ATX Proposes .car Initiative to Facilitate Safe Web Browsing in Vehicles

Telematics Provider Requests Connected Vehicle Trade Association to Organize
Coalition to Promote Tools for In-Vehicle Web Design

DALLAS-FORT WORTH, Texas, May 19 /PRNewswire/ -- ATX Group, the world's
largest independent telematics services provider to the automotive industry,
today announced an initiative with the Detroit-based Connected Vehicle Trade
Association (CVTA) to convene an international work group to address how to
safely access internet content through embedded and nomadic devices in
vehicles.
ATX, as the convener of the working group, and CVTA will launch an
immediate effort to invite automobile manufacturers and interested parties in
the automotive electronics value chain to participate in an open discussion
and process for setting requirements for in-vehicle Web browsing. An industry
forum on the proposal will follow when the industry meets in Detroit from Oct.
20-22, 2008.
ATX also is proposing a generic top-level domain - dot.car (.car), similar
to dot.com (.com) - that would enable Web sites to be specifically designed to
meet the challenging safety and consumer requirements for delivering Web
content into the vehicle.
"The Web has become such a daily part of our lives, its pervasive use in
the vehicle is inevitable and demands that the industry agree on specific
formats that will adapt the traditional Web browsing experience to the driving
experience," said ATX President and CEO Steve Millstein. "This proposal is
similar to the adaptation that was required to develop and interface between
the smart phone and the Web. Browsing the Internet in the vehicle is a unique
environment with unique characteristics."
"ATX is a valued member of CVTA, and we fully support their thought
leadership in convening this initiative," added Scott McCormick, president of
the CVTA (www.connectedvehicle.org). "Internet content is beginning to enter
the vehicle environment, and we need to bring together all the stakeholders
addressing safe means of obtaining, viewing and interacting with this content.
This is a timely and important topic that we hope will draw global interest
across a variety of affected industries."
In addition to Web content, it is envisioned that dot.car Web sites could
also utilize such telematics-centric, real-time data as vehicle performance
and maintenance diagnostics data, as well as vehicle location data. Also
proposed is a telematics firewall process specifically designed to ensure the
total protection of the vehicle from content that is delivered over the air to
the in-vehicle browser for the entire life cycle of the automobile.
As envisioned, the initial users will be automobile manufacturers and
their technology and communications partners and suppliers. This group would
need to define requirements in regards to the expected user experience. While
the primary vision of the dot.car domain is to give motorists the ability to
surf the World Wide Web and experience customized Web browsing, automobile
manufacturers would benefit from the process by: -- Ensuring flexibility to
adapt the embedded user interface for the life
of the vehicle;
-- Dramatically reducing lead time to market compared to the current
embedded software design process;
-- Achieving the capability to customize according to vehicle model,
country and motorist;
-- Facilitating easy customer access to content and updates;
-- Meeting customer expectations of web browsing while keeping a safe and
convenient driving experience.

Anyone interested in participating in early discussions or receiving
notice of the October forum is encouraged to send their contact information to
CVTA at sjm@connectedvehicle.org.
ABOUT ATX: Based in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, and Dusseldorf, Germany, ATX
Group is the world's largest provider of customized telematics services to the
automotive industry, serving both North America and Europe. ATX telematics
services are designed to provide enhanced safety, security and driving
convenience to vehicle owners. These services include location-specific
emergency and roadside assistance, automatic collision notification, stolen
vehicle recovery, remote diagnostics and real-time traffic and navigation
assistance. ATX also customizes telematics services to help automobile
manufacturers and their affiliated dealerships to use telematics data to
reduce costs, enhance vehicle servicing, and more closely manage customer
relationships. ATX services are provided to vehicle owners through the brand
names of its customers --- BMW, PSA Peugeot Citroen, Mercedes-Benz, Maybach,
and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. For more information, visit www.atxg.com .
SOURCE ATX Group

Gary Wallace, VP, Corporate Relations, +1-800-511-5891, +1-972- 753-6230,
gwallace@atxg.com