Borg Instruments Chooses Webraska as Technology Provider for the New QUO VADIS Real-Time Wireless Navigation Terminal

    POISSY, France--May 3, 2001--Webraska, the worldwide provider of wireless navigation services and technologies, has signed a contract with Borg Instruments, 1st tier automotive supplier for innovative electronics, which will launch a low cost off-board real-time navigation terminal for cars based on the Webraska's wireless technology and on-line services in September 2001.
    The new generation navigation terminal of BORG Instruments, called QUO VADIS, will provide low cost interactive and real-time telematic services, itinerary calculation, maps, turn-by-turn navigation, POI access, and traffic information, throughout Europe and the United States.
    The combination of the QUO VADIS terminal and the Webraska Wireless Navigation Platform(TM) will be offered in the B to B markets including the after-market.
    Webraska will provide on-line services and content to BORG navigation terminals, allowing dynamic navigation and optimised routing taking into account the most up-dated traffic conditions. Itinerary, proximity and navigation data prepared and computed by Webraska servers in only a few milliseconds following a user request are transmitted to the end-users in IP format through, for instance, GSM, CDMA or GPRS, and are downloaded on a flash card - allowing the user to register his/her favourite and usual routes and guidance information.
    "Our cooperation with Borg is a demonstration of our strategy to work with innovative tier one suppliers and after-market terminal manufacturers to ensure best of breed navigation services that consumers can afford", said Bruno Bourguet, General Manager of the Automotive division of Webraska. "We believe that navigation is set to come out of its current niche into the mass market if it combines the power of the wireless internet and new affordable terminals".
    "BORG Instruments has selected Webraska for the performance of its servers, the scalability of its services and their international content", commented Daniel Aufaure, General Manager of Borg Instruments. "By relying on Webraska's proven technology, which has been adopted by telecom operators worldwide and on its data which is compatible with all cellular telecommunications standards and protocols, BORG Instruments is in a position to rapidly deploy its solutions across markets and to meet the specific requirements of OEMs".
    This BORG solution is part of a series of products based on Webraska's IbDN(R) technology and specifically targeted to the requirements of automotive professionals. Webraska is pursuing its strategy to work with its partners to develop a full product and service range dedicated to turn-by-turn, real-time, wireless navigation solutions adding connectivity and location-based opportunities to in-car systems. Currently covering 13 countries in Europe North America and, increasingly, Asia (mapping, POIs, traffic information), Webraska's automotive product range spans from wireless in-vehicle solutions with colour mapping, routing and voice instructions to low-cost wireless personal navigation terminals such as PDAs.
    Webraska and Borg Instruments will exhibit and demonstrate their automotive technology and services at Eye For Auto in Detroit (15-16 May 2001).

About Borg

    BORG Instruments is the European leader in the development and manufacturing of innovative automotive electronics (instruments cluster, multifunction modules, Man-Machine-Interface, navigation...). After 30 years of experience in automotive electronics BORG Instruments has developed the first low cost automotive Navigation and Telematics system (QUO VADIS 2000) using a new flash card approach.
    The basic system enables all navigation features (including speech synthesis) within automotive environment. With the suitable interface the QUO VADIS 2000 becomes the first Telematics automotive terminal connected to the external world (WAP, INTERNET...).
    BORG Instruments Technology is used by all major World wide car manufacturers ( Ford, GM, Fiat, BMW, Daimler, Renault, Peugeot) The company is located in KARLSRUHE (Germany) and has offices in Paris, Turin, San Jose, Detroit). For more information visit: www.borg.de

About Webraska

    Webraska is the worldwide provider of wireless navigation, spatial searching, mapping and traffic information services and technologies for telecom operators and car manufacturers. Turning mobile devices into worldwide personal navigation systems, Webraska's revolutionary IbDN(R) (Internet-based Distributed Navigation) patented technology and its Personal Navigation Suite(TM) of valued-added services are solving mobile users needs everyday, increasing revenues, customer loyalty and brand recognition for leading service providers around the world, including SFR, TIM, Vizzavi, KPN, Belgacom, Airtel, Orange, ADAC, VoiceStream and M1.
    Webraska also offers the Personal Navigation API(TM) that allows application developers to launch, in a matter of hours, anywhere in most of Europe, North America and increasingly in the Asia-Pacific region, 'location & navigation-enabled' wireless applications (location-based services, m-commerce, games, city guides, fleet management, mobile Extranet, etc.). It is available directly to all developers via Webraska's ASP Centres, and via licensees of the Global Navigation Server(TM) platform and Global Navigation Database(TM). Webraska's technology has already been chosen by industry leaders, including IBM, Nortel, Oracle, Openwave, Alcatel, Sagem, Schlumberger, SignalSoft, Wireless Car, PSA, Cellpoint, CT Motion, CPS, Acunia and Borg. The company is headquartered in Poissy, France and has offices in London, Brussels, Madrid, Amsterdam, Milan, Stockholm, Tokyo, Singapore, Melbourne, Montreal and Detroit. For more information visit: www.webraska.com