InfoMove Partners With Casio
20 March 2000
InfoMove Partners With Casio To Deliver Location-based Wireless Internet Applications to Drivers
SEATTLE--March 20, 2000--InfoMove's real-time, location-specific Internet
content for the car on Casio WindowsCE devices
InfoMove, the first company to fully integrate the advantages of the Internet with the car, today announced a strategic partnership with Casio to deliver InfoMove's suite of wireless Internet applications on Casio's WinCE line of Pocket PCs.
Through this partnership, Casio will collaborate with InfoMove to integrate InfoMove's personalized, real-time, location-specific Internet content for the car onto the CASSIOPEIA PDA devices. In addition, InfoMove will provide an in-car cradle to retrofit with current Casio PDA devices.
"This collaborative effort will initiate Casio's strategy to offer a solution that meets consumer demand for personalized and intuitive wireless Internet access in the car," said Peter Holland, president and CEO of InfoMove. "By offering the technology to do this, Casio is expanding on its role as a leader in mobile communication devices and making a strategic move toward the automotive industry."
"The market for wireless Internet services in the car is expanding rapidly and auto manufacturers are looking for tools to provide safe and easy Internet access for drivers," said Gary Schultz, director of the Mobile Information Products Division of Casio. "InfoMove's comprehensive platform allows Casio to offer integrated, personalized and localized services through our wireless PDA devices."
How InfoMove works
InfoMove's proprietary technology platform utilizes a direct interface with the car to deliver drivers and passengers Internet content and other vehicle-related services in a format that is tailored to the driving environment. The platform includes a vehicle monitoring system that sends information back to InfoMove's server and enables InfoMove to send the user maintenance and recall notices, as well as location-based advertising. Wireless Internet access will be provided through existing wireless networks, and in the future, through 3G and other standardized wireless networks. InfoMove delivers the following core GPS-based applications:
| -- | Real-time personalized, and geo-located traffic updates |
| -- | Turn-by-turn, location based driving instructions |
| -- | Real-time vehicle monitoring, diagnostic, maintenance alerts and historical information |
| -- | Profiled location-based advertising |
| -- | |
| -- | Stocks, weather, news, city guides, shopping, and other Internet information |
| -- | Emergency assistance and concierge services |
With InfoMove's applications, palm-sized and handheld PC devices such as the CASSIOPEIA, as well as Internet-enabled cell phones, are transformed into auto PCs that customers can connect inside their cars, essentially turning cars into Internet "chauffeurs."
InfoMove has developed strategic relationships with industry leading organizations to create this unique platform that integrates GPS, wireless and Internet technologies. InfoMove will offer its service to Internet portals, hardware manufacturers, automotive companies and other organizations as private label and co-branded solutions. Consumers will be able to sign up for the first phase of the service in Q3 2000.
About InfoMove
InfoMove is the first company to integrate Internet, wireless and global positioning system (GPS) technologies to deliver a unique suite of personalized Internet content into the car on palm-sized and handheld PC devices and WAP cell phones. InfoMove services include real-time and predictive traffic, audible turn-by-turn directions, wireless vehicle diagnostics, maintenance alerts, emergency services, location-based advertising and text-to-speech enabled e-mail capabilities. InfoMove private labels its content and services to Internet portals, automotive suppliers and manufacturers, mobile computing device manufacturers, and vertical Internet destination sites.
InfoMove was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Seattle. It has strategic relationships with content providers and technology developers such as BSQUARE, Engage Technologies (a CMGI company), Clifford Electronics, Etak and University of Washington. The company is working with leading automotive and device manufacturers to deliver this unique solution to customers in Q3 2000.
For more information, visit the company's web site at www.infomove.com.
About Casio, Inc.
Casio, Inc., Dover, N.J., is the U.S. subsidiary of Casio Computer Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan. Casio, Inc., with sales over $450 million, markets calculators, watches, business organizers, musical keyboards, LCD TVs, electronic cash registers, digital imaging products and other consumer electronic products. Casio, the unexpected extra -- for more information visit our web site at www.casio.com.