ATX Technologies' New Hi Tech System Helps
13 January 1999
ATX Technologies' New Hi Tech System Helps More Than a Hundred Thousand Times in 1998
SAN ANTONIO, Jan. 12 -- More than 130,000 calls for help were
heard last year by a new hi-tech system that uses satellite and wireless
technology to track vehicles. The On-Guard Tracker(R), developed and
manufactured by ATX Technologies, Inc., can pinpoint a vehicle's location,
speed and direction and provide emergency and convenience services. Calls for
help come through the 24-hour On-Guard Response Center(SM) -- the largest
dedicated Response Center serving North America.
"In 1998, we built a world class operation," said Steve Riebel, president
and CEO of ATX Technologies. "In 1999, we'll expand our Response Center
network and our services to On-Guard customers and the automotive partners who
are integrating our Trackers with their products. Our goal is to produce the
best product on the market, provide more of the best service and meet the
growing needs of our customers," he added.
Handling 131,648 calls last year, On-Guard Response Center specialists
responded to everything from vehicle thefts and medical emergencies to
navigation assistance. A third of the calls (38,941) were emergency related,
and On-Guard emergency specialists dispatched law enforcement officials in
213 cases without a single false alarm. All On-Guard Response Center
specialists are 911 emergency certified.
Also in 1998, more than a hundred vehicle thefts led to nearly 150 car
thieves arrested through the On-Guard system. In three cases, law enforcement
officials were dispatched by On-Guard to the scene of assaults.
"Our technology works. We've saved the most lives and caught the most bad
guys," Riebel said.
To meet the growing needs of On-Guard customers, ATX doubled its capacity
of active mayday and navigation workstations and increased its full time
staffing by 80 percent in its Response Center in 1998. In addition, ATX added
a multilingual services unit which can handle calls in English, German,
French, Spanish and Japanese.
1999 will bring the addition of the internet to Response Center
capabilities. "Our customers will be able to pull up the real time location
of their Tracker-equipped vehicles on any standard web browser, as well as
receive stock quotes, news headlines and traffic information," Riebel said.
With the On-Guard Ready Card, introduced this month at the 1999 Consumer
Electronics Show in Las Vegas, NV, customers without Trackers are able to use
Response Center services. Like a pre-paid phone card, the Ready Card gives
cardholders access to roadside assistance, directions, maps, locations of
businesses and other mayday and convenience services.
"By the year 2000, we'll be adding enhanced trip planning and voice
messaging to our service mix," Riebel said. "We are developing new technology
everyday that will bring the intelligent vehicle into the 21st Century," he
added.
ATX Technologies (http://www.track.com) is located in San Antonio, Texas and is
the leading provider of vehicle tracking, personal security services and
navigation assistance for the vehicle aftermarket. ATX Technologies is the
only company of its kind in the industry with complete vertical integration
including design, manufacture, sales and operation of a 24 hour a day Response
Center. Each member of the On-Guard family of products can be installed in
any vehicle to protect the owners against theft and other crimes, plus provide
tracking data or convenience services. Information is available by calling
1-800-466-4827.