Leading European Public Transportation Operators Gather in Stockholm to Explore Future of Wireless Broadband Technologies

Stockholm, April 22, 2005 – Hosted by the Stockholm Public Transport Authority and Connex Transport, organized by Appear Networks on behalf of the @Anyplace Access Consortium, the first WiFi@Transportation Summit brought together over 40 participants from major European public transportation operators to explore the impact of the latest wireless broadband technologies and related business cases on the transportation industry today, and for the future.

The WiFi@Transportation Summit featured several high profile WiFi deployment case studies that provided attendees with detailed presentations from transportation operators regarding business strategies for deploying wireless broadband technologies as well as the impact of the deployments on employees and passengers. Presenting companies included: Stockholm Public Transport Authority (SL) in cooperation with Connex Transport (Stockholm Subway operator), Paris Local Transport Authority (RATP), the real estate owner of the Swedish Railway Stations (Jernhusen), Dutch Railroad (NS) and Metro de Madrid. Technology partners included Cisco, Intel, Capgemini, Fujitsu-Siemens, Aptilo, The Cloud and Appear Networks.

The Stockholm Subway conducted a live on-site demonstration of its wireless broadband deployment which utilizes the Appear Networks wireless communication platform. The demonstration highlighted how frontline Stockholm Subway employees equipped with a handheld device can instantly access context-aware safety and security applications as well as real-time traffic information. The employee’s precise location in the WiFi network is recognized within a few meters, and based upon this precise positioning, personalized, location-specific information requested by the employee is transmitted.

Björn Dalborg, Director at Stockholm Public Transport Authority and President of the Association of European Metropolitan Transport Authorities (EMTA), commented “This summit was a fantastic opportunity for SL and Connex to discuss strategies with our European colleagues and initiate collaborations around multimodal information”. He added “We looked beyond technical requirements of WiFi, WiMAX, UMTS and related broadband wireless technologies in order to focus on how to really use these technologies to drive efficiency gains, yield cost savings and generate additional revenues”.

Matt Crayton, Head of IT Infrastructure at English Welsh and Scottish Railway added: “It was a great event. We genuinely didn’t realize there was so much innovation out there, and being used, not just for the sake of being innovative, but to deliver real competitive advantage and cost savings. It was really eye opening.”

An increasing number of European public transport companies are adopting wireless broadband for their enterprise needs, focusing on operational excellence and customer intimacy. Wireless broadband technologies have proven to be a great vector of operational processes optimization and offer rapid returns on investment. This is especially relevant for the public transportation industry, where enterprise wireless applications result in significant bottom-line savings.

Dave Lynch, Group Technology Director at Go-Ahead Group plc, explained: "With Go-Ahead’s broad range of experience in the transport sector, we are at the forefront of the integrated transport debate. We are particularly interested in the @Anyplace Access approach because it has the potential to improve the link between public and private transport and to span across our existing operations in the bus, rail and aviation sectors, in order to increase the number of passengers travelling annually with Go-Ahead."

Xavier Aubry, VP EMEA Operations at Appear Networks, commented “This event provided a forum to collaborate on important issues facing transportation operators deploying wireless broadband technologies today. We believe the WiFi@Transportation Summit is the first step towards the creation of a Wireless Broadband Transport Association in Europe.” Added Pieter Zylstra, Head of Capgemini’s Global WiFi Initiatives: “The Summit clearly demonstrated the positive impact and the importance of industry-wide collaboration on deploying innovative wireless technologies.”

A media kit concerning the WiFi@Transportation Summit can be found at http://www.appearnetworks.com/press_room/transport.html

About Appear Networks: Appear Networks is a leading provider of wireless communication platforms that enable successful enterprise mobility solutions. The Appear IQ suite of products transforms standard wireless data networks into multimedia channels for the proactive delivery of personalized, real-time information, mission-critical video and VoIP communication to mobile workers. In highly demanding mobile environments, Appear IQ makes technology accessible and intuitive, leveraging existing IT investments to maximize employee productivity and the effectiveness of customer interactions. Appear IQ is used by leaders in the transportation, telecommunication and public sector, including, among others, Stockholm Public Transport Authority (SL), Paris Local Transport Authority (RATP), Connex, France Telecom and the City of Kista, Sweden. Appear Networks partners with IT industry leaders Cisco, Capgemini, Intel and Fujitsu-Siemens Computers to deliver innovative, end-to-end, integrated WLAN solutions. The company is privately held and headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. For more information, please visit us at http://www.appearnetworks.com

About SL and Connex Transport AB: The responsibility for a well-functioning public transport system in the Stockholm Region lies on Stockholm Transport (SL). It is the duty of Stockholm Transport to develop and find new solutions for the public transport systems. In addition, Stockholm Transport controls the contractors’ execution of the public transport, and makes sure that they follow the agreements. Connex Transport AB is one of Europe’s leading private passenger transportation companies with 24,160 employees and approximately 1,376 million euro in annual turnover 2003. Connex Transport AB operates public transportation services on a contractual basis in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Slovenia.

About the @Anyplace Access Consortium:
Developed by Capgemini, @Anyplace Access is a fully secure, end-to-end, integrated WiFi platform solution based upon open standards technology from Cisco and Intel, and a portfolio of innovative value-added solutions from Appear Networks, Aptilo Networks, Birdstep and The Cloud. The @Anyplace Access solution enables enterprises building integrated WiFi service platforms to easily layer second generation enterprise mobility solutions and branded revenue-generating public WiFi services onto their platforms, maximizing the profitability of their investment.

Press Contacts:
Mia Falgard, +46 8 545 91 370, mia.falgard@appearnetworks.com