Symbol Technologies, Inc. Adopts Stockholder Rights Plan

HOLTSVILLE, NY, August 13, 2001 - Symbol Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: SBL)
announced today that its Board of Directors has adopted a stockholder rights
plan. The rights plan is intended to improve the ability of the Board to
protect the interests of the Company and its stockholders in the event of an
unsolicited proposal to acquire a significant interest in the Company. The
adoption of the rights plan was not in response to any specific effort to
acquire control of the Company, nor is the Board aware of any such effort.

In connection with the adoption of the rights plan, the Board has designated
and reserved 500,000 shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock
and has declared a dividend of one preferred stock purchase right for each
share of the Company's common stock outstanding on September 14, 2001. The
Rights will continue to be represented by, and trade with, the Company's
common stock certificates unless the Rights become exercisable. The Rights
become exercisable (with certain exceptions) only in the event that any person
or group acquires beneficial ownership of, or announces a tender or exchange
offer for, 15% or more of the outstanding shares of the Company's common
stock.

The Rights will expire on August 13, 2011, unless earlier redeemed or
exchanged or terminated in accordance with the rights plan. A summary of the
Rights containing further details of the rights plan will be mailed to all
Symbol stockholders shortly after October 15, 2001.

About Symbol Technologies, Inc.
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Symbol Technologies, Inc., winner of the National Medal of Technology, is a
global leader in mobile data transaction systems, providing innovative
customer solutions based on wireless local area networking for data and voice,
application-specific mobile computing and bar code data capture. Symbol's
wireless information appliances connect the physical world of people on the
move, packages, paper and shipping pallets, to information systems and the
Internet. Today, some 10 million Symbol bar code scanners, mobile computers
and wireless LANs are utilized worldwide in markets ranging from retailing to
transportation and distribution logistics, manufacturing, parcel and postal
delivery, government, healthcare and education. Symbol's systems and products
are used to increase productivity from the factory floor to the retail store,
to the enterprise and out to the home. Information about Symbol is available
at www.symbol.com. 1.800.722.6234.

For press information:

Symbol Technologies, Inc.
Doug Picker: picker@symbol.com
+1-631-738-4699

For financial information:

Symbol Technologies, Inc.
Ken Jaeggi
+1-631-738-2400 or +1-631-738-4191