Cross Country Unveils Industry's First Comprehensive Off-Board Navigation and Traffic Services Solution

Affordable Navigation Solution Primed for Industry Adoption; Leverages Industry's Latest Advances in Voice Recognition, Automated Navigation, and Real-Time Traffic Services

BOSTON, April 28 -- Cross Country Automotive Services (Cross Country), a leading provider of integrated vehicle and driver assistance programs including: telematics services; emergency roadside assistance, consumer affairs handling, and direct marketing services announced today that it has launched the industry's first robust and affordable off-board navigation and real-time traffic system.

The new off-board navigation offering provides a voice-enabled, hands- free, off-board navigation, directory assistance, and traffic solution for automotive OEM's and their customers. The solution was developed to automate as much of the navigation process as possible, decrease cost, increase user experience, and reduce the time to market for OEM's. Cross Country worked closely with Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) to co- develop and beta-test this new service. The new service is currently being tested in a variety of demonstration vehicles and will be available for deployment later this summer.

"We are thrilled to announce this new service offering. The debut of Cross Country's off-board navigation system validates Cross Country's commitment to extending our telematics capabilities beyond the company's heritage in safety and security to offer innovative products that meet consumer demand," said Peter Van Alstine, Vice President of Product Management, Cross Country Automotive Services. "Further, Cross Country's unique market position including client base, unmatched scale, core capabilities, and proven telematics and technology infrastructure enable Cross Country to deliver this turn-key, real-time off-board navigation and traffic solution at a price that will help ensure widespread consumer adoption."

This leading edge, off-board navigation system employs best-in-class voice-enabled directory services to ensure prompt and accurate access to over 140 million directory listings, including every business, government, and residential telephone listing. The system generates driving directions to, and offers the ability to speak directly with, the selected destination. For example, the customer selects a restaurant from the voice-enabled directory. Through the direct connection feature, the customer can then speak directly to the restaurant to ask questions or make a reservation. Furthermore, the customer can view the weather along the route to determine outdoor or indoor seating. Once the destination selection is made, the route is calculated and downloaded to a PDA via a wireless connection. The fastest route to the destination can be calculated with or without real-time traffic updates - enabling the customer to view traffic congestion along the route and determine an accurate arrival time. The customer receives the route and map via a wireless download to a PDA or in-vehicle display. Turn-by-turn voice prompts, directional icons and easy to interpret graphic representation of each maneuver are provided to the customer while driving. The service offering also features live operator support further ensuring a safe, convenient, and positive customer experience.

"In order to be successful, consumer telematics applications must be inexpensive, enhance the immediate driving experience, and provide accurate information such as real time traffic and weather," said Thilo Koslowski, VP and lead Automotive Analyst, Gartner/G2. "By developing telematics services that can be used outside of the vehicle, providers increase the value proposition of their telematics offerings, and will likely increase the rate of consumer adoption."

About Cross Country's Telematics Solutions

Cross Country's telematics solutions combine the power of wireless communication, location-based technology, and vehicle systems monitoring capabilities. Cross Country's telematics offerings include location-enabled roadside assistance, mayday services, theft and alarm tracking and notification, vehicle systems monitoring and reporting capabilities, navigation assistance, traffic, turn-by-turn directions, and concierge and lifestyle services. Cross Country's telematics strategy continues to include teaming with leading technology and best-of -breed content providers in implementing reliable, high value products for our clients.

About Cross Country Automotive Services

Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Cross Country Automotive Services is the leading provider of integrated vehicle and driver programs in North America, including emergency roadside assistance, telematics services, consumer affairs, and direct marketing services. Over 1,500 Cross Country employees serve more than 100 corporate clients and their more than 40 million customers each year. Cross Country Automotive Services is a member of The Cross Country Group, one of the largest privately held provider of customer service programs in the United States. For additional information on Cross Country Automotive Services, please visit their Web site at www.crosscountry-auto.com.

For additional information on SAIC, please visit their Web site at www.saic.com.