MERCEDES-BENZ REACHES DRIVERS VIA SATELLITE WITH ALL-NEW TeleAid SYSTEM Telematics Technology Offers New Level of Customer Service And Emergency Response MONTVALE, NJ - With the introduction of its all-new S-Class premium luxury sedans, Mercedes-Benz is also inaugurating a new era of customer service and communications - the S-Class debuts a new system called TeleAid, which provides both convenience and emergency services at the touch of a button in the car. TeleAid is standard equipment for the model-year 2000 S-Class, which became available at Mercedes-Benz retail centers this spring. The Mercedes-Benz TeleAid system integrates hardware and software from Motorola, emergency response service from Protection One and client response and service from the Mercedes-Benz Client Assistance Center and Roadside Assistance Programs. TeleAid allows drivers of the all-new Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedans to communicate directly with the company from their cars, to obtain information on the car, assistance with working its systems or just general information on Mercedes-Benz and its products. The innovative TeleAid system offers three distinct kinds of services accessible at the touch of a button. For emergency help, there´s an «SOS» button on the rear-view mirror. Pushing the SOS button will immediately establish voice contact with Protection One, a provider contracted by Mercedes-Benz. The Protection One representative can dispatch local police or other emergency services. Pressing this button also transmits to Protection One crucial information about the customer, including the precise location of the vehicle (through the GPS tracking) and the model of the car and its color (to help emergency services visually locate the car quickly). Protection One can also dispatch local police, fire or emergency services if voice contact is not established (e.g., the customer is unable to respond). If a collision deploys any airbag, the system automatically establishes contact with Protection One, relaying all pertinent information. The onboard transmitter is crash-secure, and has access to redundant antennae. TeleAid includes two other buttons - mounted on the center console -- for non-emergency use. One marked with the symbol of a wrench puts the customer in contact with the Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance. TeleAid eliminates the need to dial a phone number, use a cellular access code, juggle a handset or locate street names during an emergency. Roadside assistance through TeleAid is seamlessly integrated. When a request for roadside assistance is transmitted to the TeleAid Response Center, the customer profile and mapping/location-identification information is appended to the call and routed directly to a Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance technician at the company´s Client Assistance Center in Montvale, New Jersey without interruption. Although various telematics capabilities may exist in other cars, Mercedes-Benz is the first manufacturer to make emergency calling a standard feature. Moreover, the standard TeleAid system does not require the customer to purchase a cellular phone or service - it operates on its own cellular system with redundant antennae. A third button marked with the letter «i» connects the customer with the Mercedes-Benz Client Assistance Center, which can answer customer questions about the car. For example, the driver can request help in programming features in the S-Class COMAND system, which integrates navigation, audio systems and the optional telephone. A fourth benefit of the TeleAid system is vehicle theft tracking. Protection One can actually help authorities locate the S-Class once the owner reports it stolen. Protection One is one of the largest monitored security firms for homes and businesses in the world, providing monitoring and related security services to more than 1.5 million residential and commercial subscribers across the United States. Protection One Mobile Services pioneered the development of in-vehicle telematics in 1995.