Ithaca Energy Regulatory News (ITH)

5 Jan 2005 07:00

ITIS Holdings PLC05 January 2005 5th January 2005 ITIS HOLDINGS AGREES NEW 3-YEAR CONTRACT WITH DAIMLERCHRYSLER UK FOR RDS TMC TRAFFIC SERVICE ON MERCEDES-BENZ VEHICLES ITIS Holdings plc (ITIS) today announces a new contract with DaimlerChrysler UKto supply its RDS-TMC (Radio Data System - Traffic Message Channel) service asstandard on all Mercedes-Benz cars equipped with factory-installed satellitenavigation. TMC enables drivers to receive real time traffic information ontheir navigation system and to utilise Dynamic Route Guidance to re-route awayfrom traffic congestion. ITIS traffic information combines incident data and Floating Vehicle Data (FVD),which is then broadcast to compatible satellite navigation systems usingnational bandwidth via Classic FM, which is licensed exclusively by Ofcom toITIS until 2012. Manufacturers who have standardised TMC are Bentley, BMW,Ford, Land Rover, Lexus, Mini, Nissan, Porsche, Renault, Saab, Subaru, Toyota,Vauxhall, Volkswagen and Volvo. Stuart Marks, Chief Executive, ITIS Holdings commented: "We are particularlypleased that DaimlerChrysler UK will be standardising RDS TMC across theMercedes-Benz range of cars. The quality and driving experience that Mercedes-Benz customers demand will be further enhanced by the availability of real timetraffic information. We now have contracts with 16 manufacturers for RDS-TMC andconsequently more drivers now receive traffic information in their vehiclesusing TMC than by any other comparable system." - Ends - Contact: Stuart Marks, Chief Executive, ITIS Holdings plc - 0161 929 5788 Ginny Pulbrook, Citigate Dewe Rogerson - 0207 282 2945 Note to Editors • ITIS Holdings plc, listed on AIM, is the UK's leading provider of trafficinformation and vehicle security services. ITIS has invested in the developmentof a unique system for the collection and analysis of traffic information, itcombines journalistic information with IT IS' historic and real-time FloatingVehicle Data (FVD) to provide journey time forecasts and real-time updates. ITIS now operates the largest commercial application of FVD anywhere in theworld, and delivers the content over a variety of platforms including RDS-TMC(Alert C), digital radio and automated telephone services (IVR) under the AARoadWatch brand. • ITIS traffic information is collated from a combination of journalistic andreal-time sources using its own FVD network. The data is then transmitteddirectly to the TMC receiver using a carrier of the Classic FM radio network, which provides coverage of 90% of the strategic road network. • TMC is a European-developed and standardised means of delivering real-timetraffic information. Transmitted data is decoded by a receiving device such as a satellite navigationsystem and translated into text or speech traffic alerts. By combining trafficinformation delivered via RDS-TMC with the re-routing facilities offered bysatellite navigation systems drivers are finally afforded dynamic avoidance oftraffic congestion. • Through its NavTrak business (www.navtrak.com), ITIS has developed a uniqueand innovative stolen vehicle tracking service delivered via GPS/GSM technology, which offers: • Theft detection- even when owner's keys have been taken. (Automatic DriverRecognition - ADR) • Automatic GPS tracking of stolen vehicles (Stolen Vehicle Recovery) • Theft alerts, GPS tracking and police liaison covering 20 European countries(EUROWATCH) • The NavTrak family of telematics units are fitted to over 100,000 vehiclesboth in UK, mainland Europe, America and Australia (including products made and sold under the manufacturer's name of Minorplanet Systems plc) • ITIS provide traffic data to all mobile phone providers. To receive up-to-datetraffic and travel information direct from your mobile 'phone call 401100 from any network; 2222 from Vodafone; 2020 from T-mobile. • ITIS provide traffic data to www.getmethere.co.uk, a comprehensive servicefrom Toyota providing information on route planning, traffic information, traffic alerts and incidents, and weather forecasts. For further information please visit www.itisholdings.com or www.navtrak.com This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange