Gaithersburg, MD, September 3, 2002 - WeatherBug (www.weatherbug.com) today unveiled an expanded service offering that will help save lives and property. Effective immediately, WeatherBug will now visually and audibly notify PC users about any Civil Emergency Message (CEM) alerts that are issued by federal, state and/or local officials, not just those related to weather emergencies.

The CEM alerts will inform users about all local and national critical emergencies, such as chemical spills or leaks, explosions in populated areas, or a dangerous nuclear or biohazard release. The alerts will include information on the type of hazard, the localities affected and the actions that should be taken. The software application will also direct users to where they can get additional information on the Web.

"WeatherBug alerts are akin to the Emergency Broadcast and Emergency Alert systems that have been a staple of television and radio since the Cold War era. With recent studies indicating that many consumers spend far more time in front of their Internet-connected PCs than they do with other media, and with 10% of all US Internet users using WeatherBug on any given day, we feel this is an essential service to offer because it will save lives and property" said Andy Jedynak, VP Business Development for AWS. AWS owns and operates both WeatherBug and the underlying AWS WeatherNet network.

Today's announcement comes just weeks after AWS and the National Weather Service unveiled a major new partnership that bolsters the government's ability to respond to a homeland security event. If a homeland security incident or disaster takes place, the National Weather Service will now pull in real-time weather data from the AWS WeatherNet network to provide very precise forecast models that government agencies, the military and emergency managers can use to make critical decisions. The AWS WeatherNet network has more than 6,000 individual weather stations based mostly at schools around the country.

WeatherBug is a free desktop weather software application that streams live neighborhood weather conditions, severe weather warnings, forecasts and more direct to more than 12 million PC users. It is consistently ranked one of the Internet's leading news/information services, according to Media Metrix*. WeatherBug is unique as compared to any other source of online weather information. WeatherBug provides users with extremely accurate conditions that come directly from an AWS weather reporting station that is in many cases just a few miles away.

WeatherBug features an easy to use digital dashboard that provides seven-day forecasts, live camera images, local Doppler radar, as well as visual/audible alerts when the National Weather Service issues a severe weather bulletin. The WeatherBug application is always live, and sits resident as a temperature icon on the Windows taskbar. AWS also offers a subscription version (WeatherBug Pro) for $19.95 per year that has additional features and is free from any advertising.

About AWS Convergence Technologies, Inc.

AWS Convergence Technologies, Inc. (www.aws.com) owns and operates the largest private network of weather stations in the world. This real-time network gathers comprehensive, up-to-the-second weather information from more than 6,000 communities and powers the company's various products and services, including: WeatherBug™, an online weather service that provides live neighborhood conditions to more than 12 million PC users; WeatherNet for Broadcast, which delivers real-time weather information to more than 80 million U.S. households through partnerships with 96 local television stations; WeatherNet for Education, which provides engaging weather information and educational tools to schools and colleges, including an innovative set of online lesson plans and software called WeatherNet Classroom; and AWS Data Services which uses AWS' unique weather network and software to provide high-value solutions for vertical industries such as energy, retail, and transportation.

* Source: Media Metrix weekly audience figures