ATX Adopts APCO Guidelines for Telematics Emergencies

IRVING, Texas--Sept. 1, 2004--ATX, the world's second largest provider of telematics services to the automobile industry, today announced that it would adopt the "Best Practices For Telematics Call Processing" recently released by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International.

The APCO document provides guidelines for public safety answering point (PSAP) personnel (9-1-1 call takers and emergency dispatchers) and response operators of telematics centers such as ATX who receive and route location-identified emergency calls from telematics-equipped vehicles to PSAPs. Emergency calls to telematics centers are generally generated in one of three ways:

1) Upon the activation of in-vehicle collision sensors and/or airbag deployment;

2) Manual activation by the driver of an in-vehicle "SOS" button;

3) Notification, with password authorization, by a vehicle owner that the vehicle has been stolen (filing of a stolen vehicle report with local police is required).

The APCO guidelines will be integrated into ATX's current operating standards and training protocols, said Hal Jensen, ATX chief operating officer.

"ATX remains committed to working closely with local, public, emergency response agencies across the United States and Canada to ensure that critical emergency communications and location information transmitted by in-vehicle telematics systems are delivered to the right PSAP as expeditiously as possible," said Jensen. "We recognize the fact these standards were developed by experienced PSAP personnel -- the very people with whom we interface in emergencies -- and were the result of a thorough examination that included actual on-site reviews of telematics response centers and opinion research from many PSAPs, including those that handle a high percentage of telematics emergency calls."

"Because these guidelines are grounded on real-world experience and input from public safety agencies -- large and small -- APCO's guidelines are an immeasurable contribution and will be considered by our company as the telematics industry's benchmark standards upon which we will base our training and operations going forward," Jensen added.

Jensen emphasized that ATX management decided to adopt the APCO guidelines because having a set of established, base guidelines within the telematics and public safety communities promotes the seamless transfer of emergency calls and clarifies public safety's priorities with regard to protocols between call centers.

ATX, as well as other telematics service providers, began working with APCO nearly two years ago on incorporating APCO training guidelines into telematic center programs. ATX also has worked with APCO and the Washington, D.C.-based ComCARE Alliance on standards for transmitting data between telematics centers and emergency responders.

The APCO guidelines can be found at http://www.apcointl.org/documents/TSPAug604.pdf

ATX serves markets in both North America and Western Europe. The company's telematics services are provided through the two-way communication of voice and data between a subscriber's telematics-equipped automobile and the company's response centers.

ABOUT ATX: Based in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, and Dusseldorf, Germany, ATX is the world's second largest provider of telematics services for the automobile industry, serving both North America and Western Europe. ATX telematics services are designed to provide enhanced safety, security and driving convenience to vehicle owners. These services include location-specific emergency and roadside assistance, automatic collision notification, stolen vehicle recovery, remote diagnostics and real-time traffic and navigation assistance. As an independent provider (not owned by an automobile manufacturer), ATX also customizes telematics services to help each automobile manufacturer and their affiliated dealerships to use telematics data to reduce costs, enhance vehicle servicing, and more closely manage customer relationships. ATX services are provided to over 600,000 vehicle owners through the brand names of its customers -- Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Maybach, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.