Ericsson, Volvo and Telia form joint company - WirelessCar

Ericsson, Volvo and Telia form joint company - WirelessCar - to deliver mobile e-services to the automotive industry Ericsson, Volvo and Telia announce the formation of WirelessCar Corporation at the Geneva Motor Show. The joint company is the first of its kind and will develop and market complete solutions for mobile e- services to vehicle manufacturers and fleet operators. WirelessCar will enable the global automotive industry to implement, and to benefit from, mobile e-services. The company will offer solutions that connect vehicles to a wide variety of mobile e-services; such as roadside and emergency assistance, access to Internet services, vehicle software management and remote diagnostics. "This joint initiative will bring to life the exciting new market for mobile e-services in vehicles. WirelessCar is a natural extension of our vision of anywhere, anytime communication. By bringing together the strengths of Volvo, Telia and Ericsson, WirelessCar is able to join competencies from the different industries and act as a unique one-stop provider in this new emerging area," says Jöran Hoff, Vice President and General Manager, New and Special Business Operations, Ericsson. "For Telia this is a formidable way to provide the whole portfolio of intelligent operator solutions for private and fleet customers. We are happy to have such partners, who understand the high standards of the vehicle industry and mobile communications. WirelessCar will be providing state-of-the-art mobile solutions to its customers," says Östen Mäkitalo, Chief Technology Officer, Telia Mobile. "Volvo has a long history in applying mobile communications in our vehicles, by our strict standards and requirements promoting safety, reliability and functionality. We are excited to provide WirelessCar with the benefit of that experience," says Arne Wittlöv, Executive Vice President, AB Volvo. "WirelessCar will support vehicle manufacturers and fleet operators in delivering mobile e-services to their end-users on a global basis. WirelessCar will provide the automotive industry with one supplier interface and offer continuous delivery of services irrespective of network, operator or service provider. So far advanced mobile e-services have been mere visions, WirelessCar will make them come true," says Jan Hellåker, President of WirelessCar. Initially the owners hold three equal parts of WirelessCar, but additional owners will be invited over time. The new company will be headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden. The formation of this company is subject to EC regulatory approval. A press conference will be held Tuesday February 29, 2000 at 15:45 hrs, at the Geneva Motor Show, Palexpo, room E, Geneva, Switzerland. Ericsson is the leading provider in the new telecoms world, with communications solutions that combine telecom and datacom technologies with freedom of mobility for the user. With more than 100,000 employees in 140 countries, Ericsson simplifies communications for its customers - network operators, service providers, enterprises and consumers - the world over. http://www.ericsson.se/pressroom AB Volvo is one of the world's largest producers of trucks, buses and construction equipment and holds a leading position in the fields of marine and industrial engines and aircraft engine components. Founded in 1927, Volvo today has 53,600 employees, production in almost 30 countries and a worldwide marketing organization. http://www.volvo.com/ Telia is the leading supplier of telecom-based information services in the Nordic/Baltic region. At the same time, "seamless" pan-European and global services are being realized through powerful alliances and partnerships in Europe and around the world. Annual turnover 1998 reached 51 240 MSEK and the number of employees amounted to approx. 30,600. http://www.telia.se/ FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT Jan Hellåker, President, WirelessCar Phone: +46 703 222 901; E-mail: jan.hellaker@wirelesscar.com Johan Brundell, Venture Manager, Ericsson Business Innovation Phone: +46 705 399 444; E-mail: johan.brundell@era.ericsson.se Mads Impgaard Madsen, Press Manager, Ericsson Phone: +46 70 666 2903; E-mail: mads.madsen@lme.ericsson.se Anders Brännström, President, Volvo Technology Transfer Phone: +46 705 591 093; E-mail: vhk.abran@memo.volvo.se Lars Klasson, Vice President New Business, Telia Mobile Phone: +46 705 874 657; E-mail: lars.g.klasson@telia.se