Hospitality Technology Trend: Symbol Technologies and Ameranth Wireless Provide Restaurants and Sports Venues with Tools to Improve Customer Service

Symbol Technologies, Inc. , a global leader in real-time enterprise mobility solutions, along with hospitality solution provider Ameranth Wireless, Inc., today announced the deployment of mobility solutions for the Medieval Times dinner theaters chain and the NBA City restaurant and NBA stadiums that enable these establishments to increase customer service and operating efficiency.

Using a mobility solution featuring Symbol enterprise PDAs with Microsoft® Windows MobileTM 2003, Symbol Wi-Fi wireless networking technology and Ameranth 21st Century Restaurant software, Medieval Times' servers take food and drink orders at the customer's table and instantly transmit that information to the kitchen and point-of-sale system. This allows orders to be completed more quickly, so the server can spend more time with the customer.

At Medieval Times dinner theaters, located throughout the country, patrons are seated at tables surrounding a full-size arena in which jousting contests are staged. Previously, the restaurant deployed a large number of serving staff who would have to walk considerable distances from the customers' tables to place customer orders, then wait for the orders and beverages to be prepared before returning to the customer.

Richard Dunn, vice president of merchandising for Medieval Times, estimates that if this system enables them to serve just one more round of drinks each night, it will pay for itself in less than one year. "The cost savings are not the only benefits," Dunn noted. "Increased customer satisfaction is a key element as well."

"Ameranth has worked with Symbol on a number of hospitality market solutions built around Symbol wireless enterprise PDAs," said Keith McNally, chief executive officer of Ameranth Wireless. "We see the hospitality market - where technology can improve accuracy, efficiency and customer service to create a win-win situation for both customers and establishments - as an exciting area with plenty of untapped growth potential."

"The use of wireless technology in the hospitality industry is growing, thanks to innovative solutions being developed by companies such as Symbol and Ameranth," said Tom Litchford, director of marketing and channels for Microsoft's Retail and Hospitality Industry Solutions Group. "Microsoft is proud to be a part of this and welcomes the opportunity to provide enabling technologies, such as Windows Mobile 2003."

"The name of the game is liberation," said Harry B. Lerner, vice president and general manager, Symbol Enterprise Mobile Computing business unit. "By extending the reach of our small-site enterprise customers' investments in IT resources to the point of activity, free employees from spending time on mundane tasks and instead enable them to focus on what counts - improving customer satisfaction."

The NBA City Restaurant in Orlando, Fla., also has implemented a mobility solution using Symbol Wi-Fi wireless networking technology and Symbol PPT 8800 enterprise PDAs equipped with cutting-edge software from Ameranth to increase the efficiency of table turnover. Using this enterprise PDA solution, restaurant staff can immediately communicate table status from any point in the 17,500-square-foot multi-story restaurant to the host stand, and alert staff equipped with pagers to take action.

"The biggest advantage of using this system is the ability to streamline operations, freeing up the hostesses and servers to spend more time greeting guests, answering questions and taking care of customer needs," said Alberto Accion, chief financial officer of NBA City.

"Because we have an expansive two-story restaurant with seating for 375, trying to tell someone downstairs that a table is open upstairs was often frustrating," explained Brianna Oppelt, host supervisor, NBA City. "Now, with the Symbol mobile computers, it's all automatic."

In addition to the deployment at this NBA City restaurant, the Symbol/Ameranth mobility solution is also being used at National Basketball Association arenas in Chicago, Denver, Miami, Toronto and Los Angeles to speed the ordering process in luxury suites to ensure quick and accurate service.

Designed especially for mobile workers who require immediate access to information at the point of activity, the Symbol PPT 8800 packs the power of advanced data capture and wireless communications in a slim but ruggedized PDA-format device. Loaded with Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003 software for Pocket PCs, the Symbol device offers increased mobility-centric features, while still being small and lightweight enough to be carried unobtrusively in a pocket or on the hip.

For more information on Symbol hospitality solutions, visit http://www.symbol.com/hospitality.

About Ameranth Wireless, Inc.

Ameranth Wireless is a leading provider of wireless system software to the hospitality and health care markets. Headquartered in San Diego, California, Ameranth's wireless system software gives functionality to RF-enabled Microsoft, Pocket PC handheld computers--moving the point of activity from fixed terminals to where it belongs, by the customer's side. Ameranth's 21st Century Restaurant®, is set to become the industry standard for mobile wireless ordering and payment processing in restaurants worldwide. For more information about Ameranth Wireless, visit .