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ETAK/METRO NETWORKS ADDS 10 MORE CITIES -- INCREASING
REAL-TIME ROAD TRAFFIC REPORT SERVICE COVERAGE TO 60 METRO
AREAS NATIONWIDE
Service Delivers Detailed, Up-to-the-Minute Traffic Condition Information to a
Variety of Mobile and Internet Devices
NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 28, 2000 - Etak Inc. today announced, at the CTIA Wireless 2000
show, the addition of 10 metropolitan areas to its national real-time traffic information service -
marching one step closer to its goal of providing up-to-the-minute, local traffic information
covering the entire United States, including the U.S. Highway network.
This brings Etak’s service to 60 metropolitan areas. The new areas include Memphis, TN,
Colorado Springs, CO; Philadelphia, PA; Rochester, NY and Ft. Meyers, FL.
The traffic reporting service, provided through the cooperative efforts of Etak, leading provider
of digital map and location-based technologies, and Metro Networks, the world’s largest
supplier of broadcast radio and TV traffic reports, is available in WAP and other standard
formats enabling subscribers to receive regional or route-specific traffic information reports for
their personal routes through a variety of wireless and wireline devices including pagers, PDAs,
cell phones, in-car navigation devices, kiosks and wireless-capable laptop computers.
"We are very proud to have achieved this milestone, once again ahead of schedule. No other
company comes even close to our coverage nor our depth of service," said Terry Smail, senior
vice president of sales and marketing at Etak. "We’ve been inundated with companies seeking to
place this useful information on Intranets for commuting employees, on consumer websites to
increase ‘viewer traffic’ and from virtually every company that transmits content to
consumer-oriented wireless devices. Etak is a one-stop source for anyone seeking access to
real-time road and traffic conditions."
The real-time traffic feed is available as either a text feed or graphically, as icons positioned
accurately on digital maps.
Etak/Metro’s timely and specific real-time traffic information is assigned specific latitude and
longitude coordinates which allow incidents to be precisely displayed on digital maps. In
addition, Etak’s extensive location codes enable association of incidents and traffic delays with
specific routes for pre-trip route selection and real-time route adjustments. Traffic report details,
which include a description of the problem, degree of impact on traffic, where traffic will be
affected including direction of traffic, estimated duration, and traffic speeds where available,
empower travelers to make more intelligent, informed route decisions. Using a Web site,
subscribers can customize the service by indicating the roads they travel and times of day
enroute. Individuals can then be notified of or request information about traffic problems on their
personal routes.
How It Works
Metro Networks, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Westwood One, is the largest and most trusted
provider of traffic information in the world. They offer extensive source capture capabilities
including 1500 professional reporters and operations studios nationwide; video surveillance
systems; on-scene mobile units; a large fleet of surveillance aircraft; local, state and federal
government agencies; and their own local and national news services and news service partners.
The Metro Networks’ raw traffic data is entered into an Etak Traffic Workstation, located in
each Metro office, creating a comprehensive database of real-time traffic and traveler
information. Messages are sent to Etak’s national traffic server, which distributes the data
immediately and conveniently to the Internet, television, wireless handheld devices or automotive
systems. In effect, Etak provides a single source for access to local real-time traffic information
for more than 60 cities.
Motorola, Saraide, Cue Paging and 3Com are among the companies currently distributing
Etak/Metro Traffic.
Etak is the premier publisher of location-based technology and digital maps for in-vehicle
information systems, mobile traveler information systems, real-time traffic services, utility damage
prevention and commercial business geographics markets. Etak maps and traffic cover the
United States and mainland Great Britain.
Headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif., Etak is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of
America. For more information on Etak’s products and services contact Etak Inc., 1605 Adams
Drive, Menlo Park, CA 94025. Phone: (800) 765-0555. E-mail: info@etak.com. Internet:
http://www.etak.com.
Westwood One provides over 150 news, sports, music, talk, entertainment programs, features,
live events and 24-hour formats. Through its subsidiaries, Metro Networks/Shadow Broadcast
Services, Westwood One provides local content to the radio and TV industries including news,
sports, weather, traffic, video news services and other information. Westwood One serves more
than 7,500 radio stations. Westwood One is managed by Infinity Broadcasting Corporation.
www.etak.com
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