Magellan RoadMate First with Built-In, Nationwide Maps and WAAS-Enabled Accuracy

LAS VEGAS--Jan. 7, 2004--Thales Navigation's innovative new Magellan(R) RoadMate(TM) 700, the first portable vehicle navigation device to deliver built-in nationwide map detail for seamless coast-to-coast routing, will make its CES debut this week at Booth #21834. The groundbreaking new Magellan RoadMate 700 and 500 both provide an advanced user interface for unrivaled ease of use; voice-prompted, turn-by-turn directions; a color, touch-screen display; and WAAS capabilities to ensure the driver is always precisely guided. From the road warrior to the soccer mom to the vacation traveler and multi-car family -- any driver can gain time-saving efficiency and peace of mind without purchasing a new GPS-equipped car.

"'Turn It On and Go' is the promise on the box of the Magellan RoadMate 700, and it lives up to that user-friendly pledge," said Automobile Magazine's Michael Austin. "Maps of the whole United States are pre-loaded, so there's no tricky computer downloads. Inputs can be made using the arrow buttons or the color touchscreen. Route planning is so easy. You hardly need the built-in tutorial. The Magellan RoadMate is the easiest portable navigation system I've ever used, and it's even better than most OEM systems."

"With the early response we've received to the Magellan RoadMate 700 and 500, we believe we've proven again that Thales Navigation is committed to making products that meet real customer needs and lead the way as GPS technology emerges in mass market solutions," said Dean Senner, CEO of Thales Navigation. "The Magellan RoadMate series fuses new features with technologies we developed for Hertz(R) NeverLost(R) -- a system that has safely guided millions of people to their destinations and become the most proven vehicle navigation system in the world."

The Magellan RoadMate 500 and 700 are the first cost-efficient, portable solutions to offer simple, yet fully featured street navigation for any driver of any car. Compact and lightweight, Magellan RoadMate sets up for use in minutes without professional installation and the added cost and time associated with it. In addition, a large high-resolution color touch screen, high-quality voice guidance prompts, and a wide array of mounting and faceplate options make the Magellan RoadMate series the new standard in portable car navigation.

The Magellan RoadMate 700's internal hard drive is pre-loaded with the latest mapping data for the continental United States and major metropolitan areas of Canada so drivers can navigate seamlessly anywhere in the country. It provides fast, reliable guidance to nearly every address in the country, including two million points of interest, including restaurants, parks, gas stations, banks, schools and police stations.

The mid-level Magellan RoadMate 500 uses the same map data but with a compact flash memory card, which stores uploaded user-selected map areas from the supplied software.

Using the touch-screen or keypad, drivers can either enter a destination from the points of interest database, from their personal address book of up to 100 destinations, or as a street address. Both the Magellan RoadMate 700 and 500 offer users the choice of selecting a route dictated by the "Shortest Time," "Shortest Distance," "Least Use of Freeways" or "Most Use of Freeways." In addition, the system automatically recalculates a route after a missed turn. Both systems display a clearly visible, full-color route on a moving map to show the driver's progress. The route is also displayed as text directions and as a graphic showing one turn at a time. At all times, the convenient turn-by-turn, voice-prompted guidance minimizes the driver's need to view the display.

For additional information, visit www.magellangps.com.

About Thales Navigation

Thales Navigation is one of the world's leading developers and manufacturers of positioning, navigation and guidance equipment with global operations. Thales Navigation markets its Magellan brand GPS solutions in the consumer electronics, recreation, and automotive markets, and its GPS and GNSS professional products in the survey, GIS/Mapping, and OEM markets. Through its joint venture with Hertz, Thales Navigation has developed the Hertz NeverLost(R) vehicle navigation system. Thales Navigation's key innovations include the first U.S. commercial hand-held GPS receiver for positioning and navigation, and the first handheld GPS with industry standard Secure Digital Memory Card capabilities.

Thales Navigation, headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif. with European headquarters in Carquefou, France, is a subsidiary of Thales, a world leader in professional electronics in three key markets: Aerospace, Defense and Information Technology & Services (IT&S). The Group employs 60,000 people in nearly 50 countries worldwide, and generated revenues of over $11 billion in 2002. For more information, visit www.thalesnavigation.com.

Magellan, RoadMate and Turn it on and go are trademarks of Thales Navigation Inc. Hertz NeverLost is a registered trademark of Hertz System, Inc.