ATX Transitions in-Vehicle Telematics Safety to Mobile Emergency Management of Crashes Across Emergency Response Chain

DALLAS, Aug. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- ATX, a leading provider of customized connected vehicle (also known as telematics) services to global automobile manufacturers, announced today its new mobile emergency management platform integrating its location-specific, emergency notification of vehicle emergencies to emergency responders with emergency towing, roadside assistance and auto insurance notification services provided by its corporate parent, Cross Country Automotive Services.

"Our mobile emergency management services offer the most comprehensive accident scene management available in the market, providing our clients with a multi-modal (live operator, messaging, interactive and automated voice, Web), data-centric network that integrates the information needs of all of the various parties typically involved in some aspect of a vehicle-based emergency," explained Tom Metzger, ATX senior vice president and general manager of Connected Vehicles Services.

Telematics-based safety programs in vehicles generally have been limited to services that react to a vehicle emergency, providing emergency responders primarily with a precise location, a vehicle description, a communications link with the vehicle occupants and, in some cases, information about the nature and severity of the crash from in-vehicle crash sensors.

"By moving to our new fourth-generation telematics platform, ATX is able to offer vehicle manufacturers a program that provides end-to-end critical information in real time to all potential stakeholders in the emergency response chain – emergency medical responders, roadside assistance providers and (with the vehicle owner's consent) potentially auto insurers, auto dealerships, rental car agencies and the owner's emergency," said Gary Wallace, vice president of Corporate Relations and ATX's primary interface with emergency response agencies. "By integrating Cross Country's and ATX's areas of expertise in vehicle interfaces and back-office, off-board technologies, we can facilitate a quicker, more comprehensive and more informed response."

The ability to combine services also provides owners of connected vehicles who are suddenly faced with an emergency – and likely under duress or in no condition to make critical decisions after a crash involving airbag deployment – the peace of mind in knowing that they have automatic help.

The development of a highly flexible mobile emergency management platform parallels ATX's and Cross Country's commitment to mobile handset application development, voice technology applications, wireless services management and Web-interface development across all of Cross Country's seven data and call centers and product development facilities in the U.S. and Canada. Reliance on a total mobile emergency management platform also enables ATX to more quickly deploy a broad range of new technologies, search capabilities, new databases of relevant information and third-party services that can provide a more robust experience for vehicle owners.

ABOUT ATX:

With operations in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, ATX is one of the world's leading providers of customized telematics services to global automobile manufacturers. ATX services, among the first to be launched in the consumer vehicle market back in 1996, are provided to vehicle owners through the brand names of its customers: Toyota, Lexus, BMW, PSA Peugeot Citroen, Mercedes-Benz Canada, Maybach and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. 

Services by ATX provide enhanced safety, security and driving convenience to vehicle owners, and include location-specific emergency and roadside assistance, automatic collision notification, stolen vehicle recovery, remote diagnostics, and real-time traffic and navigation assistance.  ATX also customizes services to help automobile manufacturers and their affiliated dealerships use telematics data and multiple customer contact channels to reduce costs, enhance vehicle servicing, and more closely manage customer relationships and contacts with the vehicle through its lifetime. 

ATX is a division of Cross Country Automotive Services (www.crosscountry-auto.com), a leading provider of location-based automotive services.  

For more information, visit www.atxg.com.

SOURCE ATX