First Applications To Run On Vodafone's GPRS Net.

Holliday
Group Limited

Media release
26 March 2001

HOLLIDAY GROUP AND ITOUCH LAUNCH FIRST PALM APPLICATIONS TO RUN ON VODAFONE NEW ZEALAND’S GPRS NETWORK

Wireless applications iSell and iService, launched this month under the iTouch brand, are the first applications on the Palm platform running on Vodafone’s GPRS network in New Zealand. Owned by iTouch the Holliday Group is also “among the first developers in the world actively marketing GPRS applications worldwide,” said Todd McLeay, General Manager Business Marketing for Vodafone New Zealand.

iTouch iSell and iService business mobility applications are the first products launched this month under the iTouch brand since the Holliday Group was acquired in December 2000. The applications were developed for sales and service industries.

In November of last year, Vodafone began working with over 80 software developers in New Zealand to develop applications for the GPRS network. The close partnership with Vodafone provided Hollidays with a head start in the development of GPRS applications, with the provision of the country’s first GPRS mobile phones.

For businesses that send and retrieve lots of data in small bursts, i.e. sales, service and despatch industries, the benefits of GPRS over GSM will be cheaper, more efficient data transmission. Because GPRS handsets are online all the time there is no need to dial up and disconnect. Users are only charged for the ‘volume’ of data sent as opposed the ‘time’ spent on a GSM line. This will provide Vodafone’s customers with a faster, more cost-effective solution for many of their business requirements.

“Holliday Group is amongst the top 100 developers in the world to be actively developing and marketing GPRS solutions internationally,” said Todd McLeay. “There are approximately 310 GSM networks worldwide and we expect many of them to offer GPRS within the next 24-30 months. Holliday is wise to take advantage of this market opportunity.”

“We already have a number of enquiries and customer requirements in place for GPRS projects,” said Dave Ffowcs Williams, Holliday’s Business Development Director. “Most are wanting to use the technology as soon as possible, so we are working hard to achieve this for them. Those interested in the technology are large companies operating in the sales, service and freight areas. Their reasons for upgrading or changing networks include better coverage, increased efficiency and reduced cost.”

iTouch iSell and iService are new Palm applications that help to keep track of work carried out by sales, service and support staff in the field. These applications, which can run on GPRS and other major networks, streamline the process of capturing business-critical data and integrate it to the enterprise system. This provides instant and easy access to a company’s strategic information anytime, anywhere.

By automatically processing data while off-site, iTouch iService optimises the tracking of time and materials for service personnel, as well as enabling live tracking of personnel, parts and job updates. The software provides analysis of times and actions, plus a more accurate account of work conducted for each customer. Simple completion and processing of daily worksheets off-site also makes the task of billing customers more automatic and precise.

iTouch iSell eliminates the time and cost wasted by paper based sales order processing and administration, its staff could be freed up to do what they do best - create revenue. Real-time links to the back office and desktop system also automates data processing, reduces human error, increases efficiency and productivity, reduces administration and adds value to the corporate image.

About Holliday Group
Holliday Group, an iTouch owned company, is the largest Palm application provider in Australasia and one of the top 100 Palm application developers in the world. They are at the forefront of the mobile wireless technology industry and excel in the provision of innovative mobile communication solutions on the Palm computing platform.

The company develops a wide range of custom software solutions that streamlines time-to-market production and minimises administrative costs. Holliday and iTouch are soon to launch the first packaged applications under the iTouch brand. iSell and iService are solutions tailored for the sales, service and freight industries respectively.

Holliday Group’s expertise spans development of custom made Microsoft OS desktop applications, Internet Web authorising, man-machine interfaces to back office systems, communications and remote control systems.

The Holliday Group has extended the iTouch product offering to include business mobility applications iSell and iService, plus the iConnect communication server that links back-end systems to the mobile environment. iConnect communications server introduces a new level of capability for wireless hand held systems and is the product that won highly commended honours for the Hi Tech 2000 Software Excellence Award.

About iTouch PLC
iTouch PLC is an international company specialising in the mobile arena. We provide wireless data content to consumers, corporates and mobile networks, and excel in the delivery of value added services to corporate consumers and mobile networks. Our knowledge spans a number of mediums, and delivery of services and solutions is carried out via Interactive Voice Response (IVR), Smart Messaging Service (SMS), Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) and Wireless Data technologies.
Demand for business mobility solutions is gaining momentum worldwide. iTouch Plc acquired The Holliday Group 100% in December 2000 as part of a global strategy to offer its customers an extended range of innovative business mobility products and services. iTouch has international offices in the UK, Ireland, South Africa, Israel, Australia and New Zealand - a geographical reach that enables Holliday's to expand its product offering.

iTouch is listed on the London Stock Exchange (FTSE), and currently has operations in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Israel, with strong relationships with network operators in all these countries.

About Vodafone
Vodafone New Zealand Ltd is part of Vodafone Group Plc, the world’s largest mobile telecommunications company with 78.7 million proportionate customers. The company has interests in 26 countries over five continents.
Vodafone New Zealand now has more than 753,000 customers on its fully digital network and provides coverage to 97 per cent of the population.

- Ends -

For further information please contact:

Holliday Group Ltd
Tel: +64 (0)3 365 4120
Mobile: +64 (0)21 730 932
Dave Ffowcs Williams
Business development Director
Email: davefw@holliday.co.nz
Web: www.holliday.co.nz

Communicate IT Ltd
Tel: +64 (0)3 314 4606
Mobile: +64 (0)25 260 2635
Shelley Grell
PR Director
Email: shelley@communicateit.co.nz

Vodafone
Tel: +64 (0)9 357 5100
Alison Sykora
Corporate Communications Manager
Email: alison.sykora@vodafone.co.nz
Web: www.vodafone.co.nz

iTouch Auckland
Tel: +64 (0)9 373 6566
Declan O’Callaghan
Email: declan.ocallaghan@itouch.co.nz
Web: www.itouch.co.nz

iTouch PLC
Tel: 00 44 20 7005 3400
Richard Field
Communications Manager
Email: richard.field@itouchplc.com
Web: www.itouch.co.uk

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