FAST Introduces Revolutionary Wireless Monitoring Device for Commercial Kitchens

SCK Direct™ Brings Commercial Appliances To The Internet

STRATFORD, Conn., November 6, 2000 -- Food Automation-Service Techniques, Inc. (FAST), today unveiled its revolutionary SCK Direct, a family of cost-effective wireless devices that Web-enables virtually any piece of restaurant equipment. SCK Direct is the first in a series of information products and services for foodservice operators, service providers, and equipment manufacturers.

SCK Direct technology allows foodservice operators and manufacturers to monitor individual pieces or clusters of kitchen equipment and systems over the Internet, using established nationwide wireless networks. It is the only wireless, web-enabling appliance networking solution available today within the foodservice industry that does not require the installation of a gateway within the building.

The SCK Direct will be unveiled for the first time to the foodservice industry at the FAST/SCK booth #250 at the FS/TEC 2000 trade show, Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, Calif., November 5-8, 2000.

"This exciting product line is the first of its kind designed specifically for the rigorous commercial kitchen environment, and makes web-enabling a single piece of equipment economically possible," said Mario Ceste, vice president of FAST. "SCK Direct can be implemented easily both by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) as a value-added feature to their products, and by foodservice operators seeking to gain tighter control over operational efficiencies and in-store assets."

SCK Direct technology is embodied in the SCK RF Link, a wireless transceiver powered by Digital DNA from Motorola that sends wireless signals from the appliance using the popular ReFLEX technology paging network. The SCK RF Link wirelessly web-enables a single piece of kitchen equipment by simply attaching to an existing communications port already on the appliance.

All SCK Direct products feature optional two-way communications capabilities for "command and control" of wireless-enabled appliances. In cases where the appliance can receive communication signals, SCK Direct will allow the user to remotely activate, deactivate, or alter the operation of the equipment using their pager, personal digital assistant (PDA) or a secure web interface over the Internet.

Retail Applications
SCK Direct was designed to address the high volume, multi-unit foodservice operators' demands for capabilities to monitor and/or control pieces of kitchen equipment from a remote location (i.e., a chain, franchise, or regional headquarters). The SCK Direct application caters to those operators who do not currently need a complete in-store network, but need to monitor specific appliances or groups of appliances that are critical to the restaurant operation.

Using the SCK RF Link, an end-user can wirelessly enable a stand-alone piece of equipment to monitor its performance 24 hours a day. The device will send out an RF message whenever an anomaly occurs. The wireless capability for a single piece of equipment is particularly beneficial where there is no redundancy of that appliance and peak performance is essential for serving products to customers. For example, in the quick service restaurant (QSR) environment, an operator or service provider can be alerted immediately via a pager if an ice machine or convection oven needs maintenance before it goes down. In a convenience store, the headquarters or the equipment vendor can continuously monitor performance of a beverage dispenser.

For applications in which several pieces of equipment in a single location are present, the SCK Direct Cluster™ is employed to avoid the cost of multiple SCK RF Link transceivers. The SCK Direct Cluster combines a single SCK RF Link with an SCK Gateway™ to provide a hub that networks a cluster of equipment and then wireless-enables the cluster through a single transceiver.

OEM Applications
OEMs seeking a rapid, cost-effective way to add Internet and wireless connectivity to their products can immediately deploy the SCK RF Link, either as a third-party interface or as an embedded solution to their existing equipment controls. "The ability to provide instant online monitoring of a beverage system, cook and hold line, or even the smallest stand-alone appliance allows our OEM partners to gain a unique competitive advantage," said Mike Madsen, vice president of marketing and chief strategic officer for FAST. "SCK Direct answers the call of our OEM customers to deliver to their multi-unit and high-volume end-users the endless benefits of wireless technology today."

SCK RF
Link The SCK RF Link is a compact wireless module that is easily attached as a third party interface to embedded appliance controllers with a communications port. The device transmits data from the commercial appliance and over the ReFLEX two-way paging nationwide network. The network is delivered by FAST in partnership with the commercial telemetry division of WorldCom, eliminating the need for users to acquire or develop their own wireless network support.

The SCK RF Link can initiate message transmissions as well as decode, store and forward messages to an Internet-connected host device. A key feature of the SCK RF Link is that it does not require any form of dedicated communications connection in the store location, such as a phone line or other gateway. RF messages are transmitted directly from the SCK RF Link to the ReFLEX network.

The device's patent pending design can withstand extreme temperatures (-20o°C to +70°C) and is shielded to protect transmissions from interference from other wireless systems. Its low power circuitry combined with superior RF sensitivity make the SCK RF Link a rugged design for the commercial kitchen and allows it to continue to operate even during power outages.

SCK Direct Monitoring Services
An Internet portal for SCK Direct clients is currently being developed in cooperation with FAST's technology partners to deliver comprehensive, secure data reporting and management tools and services over the Internet. Facilities and IT managers will be able to utilize the portal to analyze their own data collected from geographically dispersed restaurant locations to enhance enterprise efficiencies, improve food safety/HACCP reporting, and lower operating costs.

About SCK
Smart Commercial Kitchen, or SCK, is a division of Food Automation - Service Techniques, Inc. (FAST), a privately-held company based in Stratford, Conn. SCK is the only provider of a comprehensive, end-to-end network solution for the commercial kitchen that helps operators gain better management control of their restaurants through data analysis. Committed to open standards, SCK technologies are designed specifically to be interoperable with other restaurant information systems and equipment (POS, back office, building systems, appliances, etc.). The flexible family of SCK hardware and software products, combined with those of its world-class partners, offers users a cost-effective and scalable migration path to a smarter kitchen.

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