MY-BODYGUARD BV SELECTS SARANTEL ANTENNA FOR NEW PERSONAL GSM/GPS ALARM

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MY-BODYGUARD BV SELECTS SARANTEL ANTENNA FOR NEW PERSONAL GSM/GPS ALARM
23 February 2004 - Sarantel Limited

Antenna specialist Sarantel has been awarded a contract to supply its GeoHelix miniature antenna to My-Bodyguard BV, a Netherlands-based product innovation group that is launching stand-alone personal location products for use in the growing care market and for personal protection devices.

The new 'My-Bodyguard' and 'My-SOS' products use a combination of global positioning and cellular communications technologies to produce a discrete, easy to use, personal alarm that can calculate the user's location to within just 5m. The units communicate using any available GSM cellular phone network.

Edwin Siemerink, My-Bodyguard's business development director said, "Our device is worn on the belt or in the clothing of the user so a major issue for us was the selection of a GPS antenna which would operate in close proximity to human tissue. A good beamwidth is also critical and during many live tests we couldn't get anywhere close to the performance of the Sarantel antenna with any of the alternatives we tested."

The tough, lightweight My-Bodyguard and My-SOS devices roam on to any GSM network to transmit the user's location. In certain applications, live sound is also transmitted to allow the user to describe the threat or assistance required, or the operator to simply listen-in to the situation. Potential users include handicapped and elderly people, children, lone workers and VIPs.

Barrie Foley, Sarantel's CEO said, "We very pleased to have been selected for this demanding application. The potential for GPS in personal location health, safety and personal well being is enormous but it is only through innovative application of technology that the benefits will be widely felt by users. My-SOS and My-Bodyguard are prime examples and we wish the company every success as they move their focus beyond the Netherlands during 2004."

The Sarantel Geohelix antenna has a very small near-field which allows it to function close to RF transmitters (like the GSM transmitter inside the My- units) or signal absorbing bodies such as living tissue, metal structures or buildings with no negative impact on performance. "The antennas ability to work upside-down was also nice," commented Rob Kuipers, My-Bodyguard's technical director, "being able to get accurate GPS locations when the user has fallen down or is in a difficult situation makes our products more attractive and has the potential to save lives."

http://www.sarantel.com

About: Sarantel Limited
Sarantel is a world-class manufacturer of miniature antennas based on its revolutionary PowerHelix™ filtering antenna technology. From humble beginnings, the company has grown significantly. Founded in 2000 as a VC-funded technology spin-off headquartered in a garage, the company now employs over 100 in locations across the globe. In 2004 the European Tech Tour identified Sarantel as one of the Top 25 high growth technology companies in the UK. In March 2005, Sarantel floated on the London Stock Exchange's AIM market, and in August 2005 Sarantel shipped its one-millionth antenna.

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