National and Local Retailers Embrace Wireless Advertising to Build Brand Awareness and Increase Store Traffic

New York City—August 7, 2000—Vindigo, the leading developer of personal navigation applications for handheld devices, today announced the Beta launch of its "Vindigo Street Savers" mobile advertising program in New York City. The 10 week program, which began August 1st, enables consumers to take advantage of exclusive promotions from national and local merchants offered exclusively to Vindigo users via the Vindigo service. Retailers and merchants participating in the trial range from well-known international brands such as HMV Record Stores and Crunch Fitness to local outlets including eight Manhattan locations of BLADES Board and Skate and three XandoCosi sandwich/coffee bars. Promotions range from a 15% discount on DVDs and free inline skate rentals to a pizza give-away. In addition to taking part in the trial, merchants are participating in co-marketing efforts with Vindigo. In conjunction with this launch, Vindigo is also announcing its charter advertisers which include American Express Blue for Business, Braun Syncro System, Finlandia Vodka, Halls and Palm, Inc.

"The Affinity program delivers on the promise of the point-of-interest advertising model we conceived when we developed the Vindigo service," said Jason Devitt, CEO of Vindigo. "Every time a consumer uses Vindigo, he or she is planning a purchase and looking for a store or restaurant or movie theater nearby. Consumers are delighted to get an offer of a discount or promotion right then and there, and for merchants, it's the most targeted advertising opportunity you can imagine."

Vindigo Street Savers will be available in each of the Vindigo channels, Eat, Shop and Play. Participating merchants are listed in the "Specials" category within each channel. Users will redeem the offers by "showing their Vindigo" to the sponsoring merchant at the time of redemption. Advertisers participating in the Vindigo Street Savers trials in New York include:

EAT Blockheads Burritos, Elephant & Castle, Keens Steakhouse, Montparnasse, Noho Star, SouthWest NY, Time Café, and XandoCosi.

SHOP Crunch Fitness, Eastern Mountain Sports, HMV, Kenjo Watches, and Shakespeare & Co.

PLAY Art Bar, BLADES Board & Skate, Chicago Blues, Fez at Time Café, Gotham Bike Shop and Toga Bike Shop, and Temple Bar

"BLADES Board and Skate has built a reputation by setting a tone for cutting-edge style and fashion for the action sports lifestyle," said Scott Kelliher, director of marketing for BLADES Board and Skate. "Our customers are enthusiastic users of technology and we see Vindigo as an ideal partner because of their ability to put our message in customer's hands when they are out in the street thinking about a fun way to spend their afternoon."

"The Vindigo Street Savers program is bringing the future of entertainment and retailing to technically-savvy consumers -- today. Vindigo's instant communication and focused information presents a new and uncluttered playing field for retail unlike traditional print and even online advertising mediums. They are successfully blending the virtual world and bricks and mortar, with the sole purpose of driving traffic into physical stores. HMV came to the U.S. on the wave of CD technology, catering to an early adopter audience. We see this program as another way to reinforce our position as a destination for a new set of taste-makers," said Ken Feldman, director of marketing for HMV Record Stores

Advertising partners have developed messages specifically targeted for the Vindigo service and how the product is used. For example, when a Vindigo user looks for a bar or club in the Nightlife channel, they may see an ad from Finlandia. The company's "What's the best way to get a bartender's attention" campaign includes a cocktail recipe that can be used on the spot. The user also has the option of receiving an email with additional recipes. The request is automatically sent to the merchant the next time they HotSync their handheld.

"The wireless market is exploding, but until now, most mobile mediums haven't had the screen size to support a meaningful message. The advertising in Vindigo compliments Finlandia's online advertising campaign and allows us to deliver contextually relevant editorial that has the power to reach consumers when they can buy the product," said Michael Wedrogowski, director, Media Services for Mezzina Brown & Partners LLC.

About Vindigo

Vindigo creates resource-rich software for mobile devices that allows people to explore, enjoy, and connect to the world around them. The company's core product, also called Vindigo, transforms Palm Inc. handhelds and compatibles into personal navigators. It delivers location-specific information about the limitless choices of places to go and things to do in popular cities. Combining mobility with an insider's insight and in-depth expert reviews from the nation's most trusted local sources—including the New York Times, zagat.com, and the San Francisco Chronicle—Vindigo instantly adapts to a user's location and interests. Vindigo gives busy people the ability to make quick, savvy, lifestyle decisions about where to eat, shop and play, whenever and wherever they are.

Vindigo is a privately held company backed by General Atlantic Partners LLC, Flatiron Partners, Carlin Ventures, and select private investors. The company's headquarters are located at 259 West 30th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10001. For information, contact Vindigo at: (212) 590-6900 or via the Web at (www.vindigo.com).