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OrbComm Introduces First Handheld Communicator
Dulles - October 6, 1998 - OrbComm has introduced ORB2You and ORBWeather, two value-added services for the Magellan GSC 100, the world's first hand-held, two-way global satellite communicator. The GSC 100, developed by Magellan Corporation, employs OrbComm's network of satellites to transmit and receive brief text messages - called GlobalGrams - to and from anywhere on Earth.

The hand-held Magellan GSC 100 uses standard e-mail protocols to allow users to communicate with any Internet e-mail address and also features an integrated Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver to track, navigate and relay positions worldwide. The GSC 100 is generating interest from a wide range of markets, including disaster relief, environmental, military and industrial markets, where users share a common need for ubiquitous communications. This unique combination of features also benefits outdoor recreational users, such offshore boaters, who require simple and affordable communications from remote locations.

The ORB2You message dispatching service enables virtually anyone to communicate with a GSC 100 user via the ORB2You dispatch call center. To contact GSC 100 users via phone rather than e-mail, individuals can dial toll-free 1-877-ORB2YOU and dictate their message to a dispatch center representative, who will then transmit that message to the GSC 100. Similarly, a GSC 100 user can send a GlobalGram to the dispatch center for delivery to the intended recipient via phone or facsimile.

OrbComm's ORBWeather service delivers position-specific weather reports directly to the GSC 100. To receive a weather update, a GSC 100 user would send their GPS position report to the ORBWeather e-mail inbox, and then receive forecast conditions for the current day, the following day and the following evening, in a standard, easy-to-read format. Up-to-date weather reports are valuable to users in remote locations, as well as for operators of marine vessels and other mobile vehicles.

"ORB2You and ORBWeather are exciting value-added services for GSC 100 users," said Scott L. Webster, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of OrbComm. "With ORBWeather, users can stay informed of weather developments - particularly useful information for remote users outside the coverage of other telecommunications services. ORB2You offers the benefits of the GSC 100 to everyone, whether they use e-mail, phone or facsimile."

"The GSC 100 was designed to give our customers the ability to send and receive text messages from anywhere on the globe," said Richard Sill, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing for Magellan. "OrbComm's network of satellites has taken the word `remote' out of the equation. In addition to GlobalGram messages, the GSC 100 now has the value-added services of ORBWeather and ORB2You. We are excited about bringing these benefits to our customers."

Magellan Corporation is a subsidiary of Orbital Sciences Corporation. Magellan specializes in easy-to-use, affordable GPS and satellite communications products for automotive, aviation, GIS, marine, outdoor recreation and wireless communications markets worldwide. The company is also a preeminent designer and manufacturer of advanced vehicle navigation systems, and offers both geostationary and LEO satellite communications products.

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