--- Begin Forwarded Message ---
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1999 16:26:53 +0100
From: Hugh Paterson <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Tadpole Buys Conic Systems,         Creates Enlarged Business
Unit For Utilities and Telcos
Sender: Hugh Paterson <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]

Reply-To: Hugh Paterson <[log in to unmask]>
Message-ID: <00dc01bf10d8$cd651f40$42efb094@hugh>


Press Contacts: Bernard Hulme, Tadpole on 01223 278200 and Hugh Paterson,
Patcom on 0171 231 9300

TADPOLE ACQUIRES UTILITY SOFTWARE DEVELOPER CONIC SYSTEMS, CREATES ENLARGED
BUSINESS UNIT FOR UTILITIES AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS MARKETS

Strategic acquisition provides Tadpole with an enlarged customer base within
the utilities and telecommunication industries, and complementary
technologies, skills and solutions that put a broad range of corporate GIS
and works management data into the hands of field workers


Cambridge, October 6, 1999 - With the goal of becoming the mobile computing
vendor of choice for the world's utilities and telecommunications
industries, Tadpole Technology plc of Cambridge today strengthened its
position through the strategic acquisition of the business and certain
assets and liabilities of Texas based Conic Systems Inc. and its wholly
owned subsidiary Scottish based Conic Systems Limited for a total
consideration of $1.25 million in cash.

The acquisition of Conic enables Tadpole to further extend its mobile
software product offerings for the utilities and telecommunications markets,
add significant new companies to its customer base, access more geographies
through Conic’s extensive partner network, and enhance its technical skills
and market coverage.

Founded in 1991, Conic is a software developer of mobile geographical
information systems (GIS) and mapping solutions. Headquartered in Edinburgh,
the company’s customer base comprises over fifty gas, water, cable,
telecommunications, national mapping and government industries, including BC
Hydro (Canada), CME (Brazil), EDP (Portugal), First Energy and Texas
Utilities (USA), Ordnance Survey, Scottish and Southern Energy and Northern
Electric (UK). Conic has approximately 20 business partners across Europe,
North America and Australasia.

It is also announced today that Tadpole is proposing to raise in aggregate,
approximately £2,200,000 before expenses, by way of an issue of unsecured
convertible debentures. The convertible debentures have been subscribed for
by a number of US financial institutions and the proceeds are available to
be drawn down in two tranches of £700,000 and £1,500,000. The first tranche
of £700,000 will be drawn down today to finance the acquisition of Conic and
the second tranche of £1,500,000 will be used to provide working capital for
the enlarged group. A further amount of £1,800,000 may be subscribed for by
the same US financial institutions at their option. The draw down of the
£1,500,000 and £1,800,000 are subject to shareholder approval at an
extraordinary general meeting ("EGM") of the Company. Listing particulars of
the unsecured convertible debentures and the notice of the EGM will be sent
to shareholders as soon as practicable.

Bernard Hulme, chief executive of Tadpole Technology plc, comments: "Putting
the full wealth of corporate data into the hands of field workers is the
driving goal of the utilities and telecommunications industries as they
strive to become more productive, more customer-centric and maintain
profitability." He adds: "The strategic acquisition of Conic, and its
integration into our Tadpole-Cartesia division, allows Tadpole to create a
world-class business unit with extended technologies, skills, and products."

Hulme's remarks refer to the determining business advantages offered to the
utilities and related industries by deploying the mobile computing solutions
of its enlarged Tadpole-Cartesia division -  substantial gains in field
worker productivity, improved levels of customer service, reduced
operational costs, optimised return on assets, better quality, reliability
and accuracy of data made available to and received from field workers,
tighter management of sub-contractor workforces, and the ability to change
business processes in line with evolving regulatory requirements.

Some seventy percent of a utility's workforce will be tasked to undertake
business-critical missions in the field at some time including surveyors,
inspectors, maintenance teams and emergency repair crews. The complexity of
tasks to be performed varies and requires appropriate enterprise data to be
delivered from corporate databanks to different types of mobile task forces.
Utilities and telcos use GIS (Smallworld, ESRI, Intergraph, Vision) and CAD
systems extensively to help manage their assets, which, along with maps and
works management data, need to be quickly and cost-effectively deployed to
field workers across a range of platforms including Java and Windows®
95/98/NT.

Tadpole announced its Cartesia and J-Slate product family for the utilities
and telecommunications markets in late April this year - a unique Java-based
suite of hardware and software that allows detailed maps and job-management
data to be downloaded from corporate servers via GSM or conventional phones
to field workers using hand-held, diskless pen computers. With the
acquisition of Conic Systems, Tadpole has extended its range of mobile
computing software platforms and solutions by enabling field workers to
access a wider range of  GIS and CAD data allowing the utility industries to
maximise their business potential from field operations, notably through
improved works management, asset exploitation and inspection.

Conic's core product is Conic GIS, which enables field workers to access,
collect, verify and update spatially-related information and provides levels
of customisation ranging from configuration of the user interface through to
tailor-made applications using Visual Basic and other tools. Conic GIS
provides four graduated levels of functionality: Conic View as a map display
and navigation tool, Conic Redline to redline and sketch facilities, Conic
Query for database review and update, and Conic Capture to add full graphic
interaction and provide the ability to link to external instrumentation and
perform data analysis.

More On Conic Systems Customers and Business Partners
Over fifty utilities, telecommunications, local and central government
agencies as well as emergency services form the current customer base of
Conic Systems including: BC Hydro, EDP, CME, Cleveland Fire Brigade,
Columbia Gas, Copenhagen Water, Dumfries and Galloway Fire Brigade, First
Energy, GMPTE, GTM, Mansfield District Council, Mason Land Surveys, Northern
Electric, Northern Ireland Electric, Ordnance Survey, Premier Surveys,
SC-DLO, San Jose Water, Scottish and Southern Energy, Sierra Pacific Power
Company, TU Electric (Lone Star Gas) and the University of Glasgow.

Conic business partners include: Cook-Hurlbert, DGIS, Edinfor, HSS, GEIS,
IMASS, IST Energy, Logica, MITS, Mettenmeier, Oranjewoud, Realworld, SC-DLO,
Sykora, Unisys and Westech.

About Tadpole Technology plc
Tadpole Technology, a specialist vendor of mobile computing solutions for
professional markets, is a listed company on the London Stock Exchange. The
company comprises two divisions: Tadpole-RDI, global leader in portable UNIX
workstations and servers for applications of Sun and Hewlett-Packard
operating systems in industry, commerce and government; and
Tadpole-Cartesia, leader in field information systems for the utilities,
telecommunications and public service industries. Website: www.tadpole.com

ends

For further information, please contact:

Bernard Hulme, chief executive  Tel: 01223 278200
Tadpole Technology plc

Hugh Paterson    Tel: 0171 231 9300, Email: [log in to unmask]
Patcom Media Relations

All trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their
respective owners.



--- End Forwarded Message ---