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March 12, 2008

Ski-Lift Ticketing Kiosks Allow Sports Authority to Reduce Shoppers' Lift Ticket Purchase Times From Half-Hour to Less Than a Minute

ENGLEWOOD, CO--(Marketwire - March 12, 2008) - IBM (NYSE: IBM) announced today that Sports Authority, the largest full-line sporting goods retailer, is using IBM self-service kiosks to provide skiers and snowboarders a faster, easier way to purchase ski-lift tickets.

The IBM AnyPlace Kiosks, running Livewire interactive software, are installed in 24 Colorado Sports Authority stores, enabling the company to automate a manual system and significantly reduce the amount of time ski-lift ticket-shoppers stand in line.

A recent U.S. consumer survey showed a 50 percent growth in the use of self-service technology in the past year, with 70 percent of respondents saying they expect businesses to offer more self-service options. Of the many reasons stated for using self-service, ease-of-use and less time standing in line are top priorities for consumers.

"This is a perfect example of a great idea that is simple and smart," said David Campisi, president of Sports Authority. "It has been a complete success, and a tremendously appealing program that our customers have quickly embraced. From our end, it's practically turn-key."

In the four months since installing the new kiosks, ticket sales have increased 500 percent over last year's numbers, according to Sports Authority. Also, previously at resorts, customers would spend as much as 30 minutes waiting in lines. Using the user-friendly self-service kiosks, shoppers at Sports Authority are now able to pay for and print tickets for up to 14 area resorts in less than a minute.

Consumer experience was identified in IBM research with 20,000 consumers as the primary driver of loyalty in retail. The self-service ski-lift shopping kiosks were developed by IBM in collaboration with Livewire Kiosk to deliver improved customer service, flexibility and a convenient sales tracking system for retailers and busy winter resort communities.

According to Livewire, a leading provider of turn-key self-service kiosk technology, its ski ticketing system has been operational for seven years, and is now used in over 200 locations throughout the U.S. ski market.

"This system is a wonderful showcase of our ability to create and manage large transaction-based self-service systems," said David McCracken, president of Livewire. "IBM's AnyPlace Kiosk enables us to deploy robust systems like this quickly with a minimal number of hardware components."

The solution is powered by the newest generation of the IBM AnyPlace Kiosks.

About The Sports Authority:

For more information about The Sports Authority, please visit www.sportsauthority.com .

About Livewire:

For more information about Livewire, please visit www.livewirekiosk.com .

About IBM Retail Store Solutions:

For more information about IBM Retail Store Solutions, please visit www.ibm.com/retail