Press Release
@Road Expands Its Intellectual Property Portfolio with Three Newly Issued U.S. Patents
@Road now holds 20 patents with more pending around the globe
FREMONT Calif. (February 16, 2006) -- @Road®, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARDI), a global provider of next-generation solutions for Mobile Resource Management (MRM), today announced that the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) has recently issued the Company three new patents covering innovative MRM technology and services. The first patent covers a system and method for “Voice Interaction for Location-Relevant Mobile Resource Management.” While the second U.S. Patent granted to @Road depicts a method for “Targeted Impending Arrival Notification of a Wirelessly Connected Location Device.” A third U.S. Patent awarded to @Road depicts a “System and Method for Providing a Handheld Unit to a Mobile Position Device.” @Road can now claim ownership to 20 issued patents and additional patents pending in jurisdictions around the world.
“Building a sound patent portfolio is part of our overall growth strategy that we believe adds considerable value to the company,” said Leo Jolicoeur, @Road chief marketing officer. “It also furthers our goal of maintaining a leadership role in the development of innovative next-generation MRM products and solutions that are designed to help businesses effectively manage their mobile workers and their work while optimizing service delivery.”
The first newly issued U.S. Patent, No. 6,965,665, covers a system and method for voice interaction for location-relevant mobile resource management. For example, a network server transmits a voice message to a voice device at a mobile unit upon detecting that the mobile unit is within a predetermined distance of a certain location. The network server also receives a voice request for location-relevant information from a user at a mobile unit and transmits responsive location-relevant information to the user as a voice message. The network server may conduct certain actions responsive to voice requests received from users at mobile units. Users may receive information from the server via voice devices even when not located at a mobile unit.
In the second newly issued U.S. Patent No. 6,980,131, @Road describes a proprietary method for alerting a designated party when a location enabled vehicle nears a destination or when it leaves a pre-arranged alert area surrounding a location. The alerts can be relayed via an automated telephone message, a pager message, an email message, or any other communication means. The alerts can be used for mercantile deliveries by directing an alert to a customer expecting a delivery or to a site expecting a vehicle for loading or unloading. The alerts can also automatically activate domestic systems such as home appliances or systems in anticipation of a resident’s arrival.
U.S. Patent, No. 6,980,812, also awarded to @Road, describes a system and method for facilitating a commercial transaction based on a current location of a mobile customer and a mobile merchant. In one application, the method establishes a wireless link between a server on a wide-area network and a mobile customer, and obtains from the mobile customer a current location by reading automatically from a positioning device associated and located with the customer. Based on the customer location, the server matches the mobile customer, as one party of a commercial transaction, with one or more businesses within a predetermined distance from the current location. This can enable the business concern to act as a counter-party to complete the commercial transaction. This and other location-relevant services can be delivered to the mobile person in a system including a positioning device mounted on a vehicle and an associated-handheld unit that the mobile person can carry around as he or she is outside the vehicle, but in its vicinity.
About @Road
@Road, Inc. is a leading global provider of solutions designed to automate the management of mobile resources and to optimize the service delivery process for customers across a variety of industries. @Road delivers Mobile Resource Management solutions in three key areas: Field Force Management, Field Service Management and Field Asset Management. By providing real-time Mobile Resource Management infrastructure integrating wireless communications, location-based technologies, transaction processing and the Internet, @Road solutions are designed to provide a secure, scalable, upgradeable, enterprise-class platform, and are offered in on-demand software delivery, on-premise or hybrid environments that can seamlessly connect mobile workers in the field to real-time corporate data. @Road is headquartered in Fremont, Calif., and has a global presence with offices in North America, Europe and Asia. For more information on @Road solutions, visit www.road.com.
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Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this news release are forward-looking statements involving risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. These factors, risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the implementation of @Road MRM solutions by ELM; ability of @Road to comply with the terms of the agreement with ELM; the ability of @Road MRM solutions improve the productivity and manageability of mobile workers and service delivery; competition; and general economic and political conditions. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the @Road Report on Form 10-K dated March 15, 2005, in the @Road Report on Form 10-Q dated November 8, 2005 and in its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
@Road, the @Road logo and GeoManager are trademarks, registered trademarks or service marks of @Road, Inc. All other trademarks or service marks used herein are the property of their respective owners.
Media Contact:
Bob Stern
@Road Media Relations
T: (510) 870-1360
M: (925) 457-1673
F: (510) 870-1910
bstern@road-inc.com