PSC Announces Worldwide Availability of New Magellan 8500 Scanner; "Smart" Scanner Utilizes Breakthrough SurroundScan 3D Scanning Technology

Business Wire, Feb 4, 2002

Business Editors & Hi-Tech Writers

MARKETECHNICS

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 4, 2002

PSC Inc. (NASDAQ:PSCX), a global provider of integrated data-collection products and services for retail supply chains, today announced worldwide availability of the Magellan(R) 8500, the first and only scanner in the world armed with breakthrough SurroundScan(TM) 3D Scanning(TM) technology.

The new "smart" scanner maximizes retail checkout and supply chain speed and efficiency to match customer demand and employee checkout productivity in real-time.

The Magellan 8500 is the highest performing fixed point-of-sale scanner in the world and also has the most aggressive scan pattern in the industry. It is the only POS scanner that quickly reads bar codes on all six sides of an item using PSC patented SurroundScan 3D Scanning technology. The Magellan 8500 significantly improves checkout productivity and ergonomics, and the intelligent decoding software integrated with the scanner allows reading of poor quality and truncated labels. The "next-generation" Magellan 8500 also provides cashier training and productivity reporting.

An improved PSC patented All-Weighs(TM) scale platter also incorporated in the Magellan 8500 holds produce in any direction providing more accurate weighing, significantly reducing produce shrink. Additionally, with less than 14-watt power consumption, the new Magellan can also save a store up to 42 percent on current electricity costs compared to competitive scanners.

"We believe introduction of the Magellan 8500 is a major benchmark for the retail industry," said Edward J. Borey, President and CEO of PSC Inc. "Its SurroundScan technology and intelligent software not only take the customer shopping experience and checker productivity to the next level, but will create a faster return on investment."

Designed for high-volume retail applications, including supermarkets, hypermarkets, wholesale clubs, mass merchandisers and large do-it-yourself centers, a new, louder speaker with five volume increments and three tone settings allows the scanner to be clearly heard even when noise levels at the point-of-sale reach their peak. Flash memory and a universal host interface allow software and new symbologies to be added and an auxiliary port allows easy addition of PSC handheld scanners for checking out large or heavy items.

Host diagnostic reporting and improved preventative maintenance are also included to provide retailers early warning of impending failures and to reduce potential downtime. Magellan 8500 demonstrations are available during the Marketechnics trade show in San Diego, February 3rd - 5th, at the PSC booth, # 1305.

About PSC Inc.

PSC provides innovative data-collection solutions for the retail supply chain worldwide. Its range of products includes mobile and wireless data-capture terminals, warehouse management software, self-checkout systems, and fixed-position and handheld bar code scanners. PSC(TM) products are used to improve efficiency, speed, and agility in the retail, and warehouse and distribution sectors. PSC, Magellan and SurroundScan, 3D Scanning, and All-Weighs are trademarks of PSC Inc. All other brand and product names may be trademarks of their respective companies. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, PSC has major manufacturing facilities in Eugene, Oregon, as well as sales and service offices throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australia. To learn more about PSC, visit www.pscnet.com or contact us at 1-800-695-5700.

The forward-looking statements contained in this release are based on estimates of future performance and are highly dependent upon a variety of factors, which could cause actual results to differ materially. These factors include the market acceptance of existing and new products, competitive product offerings and pricing pressures, the ability to control manufacturing and operating costs, the integration of acquisitions, foreign currency and interest rate fluctuations, fulfillment of lending agreements and the disposition of legal issues. Reference should be made to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for further discussions of factors that could affect PSC's future results.