NEXIQ Technologies Wins Auto Interiors 2001 Design and Technology Award

    MANCHESTER, N.H. and STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. and CORALVILLE, Iowa--May 16, 2001--NEXIQ Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB: NEXQ): Diversified Software Industries, Inc., recently acquired by NEXIQ Technologies, Inc. (NEXIQ Press Release 5/14/01), received an Auto Interiors 2001 Design & Technology Award for its revolutionary In-Vehicle Information System (IVIS) software framework. The first place award singles out the NEXIQ product in the production division for Multimedia & Telematics. Auto Interiors announced the finalists at the Detroit Auto Interiors Show, Wednesday, May 16.
    The Design & Technology Award recognizes achievements in the areas of automotive design and technology. The awards honor creative thinking and encourage innovation in the interiors industry. The products and concepts selected for recognition provide a notable benefit to the end user or make a substantial contribution toward the advancement of the automotive industry. There were two award winners, one for production and one for concept, selected from each of three categories - safety, comfort and convenience; design and manufacturing technology and materials; and multimedia and telematics. Products, concepts and services developed by OEMs and their suppliers in the United States and abroad were eligible.
    IVIS (see related material at www.dsi-inc.net) is a revolutionary advancement in the prototyping, designing and development of information displays for In-Vehicle applications. It gives designers the ability to both create graphical content and also to define the behavior of the content and graphic objects. IVIS supports the rapid development of a variety of applications in the vehicle with an intuitive drag-and-drop Windows(tm) environment, enabling designers to develop fully functional applications or systems with little training.
    IVIS is platform-independent and provides multiple layers of abstraction and a data warehouse that facilitates communication with peripheral devices. It also allows mobile devices, such as Palm Pilots and cell phones, to be easily and effortlessly linked into the display. IVIS can also be activated through voice, touch or mechanical recognition
    Commenting on the award, NEXIQ Chairman and CEO, John Allard, said, "We're delighted with this important industry recognition of IVIS and its unique value to automotive and commercial vehicle solutions developers. The honor affirms our vision for the next generation of telematics and information management solutions for the transportation industry."
    Jim Griffin, NEXIQ Executive Vice-President, Telematic Services and former DSI President and CEO added, "We are very honored to receive this award from Auto Interiors. This recognizes NEXIQ as an industry leader with innovative technology and solutions. We are very excited about our recent merger with NEXIQ and the greater opportunities we share as an integrated business."