Mercedes-Benz Financial joins STAR!

MCLEAN, Va., Feb. 16, 2009 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Standards for Technology in Automotive Retail (STAR), a global information technology (IT) standards body for retail automotive and related industries, would like to welcome Mercedes-Benz Financial as a STAR Member.

STAR's membership is expanding domestically and globally within the core automotive industry. Over the years, STAR has extended its membership base to include Motor Sport, Marine and Medium & Heavy-duty Truck. In 8 years we have grown from an idea to an organization of over 35 members whose mission is to create voluntary industry standards that reduce cost and complexity for dealers, retail system providers and manufacturers, while increasing innovation and returns for all members.

About Mercedes-Benz Financial

Mercedes-Benz Financial, now in its 27th year of operation, provides financing for Mercedes-Benz dealers' inventories and their retail customers. Currently, more than 400,000 drivers in the United States enjoy the benefits of leasing or financing their Mercedes-Benz vehicles through Mercedes-Benz Financial. Mercedes-Benz Financial and its affiliates operate in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. Mercedes-Benz Financial is part of the Daimler Financial Services Group, headquartered in Berlin, Germany, that operates in nearly 40 countries. Daimler Financial Services Group is one of the leading financial services enterprises worldwide. For more information visit www.mercedesbenzfinancial.com.

About STAR

The Standards for Technology in Automotive Retail (STAR) organization is the information technology (IT) standards organization for retail automotive and related industries. STAR is leading the effort to implement voluntary IT standards throughout the automotive industry. These standards are designed to support business information needs and provide secure and reliable means for dealers, manufacturers, and retail system providers to communicate. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, STAR is a not-for-profit volunteer organization and its members include dealers, manufacturers and retail system providers. As members, these companies are interested in developing, promoting, and administering voluntary IT standards in the retail automotive industry and improving the effectiveness, timeliness and competitiveness of the IT solutions needed within the retail automotive industry.

For more information about STAR and a list of current members please visit www.starstandard.org.

For further information, contact Ghezal Khalili at 703-556-8584.