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BOSTON - August 6, 2002 -- Cross Country Automotive Services (Cross Country) today announced that Cynthia Manley has been appointed to the National Emergency Number Association's (NENA) Emergency Call Center Board. In her role, Manley will represent the telematics service provider community based on her expertise and proven experience in the telematics industry. The newly appointed board will focus on a series of initiatives that will drive the public safety community into the future. The primary goal is to ensure the accuracy, timeliness and efficiency of the information that is passed among public safety answering points (PSAPs), private call centers and other stakeholders in emergency situations.
"Cross Country is pleased to announce the appointment of Cynthia Manley to the Emergency Call Center Board," said Michael Saxton, President of Cross Country Automotive Services. "We are thrilled to be the first telematics service provider participating in this important life-saving collaboration. Public safety and emergency response success are initiatives we have been embracing for the past four years as evidenced by our participation in the Ford Safety program and through our representation on the Emergency Call Center Board. This further demonstrates Cross Country's core commitment to leading the telematics industry by setting and driving the acceptance of standards that will improve public safety and ultimately save lives."
This appointment follows the announcement of Cross Country's participation in an important safety initiative with Ford Motor Company and Greater Harris County 9-1-1 Emergency Network of Houston in which Five Hundred Ford Crown Victoria police cars in Greater Harris County were equipped with telematics and public safety technologies. Cross Country was selected as the exclusive provider of telematics services for Ford Motor Company's Enhanced Crash Notification Safety Pilot Program and is responsible for managing the critical voice and data communications to and from the vehicle. Such information includes vehicle location, vehicle identification, and important crash pulse safety data. The telematics technology, the first of its kind, automatically alerts the telematics response center when an accident occurs and transmits valuable life-saving information describing to the magnitude of the accident and the number of passengers involved. Unlike current telematics deployments, the telematics response center integrates with the current 9-1-1 public safety network to help emergency personnel respond to accidents in a timely and effective manner - ultimately saving lives. Cross Country and its partners are working on the next phase of this project that will assist emergency medical response including trauma centers respond to life threatening accidents.
"I am honored by my appointment and looking forward to representing the telematics service provider community in the Emergency Call Center Board," said Cynthia Manley, Telematics Program Manager, Cross Country. "I look forward to collaborating with industry leaders to improve the current state of information exchange within the emergency response network, and other participants in the public safety industry."
Since the formation of Cross Country's Telematics services business line in 1996, the company has collaborated on the development of telematics solutions for leading automotive brands including Volvo and BMW. Cross Country's telematics offerings include: location-enhanced roadside assistance, vehicle systems monitoring and reporting capabilities, Mayday and other emergency features, theft tracking and notification systems, enhanced remote vehicle services, web-based portals designed to help OEMs and dealers activate service and manage relationships with customers, hands-free voice-based applications, turn-by-turn directions, concierge services, and other services currently being evaluated.
About Cross Country Automotive Services
Headquartered in Medford, Massachusetts, Cross Country Automotive Services is a leading provider of integrated vehicle and driver programs in North America. Over 1,800 Cross Country employees serve more than 100 corporate clients and their more than 40 million customers each year. Cross Country Automotive Services is a member of The Cross Country Group, one of the largest privately held providers of customer service programs in the United States. For additional information on Cross Country Automotive Services, please visit their Web site at www.crosscountry-auto.com.
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