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                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.12


                                  @ROAD, INC.

                            1996 STOCK OPTION PLAN
                          (as amended March 30, 200O)


     1.  Establishment, Purpose and Term of Plan.
         ---------------------------------------

         1.1   Establishment. The @Road, Inc. 1996 Stock Option Plan (the
"Plan")is hereby established effective as of September ___, 1996 (the "Effective
Date").

         1.2   Purpose. The purpose of the Plan is to advance the interests of
the Participating Company Group and its shareholders by providing an incentive
to attract, retain and reward persons performing services for the Participating
Company Group and by motivating such persons to contribute to the growth and
profitability of the Participating Company Group.

         1.3   Terms of Plan. The Plan shall continue in effect until the
earlier of its termination by the Board or the date on which all of the shares
of Stock available for issuance under the Plan have been issued and all
restrictions on such shares under the terms of the Plan and the agreements
evidencing Options granted under the Plan have lapsed. However, all Options
shall be granted, if at all, within ten (10) years from the earlier of the date
the Plan is adopted by the Board or the date the Plan is duly approved by the
shareholders of the Company.

     2.  Definitions and Construction.
         ----------------------------

         2.1   Definitions. Whenever used herein, the following terms shall have
their respective meanings set forth below:

               (a)    "Board" means the Board of Directors of the Company. If
one or more Committees have been appointed by the Board to administer the Plan,
"Board" also means such Committee(s).

               (b)    "Code" means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended, and any applicable regulations promulgated thereunder.

               (c)    "Committee" means the Compensation Committee or other
committee of the Board duly appointed to administer the Plan and having such
powers as shall be specified by the Board. Unless the powers of the Committee
have been specifically limited, the Committee shall have all of the powers of
the Board granted

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herein, including, without limitation, the power to amend or terminate the Plan
at any time, subject to the terms of the Plan and any applicable limitations
imposed by law.

               (d)    "Company" means @Road, Inc., a California corporation, or
any successor corporation thereto.

               (e)    "Consultant" means any person, including an advisor,
engaged by a Participating Company to render services other than as an Employee
or a Director.

               (f)    "Director" means a member of the Board or of the board of
directors of any other Participating Company.

               (g)    "Employee" means any person treated as an employee
(including an officer or a Director who is also treated as an employee) in the
records of a Participating Company; provided, however, that neither service as a
Director nor payment of a Director's fee shall be sufficient to constitute
employment for purposes of the Plan.

               (h)    "Fair Market Value" means, as of any date, the value of a
share of stock or other property as determined by the Board, in its sole
discretion, or by the Company, in its sole discretion, if such determination is
expressly allocated to the Company herein.

               (i)    "Incentive Stock Option" means an Option intended to be
(as set forth in the Option Agreement) and which qualifies as an incentive stock
option within the meaning of Section 422(b) of the Code.

               (j)    "Nonstatutory Stock Option" means an Option not intended
to be (as set forth in the Option Agreement) or which does not qualify as an
Incentive Stock Option.

               (k)    "Option" means a right to purchase Stock (subject to
adjustment as provided in Section 4.2) pursuant to the terms and conditions of
the Plan.  An Option may be either an Incentive Stock Option or a Nonstatutory
Stock Option.

               (l)    "Option Agreement" means a written agreement between the
Company and an Optionee setting forth the terms, conditions and restrictions of
the Option granted to the Optionee and any shares acquired upon the exercise
thereof.

               (m)    "Optionee" means a person who has been granted one or
Options.

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               (n)    "Parent Corporation" means any present or future "parent
corporation" of the Company, as defined in Section 424(e) of the Code.

               (o)    "Participating Company" means the Company or any Parent
Corporation or Subsidiary Corporation.

               (p)    "Participating Company Group" means, at any point in time,
all corporations collectively which are then Participating Companies.

               (q)    "Stock" means the common stock, without par value, of the
Company, as adjusted from time to time in accordance with Section 4.2.

               (r)    "Subsidiary Corporation" means any present or future
"subsidiary corporation" of the Company, as defined in Section 424(f) of the
Code.

               (s)    "Ten Percent Owner Optionee" means an Optionee who, at the
time an Option is granted to the Optionee, owns stock possessing more than ten
percent (10%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of a
Participating Company within the meaning of Section 422(b)(6) of the Code.

         2.2   Construction. Captions and titles contained herein are for
convenience only and shall not affect the meaning or interpretation of any
provision of the Plan. Except when otherwise indicated by the context, the
singular shall include the plural, the plural shall include the singular, and
the term "or" shall include the conjunctive as well as the disjunctive.

     3.  Administration.
         --------------

         3.1   Administration by the Board. The Plan shall be administered by
the Board, including any duly appointed Committee of the Board (the
"Administrator"). All questions of interpretation of the Plan or of any Option
shall be determined by the Board, and such determinations shall be final and
binding upon all persons having an interest in the Plan or such Option. Any
officer of a Participating Company shall have the authority to act on behalf of
the Company with respect to any matter, right, obligation, determination or
election which is the responsibility of or which is allocated to the Company
herein, provided the officer has apparent authority with respect to such matter,
right, obligation, determination or election.

         3.2   Powers of the Board. In addition to any other powers set forth in
the Plan and subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Board shall have the
full and final power and authority, in its sole discretion:

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               (a)    to determine the persons to whom, and the time or times at
which, Options shall be granted and the number of shares of Stock to be subject
to each Option;

               (b)    to designate Options as Incentive Stock Options or
Nonstatutory Stock Options;

               (c)   to determine the Fair Market Value of shares of Stock or
other property;

               (d)    to determine the terms, conditions and restrictions
applicable to each Option (which need not be identical) and any shares acquired
upon the exercise thereof, including, without limitation, (i) the exercise price
of the Option, (ii) the method of payment for shares purchased upon the exercise
of the Option, (iii) the method for satisfaction of any tax withholding
obligation arising in connection with the Option or such shares, including by
the withholding or delivery of shares of stock, (iv) the timing, terms and
conditions of the exercisability of the Option or the vesting of any shares
acquired upon the exercise thereof, (v) the time of the expiration of the
Option, (vi) the effect of the Optionee's termination of employment or service
with the Participating Company Group on any of the foregoing, and (vii) all
other terms, conditions and restrictions applicable to the Option or such shares
not inconsistent with the terms of the Plan;

               (e)    to approve one or more forms of Option Agreement;

               (f)    to amend, modify, extend, or renew, or grant a new Option
in substitution for, any Option or to waive any restrictions or conditions
applicable to any Option or any shares acquired upon the exercise thereof

               (g)    to accelerate, continue, extend or defer the
exercisability of any Option or the vesting of any shares acquired upon the
exercise thereof, including with respect to the period following an Optionee's
termination of employment or service with the Participating Company Group;

               (h)    to prescribe, amend or rescind rules, guidelines and
policies relating to the Plan, or to adopt supplements to, or alternative
versions of, the Plan, including, without limitation, as the Board deems
necessary or desirable to comply with the laws of, or to accommodate the tax
policy or custom of, foreign jurisdictions whose citizens may be granted
Options; and

               (i)    to correct any defect, supply any omission or reconcile
any inconsistency in the Plan or any Option Agreement and to make all other
determinations

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and take such other actions with respect to the Plan or any Option as the Board
may deem advisable to the extent consistent with the Plan and applicable law.

     4.  Shares Subject to Plan.
         ----------------------

         4.l   Maximum Number Shares Issuable. Subject to adjustment as provided
in Section 4.2, the maximum aggregate number of shares of Stock that may be
issued under the Plan shall be 11,326,125 and shall consist of authorized but
unissued or reacquired shares of Stock or any combination thereof. If an
outstanding Option for any reason expires or is terminated or canceled or shares
of Stock acquired, subject to repurchase, upon the exercise of an Option are
repurchased by the Company, the shares of Stock allocable to the unexercised
portion of such Option, or such repurchased shares of Stock, shall again be
available for issuance under the Plan.

         Notwithstanding the above, with respect to up to an aggregate of
9,825,000 shares of Stock (a) reserved and available for grant under the terms
of this Plan, (b) subject to Options granted under the Plan that become
available for resale under the Plan as a result of cancellations of such Options
and (c) sold under the Plan that are repurchased by the Company pursuant to any
repurchase right which the Company may have, such shares of Stock shall not be
available for resale under the Plan, but shall be treated as though transferred
to, and shall thereafter be available for sale under, the Company's 2000 Stock
Option Plan.

         4.2   Adjustments for Changes in Capital Structure. In the event of any
stock dividend, stock split, reverse stock split, recapitalization, combination,
reclassification or similar change in the capital structure of the Company,
appropriate adjustments shall be made in the number and class of shares subject
to the Plan and to any outstanding Options and in the exercise price per share
of any outstanding Options. If a majority of the shares which are of the same
class as the shares that are subject to outstanding Options are exchanged for,
converted into, or otherwise become (whether or not pursuant to an Ownership
Change Event, as defined in Section 8.1) shares of another corporation (the "New
Shares"), the Board may unilaterally amend the outstanding Options to provide
that such Options are exercisable for New Shares. In the event of any such
amendment, the number of shares subject to, and the exercise price per share of,
the outstanding Options shall be adjusted in a fair and equitable manner as
determined by the Board, in its sole discretion. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
any fractional share resulting from an adjustment pursuant to this Section 4.2
shall be rounded up or down to the nearest whole number, as determined by the
Board, and in no event may the exercise price of any Option be decreased to an
amount less than the par value, if any, of the stock subject to the Option. The
adjustments determined by the Board pursuant to this Section 4.2 shall be final,
binding and conclusive.

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     5.  Eligibility and Option Limitations.
         ---------------------------------

         5.l   Persons Eligible for Options. Options may be granted only to
Employees, Consultants, and Directors. For purposes of the foregoing sentence,
"Employees" shall include prospective Employees to whom Options are granted in
connection with written offers of employment with the Participating Company
Group, and "Consultants" shall include prospective Consultants to whom Options
are granted in connection with written offers of engagement with the
Participating Company Group. Eligible persons may be granted more than one (1)
Option.

         5.2   Option Grant Restrictions. Any person who is not an Employee on
the effective date of the grant of an Option to such person may be granted only
a Nonstatutory Stock Option. An Incentive Stock Option granted to a prospective
Employee upon the condition that such person become an Employee shall be deemed
granted effective on the date such person commences service with a Participating
Company, with an exercise price determined as of such date in accordance with
Section 6.1.

         5.3   Fair Market Value Limitation. To the extent that the aggregate
Fair Market Value of stock with respect to which options designated as Incentive
Stock Options are exercisable by an Optionee for the first time during any
calendar year (under all stock option plans of the Participating Company Group,
including the Plan) exceeds One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000), the portion
of such options which exceeds such amount shall be treated as Nonstatutory Stock
Options. For purposes of this Section 5.3, options designated as Incentive Stock
Options shall be taken into account in the order in which they were granted, and
the Fair Market Value of stock shall be determined as of the time the option
with respect to such stock is granted. If the Code is amended to provide for a
different limitation from that set forth in this Section 5.3, such different
limitation shall be deemed incorporated herein effective as of the date and with
respect to such Options as required or permitted by such amendment to the Code.
If an Option is treated as an Incentive Stock Option in part and as a
Nonstatutory Stock Option in part by reason of the limitation set forth in this
Section 5.3, the Optionee may designate which portion of such Option the
Optionee is exercising and may request that separate certificates representing
each such portion be issued upon the exercise of the Option. In the absence of
such designation, the Optionee shall be deemed to have exercised the Incentive
Stock Option portion of the Option first.

     6.  Terms and Conditions of Options. Options shall be evidenced by Option
         -------------------------------
Agreements specifying the number of shares of Stock covered thereby, in such
form as the Board shall from time to time establish. Option Agreements may
incorporate all or any of the terms of the Plan by reference and shall comply
with and be subject to the following terms and conditions:

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         6.1   Exercise Price. The exercise price for each Option shall be
established in the sole discretion of the Board, provided, however, that (a) the
exercise price per share for an Incentive Stock Option shall be not less than
the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the effective date of grant of the
Option, (b) the exercise price per share for a Nonstatutory Stock Option shall
be not less than eighty-five percent (85%) of the Fair Market Value of a share
of Stock on the effective date of grant of the Option, and (c) no Option granted
to a Ten Percent Owner Optionee shall have an exercise price per share less than
one hundred ten percent (110%) of the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on
the effective date of grant of the Option. Notwithstanding the foregoing, an
Option (whether an Incentive Stock Option or a Nonstatutory Stock Option) may be
granted with an exercise price lower than the minimum exercise price set forth
above if such Option is granted pursuant to an assumption or substitution for
another option in a manner qualifying under the provisions of Section 424(a) of
the Code.

         6.2   Exercise Period. Options shall be exercisable at such time or
times, or upon such event or events, and subject to such terms, conditions,
performance criteria, and restrictions as shall be determined by the Board and
set forth in the Option Agreement evidencing such Option; provided, however,
that (a) no Option shall be exercisable after the expiration of ten (10) years
after the effective date of grant of such Option, (b) no Incentive Stock Option
granted to a Ten Percent Owner Optionee shall be exercisable after the
expiration of five (5) years after the effective date of grant of such Option,
and (c) no Option granted to a prospective Employee or prospective Consultant
may become exercisable prior to the date on which such person commences Service
with a Participating Company.

         6.3   Payment of Exercise Price.

               (a)    Forms of Consideration Authorized. Except as otherwise
provided below, payment of the exercise price for the number of shares of Stock
being purchased pursuant to any Option shall be made (i) in cash, by check, or
cash equivalent, (ii) by tender to the Company of shares of Stock owned by the
Optionee having a Fair Market Value (as determined by the Company without regard
to any restrictions on transferability applicable to such stock by reason of
federal or state securities laws or agreements with an underwriter for the
Company) not less than the exercise price, (iii) by the assignment of the
proceeds of a sale or loan with respect to some or all of the shares being
acquired upon the exercise of the Option (including, without limitation, through
an exercise complying with the provisions of Regulation T as promulgated from
time to time by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System)(a
"Cashless Exercise"), (iv) by the Optionee's promissory note in a form approved
by the Company, (v) by such other consideration as may be approved by the Board
from time to time to the extent permitted by applicable law, or (vi) by any
combination thereof, The Board may at any time or

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from time to time, by adoption of or by amendment to the standard forms of
Option Agreement described in Section 7, or by other means, grant Options which
do not permit all of the foregoing forms of consideration to be used in payment
of the exercise price or which otherwise restrict one or more forms of
consideration.

               (b)    Tender of Stock. Notwithstanding the foregoing, an Option
may not be exercised by tender to the Company of shares of Stock to the extent
such tender of Stock would constitute a violation of the provisions of any law,
regulation or agreement restricting the redemption of the Company's stock.
Unless otherwise provided by the Board, an Option may not be exercised by tender
to the Company of shares of Stock unless such shares either have been owned by
the Optionee for more than six (6) months or were not acquired, directly or
indirectly, from the Company.

               (c)    Cashless Exercise. The Company reserves, at any and all
times, the right, in the Company's sole and absolute discretion, to establish,
decline to approve or terminate any program or procedures for the exercise of
Options by means of a Cashless Exercise.

               (d)    Payment by Promissory Note. No promissory note shall be
permitted if the exercise of an Option using a promissory note would be a
violation of any law. Any permitted promissory note shall be on such terms as
the Board shall determine at the time the Option is granted. The Board shall
have the authority to permit or require the Optionee to secure any promissory
note used to exercise an Option with the shares of Stock acquired upon the
exercise of the Option or with other collateral acceptable to the Company.
Unless otherwise provided by the Board, if the Company at any time is subject
to the regulations promulgated by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System or any other governmental entity affecting the extension of credit in
connection with the Company's securities, any promissory note shall comply with
such applicable regulations, and the Optionee shall pay the unpaid principal and
accrued interest, if any, to the extent necessary to comply with such applicable
regulations.

         6.4   Tax Withholding. The Company shall have the right, but not the
obligation, to deduct from the shares of Stock issuable upon the exercise of an
Option, or to accept from the Optionee the tender of, a number of whole shares
of Stock having a Fair Market Value, as determined by the Company, equal to all
or any part of the federal, state, local and foreign taxes, if any, required by
law to be withheld by the Participating Company Group with respect to such
Option or the shares acquired upon the exercise thereof. Alternatively or in
addition, in its sole discretion, the Company shall have the right to require
the Optionee, through payroll withholding, cash payment or otherwise, including
by means of a Cashless Exercise, to make adequate provision for any such tax
withholding obligations of the Participating Company Group arising in connection
with the Option or the shares acquired upon the exercise thereof. The Company
shall have no

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obligation to deliver shares of Stock or to release shares of stock from an
escrow established pursuant to the Option Agreement until the Participating
Company Group's tax withholding obligations have been satisfied by the Optionee.

         6.5   Repurchase Rights. Shares issued under the Plan may be subject to
a right of first refusal, one or more repurchase options, or other conditions
and restrictions as determined by the Board in its sole discretion at the time
the Option is granted. The Company shall have the right to assign at any time
any repurchase right it may have, whether or not such right is then exercisable,
to one or more persons as may be selected by the Company. Upon request by the
Company, each Optionee shall execute any agreement evidencing such transfer
restrictions prior to the receipt of shares of Stock hereunder and shall
promptly present to the Company any and all certificates representing shares of
Stock acquired hereunder for the placement on such certificates of appropriate
legends evidencing any such transfer restrictions.

     7.  Standard Forms of Option Agreement.
         ----------------------------------

         7.1   Incentive Stock Options. Unless otherwise provided by the Board
at the time the Option is granted, an Option designated as an "Incentive Stock
Option" shall comply with and be subject to the terms and conditions set forth
in the form of Immediately Exercisable Incentive Stock Option Agreement adopted
by the Board concurrently with its adoption of the Plan and as amended from time
to time.

         7.2   Nonstatutory Stock Options. Unless otherwise provided by the
Board at the time the Option is granted, an Option designated as a "Nonstatutory
Stock Option" shall comply with and be subject to the terms and conditions set
forth in the form of Immediately Exercisable Nonstatutory Stock Option Agreement
adopted by the Board concurrently with its adoption of the Plan and as amended
from time to time.

         7.3   Standard Term Options. Except as otherwise provided in Section
6.2 or by the Board in the grant of an Option, any Option granted hereunder
shall have a term of ten (10) years from the effective date of grant of the
Option.

         7.4   Authority to Vary Terms. The Board shall have the authority from
time to time to vary the terms of any of the standard forms of Option Agreement
described in this Section 7 either in connection with the grant or amendment of
an individual Option or in connection with the authorization of a new standard
form or forms; provided, however, that the terms and conditions of any such new,
revised or amended standard form or forms of Option Agreement shall be in
accordance with the terms of the Plan. Such authority shall include, but not by
way of limitation, the authority to grant Options which are not immediately
exercisable.

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     8.  Transfer of Control.
         -------------------

         8.1   Merger or Sale of Assets. In the event of a proposed sale of all
or substantially all of the Company's assets or a merger of the Company with or
into another corporation where the successor corporation issues its securities
to the Company's shareholders, each outstanding Option shall be assumed or an
equivalent option or right shall be substituted by such successor corporation or
a parent or subsidiary of such successor corporation, unless the successor
corporation does not agree to assume the Option or to substitute an equivalent
option, in which case such Option shall terminate upon the consummation of the
merger or sale of assets. For purposes of this Section 8.1, an Option shall be
considered assumed, without limitation, if, at the time of issuance of the stock
or other consideration upon such merger or sale of assets, each holder of an
Option would be entitled to receive upon exercise of the Option the same number
and kind of shares of stock or the same amount of property, cash or securities
as such holder would have been entitled to receive upon the occurrence of such
transaction if the holder had been, immediately prior to such transaction, the
holder of the number of Shares of Common Stock covered by the Option at such
time (after giving effect to any adjustments in the number of Shares covered by
the Option as provided for in this Section 8.1).


     9.  Provision of Information. At least annually, copies of the Company's
         ------------------------
balance sheet and income statement for the just completed fiscal year shall be
made available to each Optionee and purchaser of shares of Stock upon the
exercise of an Option. The Company shall not be required to provide such
information to persons whose duties in connection with the Company assure them
access to equivalent information.

    10.  Nontransferability of Options:  During the lifetime of the Optionee, an
         -----------------------------
Option shall be exercisable only by the Optionee or the Optionee's guardian or
legal representative. No Option shall be assignable or transferable by the
Optionee, except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution.

    11. Transfer of Company's Rights. In the event any Participating Company
        ----------------------------
assigns, other than by operation of law, to a third person, other than another
Participating Company, any of the Participating Company's rights to repurchase
any shares of Stock acquired upon the exercise of an Option, the assignee shall
pay to the assigning Participating Company the value of such right as determined
by the Company in the Company's sole discretion. Such consideration shall be
paid in cash. In the event such repurchase right is exercisable at the time of
such assignment, the value of such right shall be not less than the Fair Market
Value of the shares of Stock which may be repurchased under such right (as
determined by the Company) minus the repurchase price of such shares. The
requirements of this Section 11 regarding the minimum consideration to be

                                      -10-
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received by the assigning Participating Company shall not inure to the benefit
of the Optionee whose shares of Stock are being repurchased. Failure of a
Participating Company to comply with the provisions of this Section 11 shall
not constitute a defense or otherwise prevent the exercise of the repurchase
right by the assignee of such right.

     12. Indemnification. In addition to such other rights of indemnification as
         ---------------
they may have as members of the Board or officers or employees of the
Participating Company Group, members of the Board and any officers or employees
of the Participating Company Group to whom authority to act for the Board is
delegated shall be indemnified by the Company against all reasonable expenses,
including attorneys' fees, actually and necessarily incurred in connection with
the defense of any action, suit or proceeding, or in connection with any appeal
therein, to which they or any of them may be a party by reason of any action
taken or failure to act under or in connection with the Plan, or any right
granted hereunder, and against all amounts paid by them in settlement thereof
(provided such settlement is approved by independent legal counsel selected by
the Company) or paid by them in satisfaction of a judgment in any such action,
suit or proceeding, except in relation to matters as to which it shall be
adjudged in such action, suit or proceeding that such person is liable for gross
negligence, bad faith or intentional misconduct in duties; provided, however,
that within sixty (60) days after the institution of such action, suit or
proceeding, such person shall offer to the Company, in writing, the opportunity
at its own expense to handle and defend the same.

     13. Termination or Amendment of Plan. The Board may terminate or amend the
         --------------------------------
Plan at any time. However, subject to changes in the law or other legal
requirements that would permit otherwise, without the approval of the Company's
shareholders, there shall be (a) no increase in the maximum aggregate number of
shares of Stock that may be issued under the Plan (except by operation of the
provisions of Section 4.2), (b) no change in the class of persons eligible to
receive Incentive Stock Options, and (c) no expansion in the class of persons
eligible to receive Nonstatutory Stock Options. In any event, no termination or
amendment of the Plan may adversely affect any then outstanding Option or any
unexercised portion thereof, without the consent of the Optionee, unless such
termination or amendment is required to enable an Option designated as an
Incentive Stock Option to qualify as an Incentive Stock Option or is
necessary to comply with any applicable law or government regulation.

     14. Shareholder Approval.  The Plan or any increase in the maximum number
         --------------------
of shares of Stock issuable thereunder as provided in Section 4.1 (the "Maximum
Shares") shall be approved by the shareholders of the Company within twelve (12)
months of the date of adoption thereof by the Board, Options granted prior to
shareholder approval of the Plan or in excess of the Maximum Shares previously
approved by the

                                      -11-
<PAGE>

shareholders shall become exercisable no earlier than the date of shareholder
approval of the Plan or such increase in the Maximum Shares, as the case may be,

    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned Secretary of the Company certifies that
the foregoing @Road, Inc. 1996 Stock Option Plan was duly adopted by the Board
on September ____1996.


                                      -----------------------------------
                                      Secretary

                                      -12-