European Telematics Equipment Sales to Eclipse $2.5B Annually by 2006

        Free Conference Call to Discuss Drivers and Market Indicators
                           Of Emerging Niche Market

    LONDON, March 28 Annual revenues from telematics equipment
sales in Europe will be over $2.5 billion by 2006, according to a new study
from The Strategis Group. Thanks to the development of standardized and
increasingly capable equipment and services, the overall number of original
equipment manufacturer (OEM) and after-market devices sold each year is
expected to rise from a total of 770,000 units in 2001 to 8.7 million units by
2006 according to the report, European Vehicle Telematics: Technologies, Value
Chain and Market Entry Strategies. Europe's five largest automotive markets
(Germany, Italy, France, UK and Spain) are expected to account for 84% of
these sales by 2006.

    "The increasing use of standardized technology and protocols is helping to
reduce the cost of developing telematics systems, as well as promote device
and service interoperability," notes Jamie Moss, analyst with The Strategis
Group. "As a consequence, future generations of telematics devices will be
able to be easily updated to offer an increasing variety of services."

    OEM and Aftermarket Telematics Device Sales (millions),
    Top 14 European Markets, 2001-2006

    Year                2001       2002    2003     2004      2005     2006
    OEM                  .46       1.03    1.88     3.02      4.63     6.66
    Aftermarket          .31        .52     .78     1.12      1.54     2.04
    Total                .77       1.55    2.67     4.14      6.18     8.70

    Source: The Strategis Group, Inc.

    "The vehicle buying public simply did not perceive the devices as offering
adequate value for money and as a result, telematics devices have languished
in the luxury vehicle market," Moss adds. "However, proposed new features and
competitive pricing are set to change all that."

    The in-vehicle environment, which features LCD/TFT screens rather than a
WAP browser, can offer the perfect environment for content-rich multimedia
services. As Karl Emanuelsson, analyst with The Strategis Group says, "We will
soon see a blurring of the divisions between the various mobile information
devices available to drivers -- telematics systems, navigation systems and
mobile communications devices will become increasingly intertwined to provide
the consumer with a unified communications and information solution."

    European Vehicle Telematics: Technologies, Value Chain and Market Entry
Strategies analyses the development of the passenger vehicle telematics market
within the top 14 automotive markets in Europe, providing forecasts for unit
sales, market penetration, equipment revenues and service revenues from 2001
until 2006. The report features interviews with 41 key companies currently
active within the European arena, from vehicle manufacturers to mobile
operators.