Press Release

November 12, 2003

Onset Announces METAmessage® Emergency Gateway for BlackBerry®

Enables Uninterrupted Handheld Access to the Enterprise™ in the Event of Network Failure; Users Can Access Documents, COOP/ER Data, and Other Information Sources During Emergencies; Solutions to be Shown at METAmessage COOP/ER Seminar

Santa Cruz, CA - (Market Wire) - Onset Technology, a leading developer of enterprise access software for wireless handheld devices, announced today the METAmessage Emergency Gateway. The patent-pending Gateway ensures that BlackBerry® handheld users maintain uninterrupted access to vital data such as Continuity of Operations (COOP) and emergency response (ER) plans in the event of a natural disaster or terrorist attack. The Gateway software, when installed on a PC or laptop with one or more cradled BlackBerry handhelds, maintains handheld access to information sources using PIN-to-PIN messaging.

The Gateway is the latest addition to a suite of METAmessage features that let IT managers and planners use BlackBerry deployments to meet COOP/ER mandates. These features include updating PIN addresses on handhelds; blasting PIN-to-PIN messages to groups; archiving PIN-to-PIN messages; and, automatically maintaining up-to-date emergency documents on handhelds. The features are designed for use in conjunction with the BlackBerry wireless platform from Research In Motion (RIM) (NasdaqNM:RIMM - News) (Toronto:RIM.TO - News). Onset will show all these features in an upcoming COOP/ER solutions seminar in Washington, D.C.

"BlackBerry handhelds are often the only functioning wireless devices when disaster strikes, and it is imperative that BlackBerry users have constant access to critical data such as emergency plans, procedures, and contacts," said Gadi Mazor, president and CEO of Onset Technology. "Ordinarily, if a site loses network infrastructure for any reason, wireless users lose email and access to the network. The Gateway and other COOP/ER features keep users connected to critical data until either backup infrastructure is enabled or the system is restored."

The morning-long COOP/ER solutions seminar will be held November 19 at the Four Points Sheraton hotel in downtown Washington, DC. The hotel is conveniently located near the McPherson Sq. METRO station. Interested parties should contact Onset at (831) 471-1360 x136 or visit www.onsettechnology.com to confirm space at the seminar.

COOP/ER Capabilities

METAmessage COOP/ER capabilities include the Emergency Gateway, PIN Updating, PIN-to-PIN Archiving, PIN-to-PIN Blast, Handheld Document Storage, and Data Access. Benefits of the Gateway include: users immediately access emergency procedures, plans, contact info, etc.; no user training is required -- PIN-to-PIN functionality is automatic and transparent to the user; redundant email/infrastructure systems are unnecessary, while backup METAmessage systems are quick and easy to add and configure; emergency information retains formatting and is easy to read on handhelds; and, documents can be printed anywhere phone lines to fax machines are intact.

In the event of a catastrophic loss of network, email, or back-end infrastructure, BlackBerry users can take advantage of PIN-to-PIN messaging to communicate directly with other BlackBerry users over the wireless network. However, up to now, two factors have impeded this feature: the need for easy access to PIN addresses and the decision by many organizations to "turn off" PIN-to-PIN messaging due to the absence of message archiving. Now, users can make sure their BlackBerry address books have the latest PIN addresses by using METAmessage's PIN updating feature. And, organizations can enable PIN-to-PIN messaging with the knowledge that all transmissions will be securely archived.

PIN-to-PIN blast makes fast communication with groups possible by letting users address messages using special lists of PIN addresses or using existing lists from the BlackBerry address book where PIN addresses have been included in the address book entries.

The METAmessage handheld document storage (HDS) capability lets a user read emergency information immediately on their handheld even if out of wireless coverage. When in coverage, METAmessage monitors specified network folders that contain emergency documents. It converts the documents into handheld-readable format, and uploads the documents to the handheld. METAmessage maintains the latest versions of emergency documents on the handheld, and the original documents can be in virtually any format, from WordPerfect documents and Excel spreadsheets to MS Project files, PowerPoint presentations and .html pages.

METAmessage data access capabilities let handheld users access emergency information located in network file servers, document management systems, enterprise applications, and databases using simple forms. Users either request information or enter information into the data source without having to launch a Web browser. The system currently works using either email transport or the Mobile Data Service feature of BlackBerry Enterprise Server™. METAmessage data access capabilities are currently available for over 180 information systems.

All of the COOP/ER capabilities are features of METAmessage for Wireless, a complete, out-of-the-box software solution that should be an integral part of any BlackBerry deployment. METAmessage currently serves over 1000 customers, including numerous US government agencies, with over 100,000 users.

Availability

The METAmessage HDS, PIN Updating, PIN Blast, PIN-to-PIN Archiving, and Data Access features are now shipping. The Gateway will be available in Q4. For pricing information, contact your Onset representative or call (877) 847-8329.

About Onset Technology

Founded in 1997, Onset Technology is the developer of METAmessage® for Wireless - a unique software solution that gives business users access to virtually any data on their enterprise network using just a wireless email device such as RIM's BlackBerry® handheld. The software is broadly compatible with virtually all wireless devices and servers including those from strategic partners AT&T, Ericsson, Microsoft, and RIM. Since its introduction, METAmessage has been widely adopted by Fortune 1000 companies, government agencies, and a range of large service organizations. For more information, visit www.onsettechnology.com

METAmessage® and Handheld Access to the Enterprise are trademarks of Onset Technology. The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties of and trademarks and registered trademarks of Research In Motion Limited.