DriveThere Unveils Roadside Assistance Program
27 June 2000
DriveThere Unveils Roadside Assistance ProgramService from Auto Help Line Provides Peace of Mind and Complements Anytime/Anywhere Access to Online Motoring Assistant ST. LOUIS, June 27 As part of its mission to build the ultimate online assistant for motorists, DriveThere today added to its robust suite of services by unveiling its emergency roadside assistance program. The service is being provided by Auto Help Line of America, one of the largest independent road service networks in the United States. "We're very excited about offering Auto Help Line's services to our members, because hands-down, Auto Help Line is the best in the industry," said Allen Cohen, CEO of DriveThere, a revolutionary company that is combining the power of the Internet with cutting-edge voice-browsing technology to dramatically improve the driving experience for business motorists. "Our goal is to offer our customers best-of-breed services, online and offline. Emergency roadside assistance is probably the most critical service we'll offer, so it was important that we partner with the best provider we could." The relationship with Auto Help Line, which has been in operation since 1976, provides DriveThere with a nationwide support network of more than 19,000 garages and 95,000 tow trucks. The emergency service is accessed by dialing a single 800 number, regardless of where the member may be in the U.S., and tow trucks typically arrive in 30 minutes or less. The service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The emergency roadside service completes the initial bundle of services that DriveThere will offer to wireless communications carriers, ISPs, enterprise software vendors and professional service providers such as corporate travel vendors. Those organizations will in turn offer DriveThere to their corporate clients as an optional add-on to their bundle of services. The primary DriveThere offering is its voice portal, which will provide business travelers and commuters with anytime/anywhere access to the Internet using standard wireless phones. As a result, drivers will be able to quickly and accurately obtain driving directions to thousands of roadside destinations -- restaurants, hotels, rest stops, gas stations, pharmacies and hospitals as well as real-time traffic and weather reports -- using only verbal commands, and still keep their eyes on the road. The voice portal is being built in conjunction with Lucent Technologies -- New Ventures Group. Lucent's Bell Labs developed PhoneBrowser, the technology that serves as the voice portal's backbone. According to Dave Stahl, Director, Lucent New Ventures Group, "The combination of DriveThere and PhoneBrowser is a true 'killer app' for the business traveler, and with the addition of emergency road service, it's even more valuable. It's the first in a stream of applications we will be introducing to deliver mobile, Web-based services to business travelers and commuters." The two companies are already working on the next generation of DriveThere services. Over time, DriveThere will expand to provide additional information such as alternate routing to help drivers circumvent traffic jams. Other functions will include vehicle registration and driver's license renewal, online traffic ticket payment and instant access to business services such as shipping, fax and e-mail. "Auto Help Line is a perfect match for DriveThere," said Joe Fazio, President of Auto Help Line. "The combination of our service and DriveThere.com provides members with everything they need, when they need it. It's the ultimate safety net." "DriveThere has something to offer everyone who sits behind the wheel," said Cohen. "With the roadside assistance program in place, it's ideal for corporate groups as well as individual motorists."