ATX Expands Telematics Coverage in Western Europe

Italy Now Included With Germany, U.K. in ATX Service Area; France Next In Line

DUSSELDORF, Germany, Jan. 12 -- ATX Group, the world's second largest telematics service provider to the automobile industry, today announced the launch of an accelerated, phased plan to expand the delivery of telematics services to vehicle owners throughout the G5 countries of Western Europe over the course of the next couple of years.

Beginning this month, ATX's telematics service coverage extends into Italy. Expansion of service throughout France should be completed by mid- year, leaving only the future coverage of Spain to complete the G5 expansion. ATX currently provides service in Germany and the United Kingdom.

"Our eventual objective is to become a full service, pan-European provider of telematics services to automobile OEMs (original equipment manufacturers)," noted Steve Millstein, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Achieving this would overcome the key impediment to the growth of telematics throughout Europe: the inability of service providers in the market to offer coverage beyond the borders of their home country."

ATX, which pioneered the deployment of telematics services in consumer vehicles in North America, is re-deploying its production-proven telematics platforms to meet the needs of its European customers. These systems provide services that do not rely solely on a specific wireless carrier, telematics protocol, content provider, or the customer's preferred language. The company will continue to support multiple wireless carriers to establish seamless, wireless voice and data connectivity between telematics vehicles on Italian, French, British and Spanish roadways and ATX's response center in Dusseldorf without the driver needing to use a new SIM card upon crossing borders.

ATX provides drivers with Italian-, German-, French-, and English-language response by either live operator or automated, interactive voice technology.

ATX'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 and data centers.

Based in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, area and Dusseldorf, Germany, ATX Group is the world's second largest provider of telematics services for the automobile industry, serving both North America and 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. ATX, the largest independent telematics provider not owned by an automobile manufacturer or telecommunications firm, also provides telematics services designed to help automobile manufacturers 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 vehicle owners through the brand names of its customers -- Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Maybach, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

For more information, visit http://www.atxg.com/ .