Mercedes-Benz Japan and Nippon Telegraph to Develop Transportation Information Service

08/12/96

Comline has reported that on June 30, Mercedes-Benz's import division in Japan agreed to jointly develop a transportation information system together with the Transportation Information Service (ATIS) and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT).

ATIS will improve its current information service with Mercedes-Benz Japan and NTT technology and provide the new service starting in April next year. In April 1995 ATIS started an info service which displays transportation information to car navigation systems through car and cellular phones. The current range of the system, however, is limited to the Tokyo area, and membership and user fees are expensive. Since free transportation information systems have popped up in the area, the number of customers has lagged to 3,800.

ATIS' new service will not only provides transportation and traffic congestion information, but also information about events and weather. Additionally, it will automatically relay information about the shortest route to the user's destination, taking into account current traffic conditions.

Paul Dever -- The Auto Channel