Leading Telematics Providers Across Atlantic Team Up
26 June 2000
Mannesmann TeleCommerce with Passo Invests in ATX
DALLAS, DUSSELDORF, Germany and NEWBURY, England - Mannesmann TeleCommerce
GmbH with its telematics division PASSO, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mannesmann
AG, which was recently acquired by the British- based Vodafone AirTouch Plc.,
announced today it has purchased an approximate 20 percent equity stake of ATX
Technologies, Inc. Both companies see this investment as a significant step in
providing telematics and location-based services on both sides of the Atlantic,
especially to automotive customers.
ATX is the leading independent provider of telematics services in North
America, serving over 100,000 subscribers through such customers as Mercedes-
Benz, Ford, Lincoln-Mercury, Jaguar and the Infiniti division of Nissan.
Mannesmann TeleCommerce with PASSO and ATX Technologies are already
successful in their own market places. The liaison will benefit many of their
mutual customers -- automotive manufacturers -- who need global telematics
solutions. The move also promotes a consistent service offering for
automotive customers within the European and North American markets. In
addition, the companies have aggressive plans for expanding location-based
service into wireless industries and Internet services.
"We share with ATX the same vision for telematics. The transfer of
location-based data to and from a vehicle or wireless handset provides the
mobile person, at the press of a button, enhanced safety, convenience and
information," said Michael Sonnenschein, managing director of Mannesmann
TeleCommerce GmbH.
"For years our customers have asked us to support their European
telematics efforts and until now we have not been able to help," noted Steve
Millstein, ATX president and chief executive officer. "By providing common,
trans-Atlantic telematics services, we will be able to reduce costs for
automotive companies and their customers by using a common wireless protocol
and common hardware platforms."
Mannesmann TeleCommerce with its PASSO telematics division currently
provides telematics services via GSM wireless communications to automotive
manufacturers, fleet operators, wireless networks and on the Internet. ASSO's
customers include BMW, who offers telematics services packages across its car
model range. The services are currently operated in Germany with the U.K. to
follow later this year and other major European markets shortly thereafter.
PASSO also currently offers Internet and WAP-based personalized traveler
services and operates data gateways such as Short Message Services (SMS) and
customized WAP-gateways for key customers.
PASSO provides expertise in the processing of highly accurate traffic
information via Floating Car Data (FCD) -- a procedure to determine the
traffic situation onboard a moving vehicle and to transfer compressed data via
cellular to the services center for traffic information processing. PASSO
pioneered commercialized broadcasting of traffic information via cellular
broadcast in GSM networks, a service which today is already operational in
Germany.
ATX pioneered in-vehicle telematics in the United States when in early
1996 it partnered with Ford Motor Co. and Motorola to introduce the first in-
vehicle telematics program, Lincoln RESCU.
About Mannesmann TeleCommerce:
Mannesmann TeleCommerce GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mannesmann AG,
was founded with a merger of Mannesmann Datenverarbeitung GmbH and Mannesmann
Passo GmbH in January 2000. Mannesmann TeleCommerce has now established
itself as an international IT service company. The company's main focus will
be on continuing its telecommunications strategy and the development and
processing of eCommerce solutions. The majority of Mannesmann TeleCommerce's
1100 employees are based at company headquarters in Ratingen near Dusseldorf.
The Passo telematics division within Mannesmann TeleCommerce provides network-
and device-independent high quality telematics and location-based services to
automotive industries, fleet operators and network providers. Such services
include automatic crash notification, emergency and roadside assistance,
traffic information, navigational and concierge services and vehicle-related
services such as telemetry and car diagnostics.
About ATX Technologies:
ATX Technologies is headquartered in San Antonio with offices in Dallas
and Detroit. ATX provides leading-edge telematics (wireless location-based)
services to the automobile manufacturing and wireless communications
industries. Its telematics services include automatic collision notification,
location-based emergency response and roadside assistance, stolen vehicle
tracking, navigation and other location-based information services. The
company also pioneered automotive after market applications of telematics
beginning in 1995 and in 1999 introduced telematics services on handheld,
wireless communication devices.
