Press Release

Siemens Nixdorf develops hand held computer links to SAP Retail

� will provide stores with online access to business information held by a
central SAP ERP Retail system

Siemens Nixdorf Retail and Banking Systems Limited has extended its support
for the SAP Retail Enterprise Resource Planning system with the launch of a
wide area facility to link RF-enabled handheld terminals to the system from
stores. The new terminals have been developed by Siemens Nixdorf retail
partner, Symbol Technologies, and are aimed at the UK retail sector. For the
first time, the terminals will provide staff on the shop-floor with online
access to the retailer's central SAP Retail ERP system for a broad range of
business information including all stock-related customer quotation and
ordering data.

Last year, Siemens Nixdorf announced a major initiative to drive the
delivery of the SAP Retail ERP system to UK retailers. Siemens Nixdorf has
extensive experience in implementing SAP R/3 within multi-national user
organisations across a comprehensive range of sectors. It uses this
experience to deliver SAP Retail systems that enable retailers to greatly
improve integration of their mission-critical operations, such as monitoring
product replenishment from suppliers, via head office, to stores. 

"Traditionally, UK retailers have seen SAP R/3 as a highly centralised
business function - primarily viewed as a head office tool. By using SAP
Retail to integrate operations across the retail enterprise, retailers are
beginning to realise how they can deploy its facilities more widely to
achieve far greater competitive advantage," commented Andy Cummins,
Marketing Manager of Siemens Nixdorf's Retail and Banking Systems. "Along
with our EPoS systems, these new hand held terminals help form a powerful
retail infrastructure that enable individual stores to access a wealth of
business and financial information managed by SAP Retail that can enhance
the quality of their customer service."

Siemens Nixdorf is a field leader in the retail market and is the UK's
leading supplier of store systems technology. It is a major global partner
and implementor of SAP R/3 solutions under the AcceleratedSAP Partner
Programme. Its R/3 LIVE approach enables UK organisations to source all
their core business systems and services requirements through a single supplier.

About Symbol Technologies 
Symbol is a major Siemens Nixdorf partner and offers a leading range of
scanner products and the Spectrum 24 RF network. Spectrum 24 provides a
radio backbone for the integration of mobile terminals into the store
environment. This infrastructure is increasingly important to support
customer service applications on the shop floor such as product enquiry and
customer quotations for large ticket items. Spectrum 24 conforms to the
European Uniform Operating Frequency of 2.4 GHz under the 802.11 standard.

About Siemens Nixdorf
Siemens Nixdorf Retail and Banking Systems is a European market leader in
the provision of Information and Communication products and services to
major retailers and banks - with 50,000 Point of Sale terminals installed
throughout the UK and 80,000 ATMs and self-service terminals throughout
Europe. Siemens Nixdorf offers total solutions based on open systems and its
innovative technology developed specifically for the retail and banking
sectors. The portfolio includes a range of customised software applications
and powerful technical infrastructure capabilities with a leading position
in the implementation of Microsoft Active Store technology for retail and
Microsoft WOSA technology for financial institutions. 

Siemens Nixdorf Retail and Banking Systems is a key business within Siemens
Information and Communication Products, part of the major DM50 billion
turnover Siemens Information and Communications business which is made up of
three Groups: Information and Communication Products, Information and
Communication Networks and Siemens Business Services. This new business was
formed on October 1, 1998 in response to the growing requirement for
converged IT and communications products and services. 

For more information
Please contact:

        Andy Cummins
        Siemens Nixdorf Retail and Banking Systems Limited
        Tel:  01344 850321
        [email protected]

        Charles Crabtree
        IBA
        Tel: 01780 721433
        [email protected]