AutoWeb Expands Its Product Offerings

DETROIT, Aug. 29, 2005 -- Continuing their largest product offensive in company history, AutoWeb Communications, Inc. (AutoWeb) is introducing two new features for its Intellectual Property Exchange: Data Integration Services and Translate-on-Upload.

Both new services represent significant upgrades to the company's Intellectual Property Exchange, a secure data exchange network for engineering, design and manufacturing professionals, and further support the idea of AutoWeb as the defacto standard for intellectual property protection in the automotive and aerospace industries.

With the addition of Data Integration Services, AutoWeb gives manufacturers the ability to work and interact with their partners' Product Data Management (PDM) systems. It extends the Intellectual Property Exchange into an OEM's PDM system, enabling suppliers to directly access needed engineering data in a safe and secure environment.

"This is a great alternative for companies that can't or don't want to directly connect into their customers' PDM systems," states Doug Halliday, AutoWeb vice president of product development. "It requires no large up-front investment like setting up a direct connection, and there is no hardware or software installation needed. This hosted solution uses a simple web-interface and it can be up and running in a day."

AutoWeb's Data Integration Services benefit OEMs as well. The largest benefit is that AutoWeb's new service improves downstream security by eliminating the need for third party data management providers -- the data remains safe in AutoWeb's secure network. As an added security feature, the service also creates transaction logs allowing the OEM to track who has checked out which document, when they checked it out and where it was sent, as well as when it was checked back into the system.

In keeping with secure features, AutoWeb's Translate-on-Upload allows users to translate CAD files while uploading the file to the Intellectual Property Exchange. This feature compliments the existing Translate-on- Download feature, allowing users to translate CAD files on the front and/or back end of the data-exchange process.

"With the ability to translate CAD files on the upload, AutoWeb now provides its user community with a convenient and streamlined solution for what used to be a burdensome business requirement," states Halliday.

He also noted that CAD translations are a growing requirement among design and engineering professionals and AutoWeb's Translate-on-Upload feature provides an integrated solution that eliminates multiple steps from the translation process and reduces lead times.

AutoWeb works with some of the world's leading automotive manufacturers and their suppliers, including DaimlerChrysler, Ford, General Motors, Mitsubishi and Nissan, as well as Lear, Federal-Mogul, Johnson Controls, Metaldyne and Visteon. Formed in 1995, AutoWeb is a wholly-owned subsidiary of NTT Communications. The company's products provide simple, powerful methods for its customers to securely exchange data in order to speed product development, reduce design-and-production costs and further leverage supplier resources. Additional information is available on the Internet at http://www.autoweb.net/.