Telcontar Announces Close of $23.6 Million Funding Round; Strategic Investors in Location-Based Software & Services Company Include Ford Motor Company

    LAS VEGAS--March 20, 2001--Telcontar, a leading provider of software and services for location-based solution companies, today announced the close of its latest round of funding totaling $23.6 million. This round of funding was led by Ford Motor Company and is Telcontar's third since the private company was founded in 1996. Other strategic investors participating in the Series C funding round included Comroad S.A. Trimble Navigation, Inc. and LLP Nichiman Data Systems. Funds were also secured from previous investors. Separately, Telcontar announced today that Silicon Valley veteran Eric Carlson has joined the company as president and CEO. The company also announced a deal with Wingcast.
    "The investment made in Telcontar by Ford Motor Company and others is representative of the potential they see for the company and its business model. Telcontar has already proven itself to be the leader in location-based software and services with a total of more than 45 customers, and these new funds will be used to expand our product offerings and strengthen this position," said Eric Carlson, president and CEO of Telcontar
    Spearheading Ford Motor Company's efforts in bringing location-based services to its vehicles is Wingcast, Incorporated - a telematics joint venture between Ford and QUALCOMM Incorporated. "Using these location-based services, drivers will receive help automatically in the event of an emergency, obtain real time traffic updates with alternative routes, and access directions to and information about nearby businesses such as gas stations or restaurants. Location-based services will become as common as today's yellow pages," said Harel Kodesh, president of Wingcast. "We are pleased to partner with Telcontar to deliver the technology that will enable these valuable services."
    Telcontar provides software and services that enable solution providers to deliver maps, routes or other location-based services to users by integrating vector maps with information drawn from a variety of real-time and service-based sources. Telcontar products are being used today to provide emergency and concierge services for drivers and wireless Internet users, real-time traffic information, directions and maps to Internet users, and to support call centers doing emergency dispatch. Other customers are using Telcontar for solutions in e911, fleet management and asset tracking, as well as business applications such as viewing aerial photographs of commercial real estate over the Internet.

    About Telcontar

    Telcontar is the leading supplier of real-time, bandwidth-efficient software infrastructure solutions and integration services to providers of location-based applications. The company's products give businesses the ability to easily integrate digital maps with traditional database content drawn from multiple sources. Telcontar's clients use its Drill Down Server(TM) to provide their own customers with driving directions, real-time traffic information, and maps. These services are also used for fleet tracking and dispatch and mobile concierge services, as well as by vehicular or personal emergency response call centers. The company is privately held and headquartered in San Jose, California with field offices in Los Angeles, Dallas, and the United Kingdom.

    TRADEMARKS: Telcontar and Drill Down Server are trademarks or registered trademarks of Telcontar. All other product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.