NEWSAttention Business/Telecommunications Editors:
CSI Wireless - Growth Strategies
3-Day Summit Focuses on Promising Wireless Markets
Toronto Stock Exchange Symbol: CSY
CALGARY, Aug. 17 /CNW/ - (TSE:CSY): CSI Wireless Inc, a leading provider
of advanced wireless and GPS technologies for high growth automotive,
commercial, and consumer markets has provided a status report on the
successful integration of recently acquired Wireless Link Corporation. During
a recent 3-day management summit, the Company refined its growth strategies to
capitalize on the immense new markets emerging in the wireless products
sectors.
"This was the most exciting management summit that I have ever attended,"
said Stephen Verhoeff, President & CEO of CSI Wireless. "The merger with
Wireless Link Corporation has given us significantly more growth potential
than we expected. Prior to the merger, we were seldom asked to quote in
quantities exceeding 100,000 units. Because we develop and own wireless
technology, as a combined entity, we are now being solicited to quote on
projects requiring millions of units."
Targeted High Growth Markets
As presented at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, CSI Wireless
is determined to become a powerful force in a number of high growth, multi-
billion dollar wireless and wireless-GPS markets. The following provides an
overview of the top five high growth markets targeted by CSI Wireless:
- Automotive and Consumer Telematics;
- Fleet and Asset Management;
- Fixed Telemetry;
- Wireless Local Loop Telephone Terminals; and
- High Bandwidth Products for Mobile Computing.
Automotive and Consumer Telematics
As a combined entity, the automotive opportunity for CSI Wireless has
been substantially expanded. In addition to its patented AVL-1 automotive DGPS
antenna coupler the Company has now become a significant supplier of wireless
technology to the following automotive application markets:
- Telematics;
- Internet-in-the Vehicle;
- Vehicle Tracking; and
- Vehicle Security.
Consultancy group Strategy Analytics projects the world market for in-car
telematics will grow from $7.7 Billion USD by end 2000, to $24.3 Billion USD
by 2006, with North America accounting for $9.4 Billion of that market. By
integrating wireless and GPS, this technology can be used to protect against
vehicle theft, to control car door locks and engines from remote locations or
to monitor whether drivers or equipment users are traveling outside of
customer designed geographic regions. The Company's high bandwidth TDMA
technology will allow the delivery of Internet services to the vehicle.
The Company has a development/supply agreement with LoJack Corporation
("LoJack") for an advanced low-cost telematics product. LoJack has been a
telematics pioneer since 1985 and has successfully developed and marketed
wireless stolen vehicle recovery systems for consumer and commercial vehicles
in the US and 18 other countries.
Fleet & Asset Management
Other opportunities for GPS and Wireless integration are products that
allow companies to remotely monitor their assets using the existing nation-
wide cellular network to send and receive business-critical data. CSI Wireless
offers AssetVisionO a complete wireless and GPS communications solution for
remote asset management and "drop-in" cellular modem modules for easy
integration by OEM developers into existing mobile and fixed asset management
applications. Each of these applications requires the combination of GPS
technology with two-way wireless data communications.
Customers of CSI Wireless in this market segment today include large
OEM's in the automotive, commercial trucking, heavy equipment, and rental car
and security equipment industries.
Strategis Group projects that wireless location services will be a $3.9
billion market in 2004 with commercial Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL)
revenues at $1.5 billion annually by 2003. Customers of CSI Wireless in this
market segment today include large OEM's in the automotive, commercial
trucking, heavy equipment, and rental car and security equipment industries.
The Company is currently developing AssetVision(TM) GSM an international
fleet and asset management solution to address the needs of its global
partners.
Fixed Telemetry
CSI Wireless' Fixed Telemetry products target the high growth automatic
meter reading (AMR) market segment and security system and equipment
monitoring. With increasing labor costs and utility deregulation the company
anticipates that eventually in excess of 200 million meters will be wirelessly
read. Wireless telemetry for security systems provides a more secure method of
tying remote sites to a central monitoring center.
Wireless Local Loop (WLL)
CSI Wireless is also targeting growth opportunities in fixed wireless
applications with the development of wireless telephone terminals. These
terminals will form part of a complete solution in low cost telephone services
for developing countries. Wireless telephone terminals are used where it is
uneconomical to extend standard copper wire to provide basic telephone
services. The Company is near production of its RFS-48 WLL terminal; IS-136
compliant; it supports voice, data, and fax, and operates at 400mhz or 800mhz.
The company is currently in discussions with US and International distributors
of wireless telecommunications products for consumers and businesses, and
major telecommunications equipment manufacturers for fixed wireless
applications.
Next Generation Wireless Technologies
CSI Wireless is creating patent pending multi-protocol DSP-based wireless
technology, for delivering low and high bandwidth data for the many mobile and
fixed telemetry applications, which will include mobile computing (handheld
and notebook PC's) and internet-in-the-vehicle. Much of the technology
necessary for this core has already been developed by CSI Wireless and is
being used in one of its many current products.
Management Team - post merger
The management team leaders, post merger, for the combined company are:
Stephen Verhoeff President & CEO
Hamid Najafi Chief Technology Officer
Brian Hamilton Executive Vice President & CFO
Michael Brower Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing
David Kinley Vice President, Manufacturing Operations & Quality
Control
Research & Development
CSI Wireless' engineering group has pooled its resources under Dr.
Najafi, CSI Wireless Chief Technology Officer. Research & Development efforts
have been re-prioritized to be consistent with accessing these targeted
billion dollar wireless opportunities.
Investment in Research & Development has been increased to fund product
development and integration as the Company pursues these growth markets. CSI
Wireless views its Next Generation wireless product to be potentially
revolutionary and has prioritized accelerating the development program.
Sales & Marketing
"CSI Wireless is in the process of expanding its Sales & Marketing
organization to complement these high growth opportunities", commented Michael
Brower, Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing. "Additional sales and
marketing professionals will enable us to sell further into our existing
vertical markets and define products for our targeted high growth segments".
Special Warrants - Final Prospectus Filed
To complete its $2.4 million special warrant financing which closed on
June 12, 2000, CSI Wireless has filed its final prospectus with the Ontario
and Alberta securities commissions, dated August 15, 2000.
Strong Balance Sheet
With the $2.6M Rights Offering, the recent closing of a $2.4M Special
Warrants financing, and an increase in the Company's operating line of credit
to $7M, CSI is well positioned to take advantage of these high growth markets.
CSI Wireless is successfully integrating its financial, manufacturing,
engineering, and Sales & Marketing operations. Cost sharing and resource
consolidation will produce cost savings to help offset increased R&D
investment.
"With the increased investment in R&D and Marketing & Sales, we
anticipate posting losses for the next several quarters," stated Brian
Hamilton, CSI Wireless' Chief Financial Officer. "The acquisition also added a
large amount of goodwill that will impact earnings going forward, but it is
important to look at the cash flows and EBITDA."
Backlog Reaches $13.9 Million
As of July 28, 2000 CSI Wireless's backlog was $13.9 million.
Second Quarter Results
The Company anticipates reporting its second quarter results next week.
CSI Wireless expects to report losses for the second quarter and remaining
quarters of 2000, primarily as a result of the increased strategic investment
in research & development, sales & marketing, and the associated goodwill
costs of the acquisition of Wireless Link.
A conference call for investors and analysts will follow the release of
the second quarter results.
About CSI Wireless
With offices in Calgary, Silicon Valley, and Phoenix, CSI Wireless
provides innovative, cost-effective, wireless and high accuracy GPS
communications products for mobile and fixed applications in both commercial
and consumer markets. Through the integration of GPS and wireless, CSI is
actively pursuing the emerging high growth markets with mobile-location
solutions for Fleet Management, Asset Tracking, Consumer Telematics, and
Mobile computing applications. The Company owns a number of patents and
intellectual property relating to a variety of wireless networks and GPS
technology. CSI has licensed its cellular technology to GPS, cellular handset,
and chipset manufacturers. The common shares of CSI Wireless trade on The
Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbol "CSY", with approximately
12.75 million shares outstanding.
Forward Looking Statements
The above disclosure contains certain forward-looking statements that
involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. These forward-
looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of
which are beyond CSI Wireless's control, including: the impact of general
economic conditions, industry conditions, increased competition, the lack of
availability of qualified personnel or management, fluctuations in foreign
exchange or interest rates, stock market volatility and market valuations of
companies with respect to the announced transactions and the final valuations
thereof, and obtaining required approvals of regulatory authorities. CXSI
Wireless's actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially
from those expressed in, or implied by these forward-looking statements and,
accordingly, no assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by
the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do
so, what benefits, including the amount of proceed, that CSI Wireless will
derive therefrom.
%SEDAR: 00004587E
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For further information: please contact: Cory Pala, Investor Relations.,
E-vestor Communications Inc., (416) 657-2400, (416) 657-2300 Fax, E-mail:
cpala@e-vestorcom.com; Stephen Verhoeff, President & CEO, CSI Wireless
Inc., (403) 259-3311, (403) 259-8866 Fax, Email: sverhoeff@csi-dgps.com,
www.csi-dgps.com; Michael Brower, Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing,
CSI Wireless Inc., (408) 719-1100, x149, (408) 719-9646 Fax, E-Mail:
mike@wireless-link.com;
To request a free copy of this organization's annual report, please go to
www.newswire.ca and click on reports@cnw.
www.wireless-link.com