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WirelessDevNet.com Press Release
Avis and Motorola Kick Off Peak Travel Season With National Launch
PARSIPPANY, N.J. and LIBERTYVILLE, Ill., May 13 --
In anticipation of the busy Memorial Day travel weekend when millions of
Americans will hit the road, Avis Rent A Car and Motorola today announced
completion of the nationwide rollout of "Avis Assist" -- a mobile phone-based
navigation system now available in 57 U.S. cities.
Powered by Motorola's VIAMOTO software, Avis Assist gives travelers the
ability to bypass unwieldy maps and confusing gas station directions by
gaining instant "talking" directions from a Motorola handset, which can easily
be mounted in the car or carried in your pocket.
"Since we first introduced Avis Assist late last year, consumer acceptance
has exceeded our expectations," said Scott Deaver, executive vice president of
marketing for Cendant Car Rental Group, the parent company of Avis. "The fact
that Avis Assist can be used in conjunction with any vehicle is proving to be
especially attractive to our renters. This confirms our belief that drivers
not only want GPS service, but also seek mobility, speed and ease of use to
reap the benefits."
To map out a route, travelers simply contact the call center for a live
Avis Advisor or input their destination through the phone keypad. Once the
destination is received, the VIAMOTO system calculates a route, downloads it
from a server to the mobile handset, and begins pinpointing the traveler's
location to ensure accurate directions. As soon as the car begins moving,
street-specific directions are communicated through the handset's
speakerphone. If the traveler takes a wrong turn, the system knows it and
will recalculate the route -- helping to ensure no more wrong turns!
"Directions and navigational applications are among the top requests for
mobile consumers," said Neal Campbell, general manager of location services
for Motorola. "By harnessing Motorola's deep understanding of GPS, cellular
and software technologies, we created a simple solution in VIAMOTO that
delivers what consumers want while giving companies like Avis a tool to
differentiate and drive sales."
One-third of all U.S. wireless users are interested in receiving
location-based information such as driving directions, according to the Yankee
Group. "VIAMOTO and Avis are together meeting an acute need in the market,"
says Eugene Signorini, wireless analyst with the Yankee Group, "while solving
problems for people on the go."
The latest additions to the roster of cities offering Avis Assist include:
Seattle, Houston and Honolulu.
Motorola and Avis plan to expand the Avis Assist suite of offerings to
include real-time traffic updates and alternate routes, as well as Amber Alert
notices, later this summer. In addition, Motorola's VIAMOTO solution will
offer users the ability to receive information on local restaurants and
schedule reservations, receive updates on event listings, and identify areas
of interest such as the closest ATM.
Avis Assist units can be rented in conjunction with any Avis vehicle at
available locations for an additional $9.95 per day. Equipment can be reserved
in advance at 888-777-AVIS.
About Avis
Avis Rent A Car System, Inc. and its subsidiaries operate the world's
second largest general-use car rental brand, providing business and leisure
customers with a wide range of services at nearly 1,800 locations in the
United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the Latin American /
Caribbean region. Avis is one of the world's top brands for customer loyalty,
ranking as the number one rental car brand and the number one brand overall
among 182 in the 2003 Brand Keys(R) Customer Loyalty Index, and tying for the
highest ranking in the 2003 J.D. Power & Associates rental car customer
satisfaction study. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cendant
Corporation (NYSE: CD), a diversified global provider of business and consumer
services primarily within the real estate and travel sectors. For more
information visit http://www.avis.com or http://www.cendant.com/media .
About Motorola
Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) is a global leader in wireless, broadband and
automotive communications technologies that help make life smarter, safer,
simpler, synchronized and fun. Sales in 2003 were US$27.1 billion. Motorola
creates innovative technological solutions that benefit people at home, at
work and on the move. The company also is a progressive corporate citizen
dedicated to operating ethically, protecting the environment and supporting
the communities in which it does business. For more information:
http://www.motorola.com .
MOTOROLA and the Stylized M Logo are registered in the US Patent &
Trademark Office. All other product or service names are the property of their
respective owners.
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