VXML-Based Solution Combines Online Anywhere's Breakthrough Content Reformatting Technology with Vetronix's Leading Auto PC Product Development Expertise
PALO ALTO/SANTA BARBARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 29, 1999-- Online Anywhere, a leading provider of Web delivery solutions for information appliances, and Vetronix Corporation, an industry leader in the field of automotive electronics, today announced that the two companies have signed a technology agreement to co-develop a voice-based solution for accessing Web content from an automobile. Under the terms of the agreement, Online Anywhere's patented FlashMap(TM) Web content reformatting solution will be used to deliver Voice Extensible Mark-Up Language (VXML) content to Vetronix-developed in-vehicle software and communications peripherals. These products will be enabled by an in-car computer running the Auto PC platform based on the Microsoft Windows CE operating system. The resulting new solution based on the companies' collaborative research and development efforts - an in-car computing solution that utilizes innovative voice technologies to access Web content - is expected to be available for beta testing later this year.
Today's announcement points to consumers' and mobile professionals' increasing reliance on anytime, anywhere access to the growing volume of Web-based information and applications, and the growing market for automotive computing devices and mobile applications. According to Paul Hansen, publisher of The Hansen Report on Automotive Electronics, Rye, NH., the worldwide market for Internet-capable, in-vehicle computers will reach $1 billion by 2005, and $15 billion by 2015. These voice-enabled applications make extensive use of text-to-speech conversion and speech recognition to provide valuable information to the driver while keeping the driver's eyes on the road. For example, fleet management companies can offer Web-based services to their customers, sales professionals can return emails or access group calendar information from a Personal Information Manager (PIM), and mobile professionals can obtain driving directions directly from a Web site.
``Our decision to team with Online Anywhere was based on their proven content reformatting solution and their support of the VXML standard to enable superior speech-based capabilities,'' said James V. Zaleski, president of Vetronix. ``This collaborative effort allows Vetronix to leverage our In-Vehicle Products group's experience with the Auto PC development environment to deliver useful, real-world, Web-based functionality to the driver, and to do so while keeping the driver's eyes on the road.''
``This announcement further demonstrates the extensibility and rapid market acceptance of the Online Anywhere content reformatting solution,'' said Mohan Vishwanath, CEO of Online Anywhere. ``Voice-enabled Internet access for the Auto PC platform represents a compelling solution for mobile workers and is a natural extension to the wireless devices we already support. We are excited about combining the talents of two respective industry leaders to deliver this innovative Web access solution to the in-vehicle market.''
``Anytime, Anywhere'' Web Access from the Automobile
Vetronix has been involved with Microsoft's Auto PC initiative since late 1996. Its first product is the CarPort vehicle interface system. The CarPort hardware peripheral supplies an Auto PC with access to the vehicle's onboard data bus, and Vetronix-written applications use that data to provide a broad range of functions for the driver. These include mileage-based contact logs, speed history archiving, and owner-programmable maintenance reminders.
``Microsoft is pleased to see this collaborative effort between industry leaders Vetronix and Online Anywhere, which will significantly extend the Auto PC platform,'' said Perry Lee, product manager, Productivity Appliance Division, Microsoft Corp. ``A VXML-based Internet access solution is a logical extension of the Auto PC's pioneering speech recognition capabilities.''
Online Anywhere, a Motorola (NYSE:MOT - news) Ventures funded start-up, develops solutions that enable Web content to be delivered to televisions, PDAs, and wireless devices. Online Anywhere's solution has recently been deployed by leading Internet brand Yahoo! (NASDAQ:YHOO - news) and leading in-room entertainment, information and business services provider On Command (NASDAQ:ONCO - news). The solution is based on patented FlashMap technology, which automatically converts content that has been formatted for a PC to a format and mark-up language appropriate for a range of devices. Online Anywhere's solution will reformat HTML-based content to a format appropriate for Vetronix products enabled by the Auto PC platform, using standards set by the VXML forum. With support for any device, browser, markup language, or transport protocol, Online Anywhere offers the most flexible, technically advanced solution for delivering Web access services to new platforms.
About Vetronix
Vetronix Corporation, a privately held company with headquarters in Santa Barbara, Calif., was founded in 1984. Vetronix is an industry leader in the field of automotive service equipment, for both the OEM-affiliated and aftermarket segments of the industry. Through cooperative development relationships with such automotive OEMs as General Motors, Adam Opel, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Isuzu, Suzuki and Kia, Vetronix testers and diagnostic software dominate the market. More than 40 percent of all new vehicles produced worldwide are serviced at the dealership level with technology designed and developed by Vetronix Corporation. Vetronix created its In-Vehicle Products business unit in 1997. Vetronix can be reached at 805/966-2000 or at www.vetronix.com.
About Online Anywhere
Online Anywhere is a leading provider of Web delivery solutions for information appliances. Online Anywhere's patented FlashMap content reformatting and display technology provides the industry's first and only ``Author Once, View Anywhere(TM)'' solution, enabling automatic reformatting of all Web pages, on-the-fly, for delivery to a variety of information appliances, including Web-connected TVs, PDAs, wireless devices (pagers, data phones), and voice-only products. Online Anywhere is privately held and has received minority stake investments from Motorola Ventures, the investment arm of Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT - news) and Draper-Richards, a San Francisco-based venture fund. The company is headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif and can be reached at 650/493-4053 or via their Web site at www.onlineanywhere.com.
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