensed to Socket. All other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.(c)2001, Socket Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.

CTIA Wireless 2001 Convention, Bluetooth Pavilion in the Venetian Hotel, Booth 8167, Kiosk G.