The Segway™ Personal Transporter (PT) continues to prove its value as a business solution by making workers more efficient and companies more productive. More and more organizations are utilizing our short distance transportation device to increase productivity, and employees are accomplishing more in a fraction of the usual time. It's an exciting time with endless opportunities.

Our strategy for the long-term success of the Segway PT includes demonstrating its commercial productivity as well as its pedestrian-friendly operation on sidewalks. Since introducing the Segway PT as a productivity tool, its value has been proven again and again. In the last few months, we have demonstrated to state legislatures the benefits of the Segway PT as a pedestrian-friendly device. To date, 31 states have recognized the advantages of Segway transportation and passed legislation welcoming Segway PTs onto sidewalks and in public areas. We continue to work with other states in getting similar legislation passed.

Always seeking ways to improve productivity and increase efficiency, New York State Electric & Gas Corporation (NYSEG) will be testing Segway PTs through January 2003 (Press release). Meter readers in the Elmira area and Mechanicville will use Segway PTs on some routes, and technicians in Auburn and Lockport will inspect natural gas lines for leaks while riding the versatile transportation device. Storeroom staff in the Elmira area and Lancaster will also be using Segway PTs to gather supplies from inside storerooms and outside storage yards. NYSEG is interested in determining if Segway PTs can help them continue to provide outstanding customer service.

Disney Cruise Line is the first to offer its guests the magical experience of a Segway PT (Press release). Guests age 16 and older can try out a Segway PT at Disney's Wild World of Sports Deck atop the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder cruise ships, as well as at Castaway Cay, Disney's private Bahamian island. In addition to guests enjoying the benefits of Segway HTs, each ship's captain and officers are also riding the Personal Transporters to quickly maneuver through the 11 passenger decks on the 964-foot ships. Once the ships dock at the 1,000-acre Castaway Cay, cruise staff also use Segway PTs to efficiently travel among the island's private beaches to monitor the needs of cruise guests.

Since Segway's early development phases, the U.S. Postal Service has worked with us to test and refine Segway PT's capabilities. Machines have been put to the test on delivery routes in a wide range of conditions in areas like Tampa, FL; Memphis, TN; Concord, NH; and Norman, OK. A recent test in San Francisco was Segway's most challenging, but the city's steep hills were no match for the machines. When letter carriers slowed to a stop or descended hills, the PT's regenerative braking technology transferred energy to the battery, partially recharging it. Segway's smart technology rose to the task hill after hill.

Segway recently made two announcements regarding our European presence. The Farnborough International Airshow in Britain was the site of a groundbreaking partnership with BAE Systems, one of the world's most respected manufacturers of advanced aerospace technology. BAE Systems will become our sales, marketing, and distribution partner to the UK defense and aerospace markets (Press release). We will keep you updated as availability begins for these segments.

Nick Foggin, Segway's new Director for Europe, is increasingly optimistic about the Segway PT and its applications. "For every day that I work here, I realize that the applications of the Segway PT are endless. Every individual that I meet, whether they are self-employed or part of a multi-national company, instantly thinks of new ways that the Segway PT can be applied. Everything from security at ports to checking sections of oil pipelines—basically every job that involves walking long distances can be made substantially more efficient by using a Segway PT."

Please stay tuned for updates on our European launch in future issues.

Thousands of hours of rigorous company testing and real world use have demonstrated the durability and safety of the Segway PT. Road testing designed to simulate 10 years of hard use under the worst possible conditions has proven the mechanical integrity of the machines. The chassis of a Segway PT is even able to withstand the weight equivalent of three sport-utility vehicles (SUVs). Our electrical systems braved extreme environmental testing to ensure they are robust. The redundancy we build into the product's critical systems establishes its reliability and rider safety no matter what the conditions. The best proof of all, however, is performed by the letter carriers, police, emergency medical service crews, and park rangers who are putting Segway PTs to the test in various locations and conditions across the country. These riders are learning firsthand about the safety and reliability built into each Segway PT.

The Segway PT continues to demonstrate its value in bringing a heightened level of productivity to many business enterprises. To date, we have proven the value of the machine in a number of demanding environments—customers have logged thousands of hours using their machines to enhance productivity for applications including security, law enforcement, emergency situations, airport navigation, corporate campuses, postal delivery, the film industry, warehouses and manufacturing.

We will keep you posted as we make progress towards nationwide availability in the US and an international presence.