One-Stop Telematics-CRM Solution Available to Automotive Industry Through Cross Country Automotive Services, WirelessCar Alliance
19 October 2000
One-Stop Telematics-CRM Solution Available to Automotive Industry Through Cross Country Automotive Services, WirelessCar Alliance
BOSTON--Oct. 19, 2000--Cross Country Automotive Services (CCAS) announced today that it is entering into a strategic alliance with WirelessCar of Gothenburg, Sweden and Irvine, California. WirelessCar will tap CCAS' complete range of Roadside Assistance, Consumer Affairs and Telematics services, and CCAS gains access to WirelessCar's Universal Telematics Network to deliver its telematics content and services. As a result, CCAS is positioned to launch its Total Telematics-CRM Solution(SM) in 2001, and offer the automotive industry a superior channel for communicating with customers.
"Since 1972, CCAS has built a reputation as the nation's leading provider of roadside assistance programs. Our partnership with WirelessCar instantly provides an infrastructure for launching telematics services that sets new industry standards," says Michael A. Saxton, President and CEO of Cross Country Automotive Services. "The leading European wireless and automotive players that formed WirelessCar (Ericsson, the Volvo Group, and Telia AB), selected CCAS for our leadership position in mobility-related customer service programs. CCAS is proud to join this elite group, and we look forward to delivering a service that equals our stature in the industry."
The partnership ensures that CCAS' Total Telematics-CRM Solution(SM) (T-CRM Solution(SM)) addresses the challenges of connectivity, content and conversion. Utilizing its Universal Telematics Network, WirelessCar will seamlessly deliver CCAS telematics content to end users via multiple wireless networks, communication protocols and devices, as well as through the wireless Internet. CCAS' content includes roadside assistance, mayday, mobile security monitoring and post-warranty membership renewal and concierge, among others. Finally, CCAS' expertise in direct marketing services - combined with WirelessCar's billing platform - will enable automobile manufacturers to develop and mine untapped revenue streams.
"We are extremely enthusiastic about the alliance with CCAS," states Jan Hellaker, President & CEO of WirelessCar. "In addition to its 28-year heritage in innovating roadside assistance and consumer affairs programs, CCAS was among the earliest to develop Telematics content in 1996. Just as WirelessCar brings the experience of building European wireless networks to its U.S.-based Universal Telematics Network, CCAS continues to lend its years of mobility-related customer service programs to the expanding telematics arena; our standards and track records make us the ideal partners."
This new development is the latest expansion in CCAS' growing presence in the telematics arena. CCAS began serving the telematics customer in 1996, shortly after it was introduced into the automobile. Since then, CCAS has made significant investments in the technology and the infrastructure needed to support these services. This strategy has paid off for CCAS, which is now the telematics solutions provider of choice for automotive manufacturers, including BMW North America.
About WirelessCar
WirelessCar Sweden AB, is headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, the heart of the new "Wireless Valley." WirelessCar North America, Inc. is located in Irvine, California. WirelessCar was founded by Ericsson, the Volvo Group, and Telia AB to bridge the gap that exists between the telecommunications and vehicle industries. WirelessCar provides telematics services through its Universal Telematics Network and adds value to the vehicle manufacturer's offer by helping them connect to the wireless world, existing infrastructure, and most of all, to their end customers. For more information please visit www.wirelesscar.com.
About Cross Country Automotive Services
Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Cross Country Automotive Services (www.CrossCountry-Auto.com) is the leading provider of mobility-related customer service programs in North America, including emergency roadside assistance, telematics support, direct marketing and customer relationship management. Over 1,400 Cross Country employees serve more than 100 corporate clients and their more than 40 million customers each year. Cross Country Automotive Services is a member of The Cross Country Group, the largest privately held provider of mobility-related customer service programs in the United States.