Honda Launches Owner Link Service

    LOS ANGELES--Oct. 17, 2001--Genex (www.genex.com), a leading Internet development and consulting firm, and American Honda Motor Company, Inc. (AHM) today launched Owner Link, a new Internet relationship management initiative for owners of Honda and Acura automobiles, designed to facilitate communication between AHM and its customers and add value to the ownership experience.
    Owner Link is accessed through the Acura (acura.com) and Honda (honda2001.com) brand sites.
    Owner Link will provide owners of Honda and Acura automobiles with one-stop access to timely product information, service reminders and VIN-specific recall information. The Owner Link initiative is the latest online undertaking for AHM, a long-standing Genex client.
    Owner Link enables Honda and Acura owners to set up a personalized Web site based on the vehicles they own. By entering a VIN or selecting a vehicle from the product chooser, the user gains access to maintenance schedules, appearance care information, troubleshooting and other tips, owners' manuals, dealer locator and contact information, Kelley Blue Book trade-in values and more. In addition, dealers can use the custom-built application to set up Owner Link accounts for new customers as an extension of their purchase.
    AHM's long-term goal is to use Owner Link as the central point of contact for owners of all Honda and Acura products. Personal profile information and communication preferences will reside at Owner Link, enabling customers to manage their communications with AHM -- the destination site from which Honda owners will opt in and out of all future communications with the company.
    "Our goal is to position Owner Link as best-in-class for owners' sites, and Genex has helped us achieve that," said Steven Center, assistant vice president, e-Business division. "Owner Link will help us manage our customer relationships more effectively and efficiently. We expect it to become an essential resource for Honda and Acura owners."
    Owner Link is a dynamic site that includes a battery of built-in administrative tools, which will enable Honda to quickly and efficiently integrate new car models and other Honda products in the future, and change or expand navigation for particular vehicles or across entire divisions. In addition, Honda and Genex integrated a single sign-on capability connecting all AHM online properties with one registration process, meaning that visitors have to register only once, with a single username and password, to visit any of Honda's multiple Web sites. The site's content and most of its functionality are accessible even if the user chooses not to register -- part of Honda's effort to serve its entire owner base.
    "Owner Link uses the online medium creatively to connect the various customer-facing parts within Honda and its dealers, and then extends those connections out to the customers themselves," said Walter Schild, CEO and founder, Genex. "Honda's primary objective was add value to the ownership experience by making as much information as possible easily accessible to owners. Through Owner Link, Honda is creatively reaching out to its customers and dealers with online solutions that go beyond the initial sale of a product. By addressing maintenance, vehicle care and other issues, Honda is building long-term relationships that can have a positive effect on the customer loyalty."
    Owner Link's content and services are now available for owners of Honda and Acura automobiles. In the future, Owner Link will expand to include Honda motorcycle, power equipment and marine product offerings.

    Usability Assured From Start to Finish

    The Owner Link application is the outgrowth of a structured, proven development process that includes discovery, design, development and deployment. In working with Honda to develop Owner Link, Genex conducted an extensive assessment of five AHM divisions and solicited input from dealers and customers to determine the users' needs and how to meet them most effectively. Prior to full deployment, a pilot site was launched for Acura owners in April, with nearly two-thirds of the invited customers signing up to use Owner Link.
    "Our extensive research and quality user acceptance testing provides us with valuable insight throughout the process about what's working and what needs to be changed," said Schild. "Creating an online environment that integrates distinct brands -- like Honda and Acura -- and several products within those brands, can present a challenge. We were able to identify this challenge and overcome it by building a system that delivers customizable information on specific products. Those pages can carry the specific branding that the customers associate with their own products, while common pages have a more general look-and-feel."

    About American Honda Motor Company, Inc.

    American Honda began operations in North America in 1959 with the establishment of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Honda's first overseas subsidiary. Today, more than 19,000 associates in the United States are employed by Honda in the areas of design, development, engineering, assembly and sales of Honda and Acura products. Honda operates 10 manufacturing facilities in North America that produce automobiles, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, power equipment, transmissions and engines, using domestic and globally sourced parts. Honda exports its products from North America to more than 90 different countries worldwide. For more information about Owner Link, Honda vehicles or Acura vehicles, please visit www.honda.com. For media inquiries, please go to www.hondanews.com.

    About Genex

    Founded in 1995, Genex (www.genex.com) delivers e-Business professional services to Fortune 1000 companies seeking low-risk, high-value strategy, creative, and engineering. The company's focused solutions result in business innovations that enable everyday efficiencies and long-term effectiveness, and thereby increase client ROI and overall competitive advantage. A Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, Genex clients include American Honda Motor Co., Brown & Williamson, CitiStreet, Fox, Herman Miller, Honeywell, LifeMasters Supported SelfCare, Sterling Commerce and The WB Television Network. Ranked eighth on the 2001 Deloitte & Touche Fast 50 for the Los Angeles area, the company is based in Los Angeles with offices in Atlanta and Hollywood.