SATAMATICS ENTERS U.S. MARKET WITH FULL AUTHORITY

Establishes U.S. office in Ocala Florida to provide mobile satellite telematics services to all of the Americas

Ocala, Florida, U.S.A., August 22, 2002 -- Satamatics-Americas, a division of Satamatics Ltd, the global operator of satellite-based telematics information services, has gone live with its service in the U.S. market, following the Federal Communications Commissions (FCC) authorization to provide mobile satellite services across the U.S.

With the FCC authorization in place, Satamatics has completed its launch strategy for all of the Americas to fulfil the early market interest and take advantage of the strong potential for rapid growth. Satamatics is the first licensee in the U.S. for telematics services utilizing the Inmarsat D+ satellite network. Using applications developed by its specialist Application Service Providers (ASPs) -- the companys strategic partners around the world -- Satamatics Telematics Service delivers a range of affordable solutions, including Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA). Examples include asset tracking and tracing for marine and land transport, remote management for the water, oil and gas industries, and security-safety monitoring for remote premises and personnel.

The term telematics was originally created to describe systems that combined computer and telecommunications operations, to provide their combined services. Merging this with the latest satellite technology has enabled telematics systems to function locally and remotely anywhere in the world. Applying satellite-based telematics to the gathering and reporting of information pertaining to any and all measurable parameters enables real-time global monitoring, tracking, control and data acquisition to be truly ubiquitous.

In preparation for its Americas market entry, the company opened and staffed its regional base, Satamatics Americas, in Ocala, Florida, which is under the direction of Richtec, Inc. president, Gerald A. Gutman. Reporting to Mr. Gutman are Nick Smith, who heads up sales and distribution in Central and South America from an office in Caracas, Venezuela, and Rick Stafford, who heads up sales and distribution in North America from an office in Dundee, Oregon.

Satamatics Americas is targeting asset tracking and security monitoring for land and marine logistics, and monitoring applications for oil and gas pipelines.

Peter Chisholm, CEO of Satamatics Ltd, commented: It was a strategic imperative for us to penetrate the U.S. market. It has been a massive undertaking, with many months of hard work, but has secured us a unique market position. We are the only telematics organization capable of providing access to the Inmarsat D+ satellite network from within all the Americas, giving us an opportunity of enormous value. We foresee potential sales of the order of many thousands of satellite terminals within the first year alone, addressing numerous SCADA applications, as well as asset
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tracking and tracing. Through our affordable, flat-rate charging structure, we can demonstrate strong commercial benefits to large numbers of business and industry sectors, including smaller companies and operators. Our market position is further strengthened by our unique ability to offer D+ satellite coverage within the Pacific Ocean Region -- a factor of critical importance for the Americas."

Michael Butler, managing director of Inmarsat Ltd, commented:
This announcement represents a significant proof-point for Satamatics, a fast-growing Inmarsat Alliance Partner and an important global player in the telematics industry. Satamatics entry into the US market successfully demonstrates that the company is achieving precisely what it has set out to do. It can truly claim to offer seamless global coverage for our D+ solution, across the continents and oceans. Satamatics is successfully highlighting the effectiveness of D+ by providing comprehensive and highly affordable telematics services, and is driving the market penetration of this technology. We are fully supportive of Satamatics' endeavours to open up this service in an important new marketplace for Inmarsat."

Satamatics
Headquartered in the UK, Satamatics has a centralised data-handling centre in London, with Satellite Gateways installed in strategically located Land Earth Stations around the world. These provide genuinely global coverage across the worlds ocean regions and land masses -- for fleet management, asset tracking and tracing, controlling and monitoring remote sites, and for security applications. Satamatics information services operate via the well-proven Inmarsat D+ satellite network, and the company is unique in being able to provide coverage across the Pacific Ocean region, and throughout the U.S.

The companys dynamic approach to D+ applications has set new standards for end-to-end telematics services, with the company able to offer and cost-effectively deliver of a wide range of application-specific information services, direct to an end-user's desktop via the Internet. Satamatics Ltd is part of the Richtec plc group of companies, which has a long history of close involvement with Inmarsat, and is active across a range of communications, electronics and process control technologies, with an annual turnover in excess of US$26 million.

For more information please contact Satamatics Americas, Richtec, Inc., 3300 S.W. 34th Avenue, Suite 104, Ocala, FL 34474 U.S.A. Tel: +1 352 402-9187; Fax: +1 352 402-0236; info@satmatics-americas.com, www.satamatics-americas.com.
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For further information, please contact:
Company:         
Gerald A. Gutman       
President         
Satamatics Americas Division   
Richtec, Inc.      
3300 S.W. 34th Avenue   
Suite 104         
Ocala, FL 34474 USA   
Tel: +1 352 402-9187         
Fax: +1 352 402-0236

Public Relations:
Robert Schaefer
Robert Schaefer Inc.
PO Box 1515
Melville, NY 11747 USA
Tel: +1 631 643-5466
Fax: +1 631 643-2426
Robert@RobertSchaefer.com