New Traffic Info. Service

ITIS Holdings PLC 11 January 2001 ITIS HOLDINGS ANNOUNCES NEW TRAFFIC INFORMATION SERVICE FROM APRIL 2001 ITIS Holding plc, the AIM listed telematics company specialising in the provision of location based services to drivers, has today announced it has secured the UK rights to broadcast traffic information data using RDS- TMC (Radio Data Service - Traffic Message Channel). ITIS is in advanced discussions with several vehicle and receiver manufacturers to deliver dynamic traffic information into various in- car devices using RDS-TMC and will launch the first commercial and nationwide service in April this year. Revenues will be derived either from subscribers to the service who will pay an annual subscription or directly from those manufacturers who choose to include the service within the standard specification of the vehicle. RDS-TMC (Radio Data Service - Traffic Message Channel) is the European standard for providing traffic data over conventional FM radio. Whilst RDS is familiar to drivers allowing them to stay tuned to the same channel regardless of frequency, the TMC standard provides them with up to the minute traffic updates directly relevant to the direction and route taken by speech via the vehicle's loudspeakers and in the customers preferred language, or in text and speech format integrated into their in-car navigation systems. RDS-TMC already operates across Europe and receivers are widely available from manufacturers such as Mannesman VDO and Bosch Blaupunkt. In addition a number of vehicle manufacturers have adopted TMC including: Volvo, BMW, Mercedes and Volkswagen Group (including Audi). In Germany, approximately 10% of new cars sold currently have navigation systems which in turn are capable of taking TMC services. For example, Mercedes Benz drivers in Germany are offered TMC functionality as standard with their COMAND console which includes the radio and navigation system. The licence which operates for three years has been acquired for an undisclosed sum from @RoadSM (Fremont,CA, USA), a provider of location-enhanced wireless Internet solutions for mobile resource management (MRM). Stuart Marks, Chief Executive of ITIS Holdings, says: 'I believe this is a significant step in developing our relationships with vehicle manufacturers and places us in a leading position as a European telematics company. ITIS has chosen to invest in TMC as opposed to Cell Broadcast as it enables us to offer vehicle manufacturers a service they have demand and customers for today. There is already widespread acceptance and usage in Europe and with RDS-TMC drivers receive a seamless traffic information service in their own language. For example, whilst driving from Manchester to Munich or vice versa, an English driver will receive local traffic information in English throughout his journey and a German driver similarly in German. ' 'This deal, along with our alliances with Minorplanet and Yeoman Group, endorses our strategy of working closely with manufacturers to provide a complete range of driver services.' Contact: Stuart Marks Chief Executive Officer Giles Harridge Managing Director ITIS Holdings plc Telephone: 0161 929 5788 Ginny Pulbrook Director Citigate Dewe Rogerson Telephone: 020 7282 2945