Webraska To Power Mobile Tracking Application For The Paris-Dakar Motorcycle Race

    PARIS--Jan. 2, 2003--Webraska

    - Application Developed By COBRA To Permit On-Line Tracking Of
    Gerard Barbezant, World Champion and Police Assistance Vehicle

    Webraska, the worldwide provider of location-based services (LBS) and enabling platforms is pleased to announce its collaboration with Cobra Automotive Technologies to power the tracking of two vehicles participating in the 25th Annual Paris-Dakar rally.
    "In common with many of our commercial deployments, this project placed high demands on the flexibility of Webraska's technology and the responsiveness of our professional services organization.", comments Laurent Vandebrouck, VP Telematics at Webraska. "Webraska was able to complete its part of the project in three days including map data preparation, integration, deployment and implementation of a project-specific map rendering look-and-feel."
    The tracking application has been developed and managed by COBRA, the leading manufacturer of alarm systems for cars, using its new Connex wireless GPS black-box devices installed on two vehicles: one motorcycle and one truck. The GPS data collected by the black-boxes are transmitted to Webraska's server-based platform which displays them on maps which can be consulted via the web.
    One black-box is installed on the motorcycle of Gerard Barbezant, world champion in his category (less than 250 cc), the other on the truck of the Gendarmerie Nationale (police assistance vehicle).
    The vehicles can be tracked on http://www.cobraconnex.com/dakar/desert_base_us.html from January 2, 2003.

    The project objectives are to:

-	Validate the Connex tracking, anti-theft and after-theft services in severe and extreme conditions;
-	Demonstrate the flexibility and the user-friendliness of such applications and services provided through the web.

    Siemens Mobile and TeleAtlas are also participating in the project, providing GSM modules for the Connex black-box, and digital map data respectively.
    Ari Vatanen, four times winner of the Paris-Dakar Rally and Laura "Duweb" of Tele-Matin, the news magazine of France 2, the French public TV channel, have agreed to support the challenge.

    For more information visit: www.webraska.com