Axis AB further strengthens concentration on mobility with Dr Östen Mäkitalo on the board of directors

Axis AB further strengthens concentration on mobility with Dr Östen Mäkitalo on the board of directors Axis AB further strengthens its focus on mobile Internet and wireless communication as D. Eng. Östen Mäkitalo - one of the most influential names in this field - is invited to join the company's board of directors at the same time as the company holds its shareholders' meeting on August 30. Dr Mäkitalo is the man behind a number of technological achievements, such as NMT and GSM. He has always emphasized importance of applicability of new technology. Axis' Chairman of the Board, Mikael Karlsson, is very happy that such a powerful person has chosen Axis as one of his engagements. "His interest lends further credibility to Axis as an innovative company, especially when it comes to our strategy and technological solutions for mobile Internet, Bluetooth, and wireless LAN technology as a complementary to 3G and traditional cellular systems," says Mikael Karlsson. "Through his close ties to the academic and industrial circles, Dr Mäkitalo brings with him a unique network of contacts. With his many years of experience, creativity and technological insight, he will contribute to the realization and further development of the company's strategy." Dr Östen Mäkitalo was born in Koutojärvi, in Tornedalen, in 1938. He holds a Master's degree in Engineering from KTH in Stockholm, Sweden. He started his professional career in 1961 at Televerket, the Swedish Telecommunications Administration, where he developed the first expansion compressor for high- quality sound. That was just one of his many technological solutions. Dr Mäkitalo was part of the group that developed the world's first countrywide paging system with the possibility of sending messages, MBS, the Nordic mobile network, NMT the radio data system, RDS, and the European mobile telephone system GSM. In addition, he has partaken in the development of the technology for digital TV sound and digital terrestrial TV. He holds about 20 patents and is an honorary doctor at Chalmers University of Technology. Dr Nils Rydbeck, who is Director of Research on mobile phones and Bluetooth , is on the board of directors as well. The decision to ask Dr Mäkitalo to join is endorsed by a majority of the shareholders, who represent more than two thirds of the shares in Axis. About Axis The Axis Communications Group with the parent company Axis AB is a leading company in network connectivity and emerging wireless Internet based services. The company is at the forefront of developing network appliance solutions that enable people and organizations to get easy and immediate access to devices and services. Axis is one of the global leaders in several key thin server and network device markets, such as printer, storage and video connectivity, and is doing pioneering work in the rapidly expanding markets of wireless and mobile communications. Founded in 1984, Axis employs more than 500 people worldwide, including the subsidiary 50 percent owned Netch Technologies. The group had a turnover of approximately 695 MSEK in the financial year 1999/2000. Axis is headquartered in Lund, Sweden and has a total of 28 offices throughout North America, Asia and Europe. Axis is a publicly traded company on the OM Stockholm Exchange's O-list. Information about Axis can be found at http://www.axis.com. For further information, please contact Mikael Karlsson, Chairman of the Board, Axis AB phone: +46 (0)46 272 18 30 e-mail: mikael.karlsson@axis.com ****** BLUETOOTH is a trademark owned by Aktiebolaget LM Ericsson and licensed to Axis. All other company names and products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by BIT http://www.bit.se The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/08/23/20000823BIT00940/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/08/23/20000823BIT00940/bit0002.pdf