Telcontar Provides Server Technologies For Handmark Wireless Services

Handmark, a global leader in mobile media, today announced an agreement with Telcontar, the leading supplier of software and related services for the Location-Based Services (LBS) industry, under which Telcontar Drill Down Server and Rich Map Engine technologies will be integrated into Handmark mobile mapping services.

The first Handmark implementation of Telcontar's Drill Down Server (DDS) and Rich Map Engine will be in the award-winning Pocket Express wireless news and information bundle. Pocket Express customers can retrieve maps by street address, get turn-by-turn driving directions between two addresses, search for a person, neighbor or business; and subsequently map the location for the returned search data directly from the listing.

"Maps and directions are among the most valuable and frequently used services that Handmark offers," said Douglas Edwards, Handmark co-founder and executive vice president. "Now, with the integration of Telcontar's industry leading technologies, Handmark map-based services become an even more useful tool for our customers."

Pocket Express is available for a variety of wireless capable devices including Palm PDAs, Treo Smartphones, Windows Mobile Pocket PCs, BlackBerry and Java "features phones" from all major U.S. carriers. The Telcontar technologies are integrated into Version 2 of Pocket Express and will be available free to all existing Pocket Express subscribers on all platforms on October 7th.

"Handmark is an established innovator in the mobile media market," said J. Kim Fennell, president and CEO of Telcontar. "Its vision of using maps and location to enhance services like directory assistance, weather and entertainment demonstrates the power of location across a wide range of applications. We look forward to building a strong partnership with them."

Telcontar's Drill Down Server is the premier software platform for location-based services. DDS enables a variety of location-based applications with fast, powerful and flexible access to maps and other spatial data. The Rich Map Engine accesses map data using Telcontar's unique indexing technology. This enables the optimal organization of geospatial data, and provides map rendering, routing, positioning and dynamic customization.

Telcontar, founded in 1996, powers mapping services for Google, Yahoo, Ask Jeeves, Local Matters and others. Telcontar solutions are data source, platform, and device-independent with the flexibility to be integrated with a variety of handheld devices.

For more information about Handmark products and services including Pocket Express, visit the Handmark Web site at http://www.handmark.com.

About Handmark
Handmark is a global leader in the development and distribution of mobile content solutions. The company's flagship Pocket Express wireless service bundle offers consumer-friendly access to news, reference and infotainment content on cell phones as well as BlackBerry, Treo and Windows Mobile wireless handhelds. The company also holds key mobile content distribution patents including Java-based push technology for wireless devices; has technology and distribution relationships with CNN International, Reuters, Oxford University Press, Hasbro, and Zagat Survey as well as Sprint, Nextel, T-Mobile, Verizon, and others; and has an estimated 43 percent market share in mobile software titles sold through retail channels. Handmark has R&D facilities in Gothenburg, Sweden; Kansas City, Missouri; and Dallas, Texas, with sales offices in Chicago, Kansas City, San Francisco, Stockholm, and London. For more information, visit http://www.handmark.com.

About Telcontar
Telcontar provides the underlying geospatial technology that powers cutting-edge, location-based services provided by the world's best-known Internet and wireless companies, including Ask Jeeves, Google, Motorola Viamoto, TeleNav and Yahoo!. With Telcontar's powerful mapping software platform, clients can develop a wide array of customized applications drawing from a rich supply of digital maps, information on local businesses, traffic and other real-time data. Headquartered in San Jose, Calif., Telcontar can be reached via http://www.telcontar.com.